Experiences of engineering Transfer Students: From community college to university

Abstract

Research on students who transfer from community colleges into engineering majors is limited. The National Science Foundation funds millions of dollars to community colleges to build inter-institutional linkages to create seamless transition for women and minorities to pursue STEM majors. The purpose of this mixed-method study is to understand students' community college academic preparation and their subsequent academic experiences as transfer students in engineering majors at a research university in the Midwest. Using data collected from the Transfer Students' Questionnaire (TSQ), this study links survey data to students' academic transcripts from the Office of the Registrar. The TSQ instrument measures student demographic characteristics, community college experiences, and four-year experiences. The community college variables include engagement with coursework, faculty interaction, and skill development. The four-year component measures academic and social engagement, adjustment issues, and level of satisfaction. In addition to the quantitative data, a qualitative component will provide rich, in-depth descriptions of student experiences. Specifically, this component of the analysis will illuminate the experiences of students; how they describe the role of community colleges in preparing them for the academic rigor and transferring into an engineering major. Findings will also address how students describe the factors that facilitate their success as engineering students. The goal of the study is to contribute to the research literature about the relationship between students' community college academic preparation and their subsequent experiences at the four-year university. The authors discuss implications for practice, policy and research. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.