Students who transfer from a community college to an engineering program at a four-year university view engineering as a constantly growing field that provides higher salary, better job security and more prestige than almost all other majors, a new study says. According to the study's authors, Taryn Ozuna Allen and Yi “Leaf” Zhang, both assistant professors in the University of Texas-Arlington College of Education, understanding the motivations of such students is critical to meeting national goals of increasing the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields by 1 million over the next 10 years.

“One important strategy that responds to the national need for engineers, scientists and mathematicians is in promoting the community college transfer pathway for obtaining a STEM baccalaureate degree," says Allen. “But we have to understand what drives this unique group of students if we’re going to better meet their needs and prepare them for the workforce.”

Community colleges have potential to affect the growth and diversification of STEM enrollment and the workforce, the authors say. The colleges frequently enroll underrepresented populations, including students of color, first-generation students and older students.

Community colleges may affect the growth and diversification of STEM enrollment and the workforce. Image credit: Morguefile.com.“These students face different challenges, emotional ones, and they acknowledged that they sometimes feel invisible or isolated as they transition while trying to balance work responsibilities and many family obligations,” says Zhang. The study offers recommendations for restructuring campus-involvement opportunities to allow adult learners more freedom to pursue their studies through self-paced activities. Follow-up research, Allen says, should determine the extent to which such students remain in engineering programs over time.