Promoting diversity and increasing the representation of minoritized and historically underrepresented students continues to be a key challenge and national priority for STEM fields. Streamlined college transfer pathways are imperative in addressing the institutional policies and practices necessary to better support underrepresented students’ pursuit of STEM degrees and careers. This session features the work of the SDSU Research & Equity Scholarship Institute and information will be provided on the institute's large-scale National Sccience Foundation (NSF) funded projects focused on STEM transfer pathways. The project findings highlight three areas: 1) challenges faced by underrepresented students in STEM, 2) strategies for supporting minoritized and underrepresented students in STEM, 3) STEM partnerships and collaborations, and 4) opportunities for growth. The study identified significant interdepartmental and inter-disciplinary collaborations and provides examples of how departments, faculty, and STEM programs are broadening STEM participation by bridging silos, fostering undergraduate research experiences, and providing holistic forms of support. More importantly, recognizing the calls for diversity and inclusion in STEM, this work highlights how two- and four-year partnerships are integrating approaches to support the complex needs and challenges of underrepresented groups in STEM. Understanding what makes campus collaborations (across colleges, divisions, departments, and disciplines) successful and the challenges associated with establishing such partnerships (e.g., limited institutional resources) offer key insights into how institutions can enhance the experiences of underrepresented STEM students and institutionalize collaborative communities of practice among faculty and departments.

Authors:
Felisha Herrera, San Diego State University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Felisha Herrera is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at San Diego State University, United States

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