scholarly journals The Influence of Summer Research Experiences on Community College Students’ Efficacy and Pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Engineering

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharnnia Artis ◽  
Catherine Amelink
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Research Experiences

An Unanticipated Outcome of Undergraduate Research Experiences for Community College Students: Creation of a Materials Science and Engineering Educational Program

2015 ◽  
Vol 1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bartlett M. Sheinberg
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
The West ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Activities

ABSTRACTSince 2005 the West Houston Center for Science & Engineering (WHC) has provided opportunities for select cohorts of community college students to participate in summer research experiences. Participating research institutions include regional universities, NASA-JSC and Sandia National Laboratories (NM). Research activities cross numerous engineering, physical and biological sciences, and computational disciplines, and have been supported by federal agencies and corporate/educational foundations. These experiences have generated three important outcomes: (1) Providing significant motivation for students regarding university transfer and completion; (2) Generating realistic expectations for students regarding completion of their undergraduate degrees, and transitioning into the science and engineering workforce and/or graduate school; and, (3) Providing support for the creation of a formal materials science educational program at the West Houston Center. This paper describes the influence and impact that the Materials Research Society, through its members, conferences, and working committees, has contributed to the transition of the West Houston Center as it moves from a broad based science and engineering educational center to one with a concentration on materials science.

An Emotive Operation of Neoliberalism in Higher Education: Seeking a Second Chance in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
pp. 009155212096487
Author(s):  
Yi-Lee Wong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Associate Degree ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Educational Expansion ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Second Chance

Objective: Educational expansion as a policy is believed to address the issue of the youth’s blocked social mobility. But, the argument that the transition to university is emotionally straining in a deindustrialized neoliberal context suggests an emotive aspect of neoliberalism in higher education. This article seeks to offer an illustration of such an emotive operation of neoliberalism through examining the emotional struggles of community-college students in Hong Kong. Method: This study draws on two qualitative analyses based on data collected from 83 community-college students in Hong Kong pursuing a bachelor’s degree through a newly available transfer function of an associate degree. Results: Given an emphasis of neoliberalism on individualism and competition, the respondents showed the following negative emotions: perverse feelings of inferiority about the new option, stress about the competitiveness of this pursuit and strategic/calculating in organizing their learning and dealing with their classmates, and anxiety of being seen as inadequate despite their successful transferals. Contributions: The emotional struggles of the respondents suggest that in view of a lack of well-paid prestigious professional or managerial jobs in a deindustrialized capitalist context, educational expansion as a policy—expanding the sector of community college in particular—wrapped up in a neoliberal discourse is not merely giving the youth a false hope but inflicting on them unnecessarily strained emotions. This suggestion urges policy makers to rethink the effectiveness of adopting an educational policy with a neoliberal approach to address an economic issue.

Thinking Through Transfer: Examining How Community College Students Make Transfer Decisions

2020 ◽  
pp. 009155212096487
Author(s):  
Huriya Jabbar ◽  
Eliza Epstein ◽  
Joanna Sánchez ◽  
Catherine Hartman
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
School Students ◽  
Transfer Decisions

Objective: For many students, community college is a convenient first step toward a bachelor’s degree. Yet, although more than 80% of those who enroll in community colleges intend to transfer to a 4-year institution, fewer than 35% do so within 6 years. Quantitative data reveal the presence of a transfer gap and there is extensive research on college choice for high school students, but little qualitative research has been done to examine the transfer process for community college students to identify what drives their decisions. Method: In this article, we draw on interviews with 58 community college students in Texas to examine how they made transfer decisions. Results: We find that their decision-making and transfer pathways were complex and nonlinear in ways that were particular to the uncertainty of the community college context. For a subset of students, we identify minor hurdles that could derail their decision-making, lengthen their timelines to transfer, or lead to a failure to transfer. Contribution: By illuminating student pathways to transfer using qualitative research, our work identifies potential areas where policy and practice could strengthen transfer to improve student outcomes.

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