Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape

The National Research Council (NRC) and National Academy of Engineering (NAE) have released a new report, Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit. Based on a national summit that was supported by the National Science Foundation and organized by the NRC and the NAE, the report highlights the importance of community colleges, especially in emerging areas of STEM (Sciene, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and preparation of the STEM workforce. Community colleges are also essential in accommodating growing numbers of students and in retraining displaced workers in skills needed in the new economy. Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit looks at the changing and evolving relationships between community colleges and four-year institutions, with a focus on partnerships and articulation processes that can facilitate student success in STEM; expanding participation of students from historically underrepresented populations in undergraduate STEM education; and how subjects, such as mathematics, can serve as gateways or barriers to college completion. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Expanding Minority Participation in Undergraduate STEM Education 3 The Loss of Students from STEM Majors 4 Outreach, Recruitment, and Mentoring 5 The Two-Year Curriculum in Mathematics 6 Transfer from Community Colleges to Four-Year Institutions 7 General Discussion References Appendix A: Summit Agenda Appendix B: Effective Outreach, Recruitment, and Mentoring into STEM Pathways: Strengthening Partnerships with Community Colleges--Becky Wai-Ling Packard Appendix C: Two-Year College Mathematics and Student Progression in STEM Programs of Study--Debra D. Bragg Appendix D: Developing Supportive STEM Community College to Four-Year College and University Transfer Ecosystems--Alicia C. Dowd Appendix E: Brief Biographies of Committee Members and Staff Appendix F: Brief Biographies of Presenters and Panelists