STEM solutions through college collaborations

David Kramer’s story in the November 2011 issue of Physics Today (page 22) cited the five-year goal of the Association of American Universities (AAU) to implement changes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching. However, the issue of improved STEM education and participation goes beyond institutional members of the AAU and beyond pedagogical changes.

Currently, 65% of graduating high school seniors in the US decide to attend college, and of those students, 30% matriculate to a two-year college. ¹ As the cost of higher education continues to increase, students are relying more heavily on two-year colleges to meet their educational goals.

Community colleges currently enroll 44% of all undergraduate students in the US ² and are often overlooked by four-year STEM programs as potential partners for a solution to problems in STEM education. As the two-year steppingstone becomes more common, that important and formative first experience with STEM courses generally happens at two-year colleges. Support and collaboration between the two-year and the four-year institutions are vital.

Collaboration between community colleges and universities offers exceptional opportunities and benefits for both institutions. On the community-college side, a four-year college or university can provide access to research facilities and labs not available in a two-year system. A collaboration could also allow for faculty of two-year programs to remain engaged in their field and to continue to develop their research skills.

For a four-year college or university, the benefits of collaboration derive from the diversity of the student population—including underrepresented minority groups and nontraditional learners whose cultures, backgrounds, and experiences can be assets. Additionally, NSF and other external funding agencies look more favorably at institutions that actively incorporate community colleges and their students.

The broader impact of the interactions is that they create not only a pipeline to higher education but a reservoir of greater knowledge in the community as well. Community-college students who benefit from a collaboration with a four-year institution can pass along their enthusiasm, experiences, and knowledge to peers and family and create a larger social base of understanding of scientific issues.

The successful teaching of STEM courses at all education levels is not only through theory and pedagogy but through concrete formative experiences and partnerships.