ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Community College Leadership ProgramOffice of Community College Research and Policy

Bottlenecks in the Pipeline:Identifying Data Needed for Success of STEM Transfer Students

Jorja KimbalFrankie Santos LaananRichard Nader

EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Creating Pathways for STEM Transfer Student SuccessNational Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS)September 13, 2011Asheville, NC

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

• Demographics of students who begin at Iowa’s public community colleges

• Academic preparation and degree completion

• Community college effect• Retention and graduation rates• STEM Pathways• University experience and student success• Use data to inform practice, policy and future

research.

Why study transfer students?

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Iowa Community College Transfer Students: Enrollment by Regent Universities

ISUUNIU of I

Fall Semester

Num

ber o

f Tra

nsfe

r Stu

dent

s Enr

ollin

g

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of Educational Trajectories via Community College

High School

Community College

Four-Year University

G.E.D.

Developmental Education

A.A. DegreeTransfer

A.S. Degree

A.A.S. Degree

Emplo-yment

Family Literacy

Certificate

Dual CreditJoint Enrollment

Emplo-yment

InputsBackground

Characteristics

E1

CommunityCollege

Environment

E2

UniversityEnvironment

Outcomes

Figure 2. Conceptual Framework of Understanding Transfer Students’ College Experiences and Transition to 4-Year University

E1

CommunityCollege

Environment

E2

UniversityEnvironment

• Transfer Process• Transfer Academic Preparation• Socialization and Transfer Student Capital • Transfer Adjustment

InputsBackground

Characteristics

• Age• Race/Ethnicity• First-Generation Status• Low-income• Socio-economic status• Parental Education• Parental Income• High school

achievement/preparation

• English Language Learners

• Placement Test Scores• Other variables

• Employment• Hours spent on CC campus• Developmental Courses• General Courses• Academic Advising /

Counseling Services• Transfer Process• Course Learning• Experiences with Faculty• Participation in 2 YR-4 YR

partnerships (transfer and articulation)

• Bridge Programs• CC GPA• Learning and Study Skills

E1

CommunityCollege

Environment

• Employment• Academic Major• Learning Community• Course Learning• Experience with Faculty• General Perceptions of

University (e.g., accessibility of faculty, friendly “Transfer Culture”)

• Adjustment Process (e.g., social and academic, transfer shock, transition issues)

• College Satisfaction

E2

UniversityEnvironment

• University GPA• Retention in STEM major• Leave STEM major• Retained at University

(non-STEM)• Leave University• Graduate with STEM

degree• Job Placement• Self-Concept / Self-

Confidence• Graduate degree in

STEM discipline

Outcomes or Outputs

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Bottlenecks• Pre-STEM academic preparation and

achievement.• Lack of completion of GE and “STEM core”

courses (e.g., math sequence, physics, chemistry, etc.)

• Lack of “Transfer Student Capital”• Lack of understanding about transfer and

articulation policies and practices• STEM Student Success Literacy

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Self Efficacy Social Capital

Transfer Knowledge

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Research DesignsInstitutional, State, and National

Institutional• Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches• Survey data• Student academic transcripts• National Student Clearinghouse • Qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups)

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Research DesignsQuantitative Approaches• Survey data

– NSSE, MapWorks– TSQ– Institutional developed instrument

• Academic transcripts (2 yr, 4 yr)• National Student Clearinghouse

Challenges:• Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal • Response rates

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Research Questions• What are the demographic characteristics of STEM

transfers, STEM native students, non-STEM transfers, and non-STEM native students at a public research university in the Midwest?

• To what extent do the four groups of students differ in academic challenges, level of institutional support, student-faculty interactions, quality of campus relationships, and overall satisfaction with the university?

• What factors predict students’ overall satisfaction?

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

• Measure transfer students’ community college and university experiences

• Survey developed by Laanan (1998)• Online survey • Administered to Iowa CC transfer

students at Iowa State University (ISU)• Three waves of data collection (2007,

2009, 2011).• Data for over 2,000 transfer students

Transfer Student Questionnaire (TSQ)

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

• Background Characteristics

• Community College Experiences– General Courses– Academic Advising/Counseling Services– Transfer Process– Course Learning– Experience with Faculty– Learning and Study Skills

• University Experiences– Reasons that influence decision to attend ISU– Course Learning– Experiences with Faculty– General Perceptions of ISU– Adjustment Process– College Satisfaction

• Open-Ended Questions

Transfer Student Questionnaire (TSQ)

Online Survey instruments:

TSQ

E-TSQ

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

SEEC: STEM Student Enrollment and Engagement through Connections

College of Engineering

• Ankeny• Boone• Carroll• Newton• Urban/Des Moines• West

www.eng.iastate.edu/seec

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Overall Grant Goal

Increase College of Engineering graduates to 900, by approximately 100 per year. Included with this goal are increases in the number of pre-engineering students at DMACC and in the percentages of women and minority students in engineering at ISU and DMACC.

Background Characteristics

High School

SEEC Effect• E-APP• EGR 100•Learning Community

GPA

Learning Communities• E2020• Engineerin

g• PWSE• Honors

Engineering Basic Program

Retention in Engineering

Major

Leave Engineering,Retention in STEM Major

Retained at University

(non-STEM)

Leave University

Graduate with

Engineering Degree

Figure 1. Conceptual Model of SEEC EffectEngineering Transfer Student Retention and Success

CommunityCollege University

Academic Experiences

GPA Associate’s

Degree

Source: Laanan, F., Rover, D., Bruning, M., Mickelson, S., & Shelley, M. (2011). Iowa State University.

Academic Experiences

SEEC Effect• E-APP• EGR 100•Learning Community

Figure 2. Conceptual Model of SEEC Effect: Community College Environment

CommunityCollege

Academic Experiences

GPA Associate’s

Degree

Academic Experiences• General Courses• Faculty• Transfer Process• Counseling & Advising

SEEC Effect• E-APP: Engineering

Admissions Partnership Program

• EGR 100• Learning Community at CC

Engineering Basic Program

• Mathematics 165, 166 (Calculus)• Chemistry 167 or 177• Engineering 101 (Orientation)• Engineering 160 (Engineering

Problems)• Physics 221• Library 160• English 150, 250

• GPA• Associate Degree

Engineering Basic Program

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

2007 2008 2009 20100

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

59

79

136 137

CoE E-APP Enrollment

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

07-08 08-09 09-10 10-110

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

13

1816

27

13

34

39

59

1 1

6 5

16

23

32

Enrollment in Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) EGR 100

Fall Spring Total Women

GPA

Learning Communities• E2020• Engineering• PWSE• Honors

Engineering Basic Program

Retention in Engineering

Major

Leave Engineering,Retention in STEM Major

Retained at University

(non-STEM)

Leave University

Graduate with

Engineering Degree

Figure 3. Conceptual Model of SEEC Effect:University of Environment

University

Academic Experiences

Outcomes

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

43.3%48.2%

61.0% 60.9%65.6%

76.0%

82.3%79.9%

84.7% 83.1%85.7%

1.8%4.8%

12.6%

3.4%7.5%

13.6%

34.6%32.2%

22.0%

37.7%

31.8%

CoE Learning Community Participation

New Freshman in LCs %

New Transfers in LCs %

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

E-APP and Retention

• E-APP students are retained at significantly higher levels than non-E-APP students.

• E-APP significantly improves retention over Non-E-APP in early studies.

• E-APP is statistically significant for improving retention even when controlling for transfer GPA and basic program GPA.

• This is especially true for DMACC students.

College of Engineering Data Analysis Marcia Laugerman & Jason PontiusDMACC All IA CC DFHS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

60 6674

1415

1226

19 14

For Each 100 Students that Start in Engineering: This Shows Where They are 1 Year Later

Still in Engr Still at ISU Left ISU

10 Year Averages for Retention: One Year

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

50%

71%

54%

60%

44%

62%

70%

77%

67%

80%77% 77%

80%77% 76% 74% 76%

74%77% 76%

All IA CC Transfers Starting in EngineeringDirect from High School starting in Engineering

CoE LC One Year Retention Rates in Engr 

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

CoE One Year LC Retention in Engr

5 yr Avg 2000-2004 5 yr Avg 2005-20090%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

77.5% 75.5%

55.3%

73.6%

Direct From High School IA CC Transfer Students

Multiple-Learning Community Effect on Retention of Women in Engineering

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

Kap

lan-

Mei

er te

rmin

atio

n es

timat

e

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Years enrolled at ISU

Not in a LC 1 LC 2+ LCs

Source: 2011 SEEC Grant College of Engineering Retention Analysis

(Female College of Engineering Students)Impact of LC Participation on COE Retention

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

Kap

lan-

Mei

er te

rmin

atio

n es

timat

e

1144 1029 895 545 32 3 0 0engr160hilo = 11288 895 736 514 69 8 1 0engr160hilo = 0

Number at risk

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Years enrolled at ISU

0.00 - 3.00 GPA 3.01 - 4.00 GPA

Source: 2011 College of Engineering Retention Analysis

(All Entering Engineering Students)ENGR 160 Student Retention within COE

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

Kap

lan-

Mei

er te

rmin

atio

n es

timat

e

103 88 42 11 0 0 0 0engr160hilo = 1129 99 61 19 5 1 1 0engr160hilo = 0

Number at risk

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Years enrolled at ISU

0.00 - 3.00 GPA 3.01 - 4.00 GPA

Source: 2011 College of Engineering Retention Analysis

(Iowa Community College Transfer Students)ENGR 160 Student Retention within COE

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

• Utilize Engineering-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire (E-TSQ).

• Connect survey with students’ academic transcript.

• Identify challenges regarding progression to complete engineering major.

• Explore and understand the experiences of women and URMs.

• Secure larger sample size• Employ E-TSQ at more universities

Future Research

ww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Contact information:

Frankie Santos LaananAssociate Professor

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Iowa State University

e-mail: laanan@iastate.eduwww.cclp.hs.iastate.edu

Questions