2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Community colleges play a critical role in preparing students to continue their education. Between 2010 and 2017, among U.S. students who earned bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering, nearly half (47%) had done some coursework at a community college. Full-time undergraduates in the lowest income quartile are more likely to enter college at a community college than a 4-year institution and, despite lower costs of attendance, have the highest unmet need compared to other incomes.

Our institution serves a diverse population of 20,000+ students each year. In AY 18-19, we had an average course retention rate of 86% and course completion rate of 75%. 81% of students were retained for at least the first year, and 62% completed their intended degree, certificate, or transfer outcomes - significantly higher than the national average for community colleges, where 62% are retained from year to year and just 26% earn a degree after six years. In 2018-19, the institution’s STEM departments had 6,550 students considered low-income -- defined by our Community College District as eligible to receive the state’s College Promise Grant. Of these students, 63% were successful in their STEM courses and 59% were retained the following year, a 22% gap in 1-year retention compared to the institution overall.

Although the retention rate is above average, there is data that shows students in critical course pairings, such as, Physics 1—Calc 1, Intro to Chem—Trig with support, and Gen Chem 1—Pre-Calc have a difficult time when taking both courses during the same semester, which is often the case for a majority of STEM majors. There we investigate how students are utilizing support services to increase their academic achievements.

We ground our research in the Model of Co-Curricular Support (MCCS) which suggests it is the role of the institution to provide the necessary support for integration. If students are aware and have access to resources, which lead to their success, then they will integrate into the university environment at higher rates than those students who are not aware and have access to those resources.

This research study focuses on answering one research question: How do STEM community college students engage with co-curricular supports as they progress through their degree programs? To answer this question, we recruited 40 students across four courses over two years to complete prompted reflective journaling assignments five times throughout two semesters. Qualitative results showcase the nuanced lives of STEM community college students as they pursue their two-year degrees. Results indicate students interact with faculty, classmates, and friends/peers the most, and only interact with advising when required. Students rarely reach out to larger student support for help or are involved with campus or other events happening. Classmate and friend/peer interactions are the most positive, while interactions with faculty had the largest negative outcomes.