Chemistry Majors and the Transition
from Two- to Four-Year Colleges
194th 2YC3 Conference
Montgomery College, MD
Nov. 11, 2011
ChemEd Bridges promotes the engagement of
community college faculty with the national
community of Chemistry educators.
Harry Ungar
Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA
David Brown
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
Tom Higgins
Harold Washington College,
Chicago, IL
Mary Boyd
University of San Diego
chemedbridges.com
Purpose
ChemEd Bridges is a two-year college
chemistry faculty development project. We
aim to widen faculty horizons to include
more scholarly activity, undergraduate
research and curriculum innovation. We
seek to bridge the divide between the
chemistry faculties of two-year and four-year
institutions.
ChemEd Bridges
Student Transfer Workshop
October 27-29, 2011
DoubleTree by Hilton O’Hare
Rosemount, IL
Goal:
O A guide to student transfer for chemistry faculty
from community colleges and baccalaureategranting institutions
O Recommendations for the chemistry community
regarding student transfer
About the guide…
Audience: chemistry faculty at transferring
and receiving institutions
O Practical, easy to use
O Living document (focus of symposia,
workshops, etc.)
O Focus on strategies/effective practices
O Based on literature
O Examples
O Recommendations for community
Other recommendations
O ChemEd Bridges
O ACS Committees
Demographic of Participants
O 11 states (& D.C.) represented:
AZ, CA, IA, IL, LA, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NY, TX
O Institutional types represented:
O 8 from community colleges
O 9 from baccalaureate-granting institutions
O 3 from ACS
O Positions/roles of participants:
O 9 faculty
O 6 administrators
O 2 students
O 3 ACS staff
Workshop Agenda
O Day 1: Introductions, identification of areas
of opportunities/action to include in
guidebook.
O Day 2: Exploration of areas
O Day 3: Review and discussion of next steps
Identifying Areas of
Opportunities/Action
Potential areas:
O Academic Advising
O Academic Support
O Alignment of Learning Objectives
O Career Counseling
O Financial Support
O Integration into Institutional Cultures
(Sense of Belonging)
O Mentoring
O Peer Support
O Others (K-12, Articulation & Policy)
Identifying Areas of
Opportunities/Action
Potential areas:
O Academic Advising
O Career Counseling
O Financial Support
O Peer Support
O Others (K-12, Articulation & Policy)
Exploring Areas of
Opportunity/Action
O Team split up into four “breakout groups.”
O Took turns exploring different facets of each of
the four chosen areas.
O Four rounds:
Focus on Faculty
2. Focus on Partnerships
3. Focus on Other Stakeholders
4. Review (Day 3)
1.
Round Discussion
O 1st Round (Faculty)
O
O
O
O
Roles faculty play?
Practices (“What can they do”)
Strategies (“How to do it”)
Report to other groups
O 2nd Round (Partnerships)
O
O
O
O
O
Review and comment on Round 1 report.
What partnerships can faculty establish?
Practices
Strategies
Report to other groups
Round Discussion (cont.)
O 3rd Round: Stakeholders
O Review and comment on Round 2 report.
O What other stakeholders can assist
O What role should they play
O Report to other groups
O 4th Round: Review
O Review work done in Rounds 1-3
O Summarize recommendations
O Report to other groups
So What Did We Learn?
What do we recommend?
O This conference: just the highlights.
O Publication of guidebook: Spring 2012 (tent.)
O Distribution: Internet (CEB, ACS, etc.)
O Physical distribution TBD
Area 1: Academic Support
O “Failure is a symptom.” Acknowledge the challenges
faced by students (employment, family, etc)
O Faculty need to be educated on support services
available (even when advising isn’t part of their job).
O Most schools collect data on retention, etc. Use it!
O Collaborations between CC and Universities.
O Between faculty (joint projects, presentations)
O Between Chemistry/Science clubs
O Etc.
Area 2: Alignment of Learning
Outcomes
O More communication between CC’s and universities
(and at universities: between upper and lower level
instructors).
O Trust, respect each other
O Share data
O Create incentives for collaborative developments
O Encourage development of legislation that goes
beyond current articulation, encourages alignment.
Area 3: Mentoring
O Acknowledge difference between advising and
mentoring.
O Identify students that could benefit from
mentoring early (and what type they need)
O Faculty should make themselves approachable
(as a mentor, or at least as a first-step to finding
a suitable mentor).
O Mentoring programs.
O Training and professional development (faculty
and, when applicable, TA’s).
O Collaborations between CC’s and university
(bridge programs, events, etc.)
Area 4: Sense of Belonging
O Literature: sense of connection to the institution
O
O
O
O
is the single most important factor in retention.
The sooner they decide on a major, the better.
Keep classroom and lab engaging.
Social activities (“Welcomania”)
Communication between CC’s and universities
O Ensure transferring students are aware of
opportunities when they first arrive.
O Collaborations between chemistry/science clubs
between CC’s and universities.
Next Steps
O Prepare and disseminate guide
O Identify venues for
O Holding discussions/workshops
O Exploring other areas of opportunity/action
O Sharing additional strategies/examples
Workshop Participants
O Karen Archambault (Brookdale CC, NJ)
O Richard Baurer (Arizona State University)
O Mary Boyd (U. of San Diego, CA)
O Pam Clevenger (Hinds CC, MS)
O Wilfredo Colon (Rensselaer Poly. Inst., NY)
O Mary Marsha Cupitt (Durham Tech. CC, NC)
O Ron Darbeau (McNeese State U., LA)
O Lourdes Echegoyen (U. of Texas at El Paso)
O Donna Ekal (U. of Texas at El Paso)
O Derrick Hendricks (ACS, Washington DC)
Participants (cont.)
O Tom Higgins (Harold Washington College, IL)
O Frankie Laanan (Iowa State University)
O Tom Lane (Delta College, MI)
O Mark Matthews (Durham Tech. CC, NC)
O Joan Sabourin (ACS, Washington DC)
O Sue Tappero (Cabrillo College, CA)
O Harry Ungar (Carbillo College, CA)
O Robert Viño-Marrufo (U. of Texas at El-Paso)
O Jodi Wesemann (ACS, Washington DC)
Workshop Co-sponsors
O Committee on Chemistry in the Two-year
College (COCTYC)
O Committee on Minority Affairs (CMA)
O Committee on Professional Training (CPT)
O Society Committee of Education (SOCED)
Workshop Planning
Committee
O Harry Ungar (ChemEd Bridges)
O Tom Higgins (ChemEd Bridges)
O Mark Matthews (COCTYC)
O Lourdes Echegoyen (CMA)
O Ron Darbeau (CPT)
O Malika Jeffries-El (SOCED)