TRANSFORMING A COMMUNITY: SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION IN TWO-YEAR COLLEGES

Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-year Colleges (SAGE 2YC) is a multi-year national professional development program for geoscience faculty in two-year colleges (2YCs). Our program model includes a national workshop that serves to collect and synthesize resources followed by three types of dissemination workshops: workshops held in association with professional society meetings, regional workshops, and local workshops.

Participation in SAGE2YC workshops has been broad and diverse. To date, 335 geoscience professionals have attended a SAGE 2YC workshop; 78% are 2YC faculty, 16% are 4YC faculty, and 6% are from professional organizations or employers. Participants come from 190 institutions, including 144 2YCs and 29 4YCs. The workshops are effective in reaching women (57% of workshop seats), underrepresented minorities (>9% of workshop seats), and adjunct faculty (>21% of workshop seats). The 2014 regional and local workshops had high participation of adjunct faculty (37% and 35%, respectively). The workshops enable 2YC faculty and others interested in 2YCs to discuss issues and share effective strategies, develop collegial relationships, plan and implement instructional and programmatic improvements, and develop sustainable professional communities. The local workshops provide an opportunity for leadership development; 24 2YC faculty have designed and led 10 local workshops to date. Online resources on topics related to supporting student success and workforce and careers, developed in association with the workshops, expand program reach (http://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/index.html). Factors that contribute to program success include 1) leaders with 2YC experience; 2) a focus on topics of interest and importance to 2YCs; 3) well-designed workshops that engage participants and include individual action planning; 4) multiple types of dissemination workshops to reach diverse faculty; and 5) mentored leadership development for 2YC geoscience faculty. Given the disciplinary isolation reported by many 2YC geoscience faculty, this professional development program provides an opportunity for faculty to learn from one another and from the research base and expand their disciplinary connections.