IMPROVING GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION PATHWAYS THROUGH ENGAGING SCIENTIFIC AND CAREER EXPERIENCES: PROGRESS AND LOGISTICS

Recognizing the growing importance of two-year colleges (2YCs) as the starting point for students who earn bachelor's degrees at 4-year institutions (4YCs), Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and University of Rhode Island (URI) have started to implement a number of modifications and new programs that are aimed at increasing the number and diversity of geoscientists in each institution's programs. Initial targeted activities to facilitate the transfer students include 1) employing successful transfer students to effectively connect with students at 2YCs, 2) developing a problem-driven research course offered jointly at CCRI and URI, and 3) planning activities that are inclusive, experiential, and stimulating.

Successful transfer students from CCRI are employed at URI to construct media to recruit transfer students into the Geosciences. These students will attend “Meet and Greets” in CCRI courses to interact more fully with 2YC students. They will also interface with the Geology club for extra-curricular activities including movie nights and connecting with Alumni.

To address project goals of introducing students to real scientific research early to increase quantitative skills, raising student interaction, and having 2YC and 4YC students in the same classroom, we created a problem-based research course. To overcome the initial administrative impediment of a true joint course, we are holding two independent courses at the same time and place. This ad-hoc course allows testing of the course and construction of data points for a future joint course. We are exploring a variety of strategies, such as partial online delivery and longer meeting times on fewer days, to address the hurdle of course enrollment and scheduling. While CCRI and URI are reasonably close to each other, getting students to a single location at a specified time is difficult.

Finally, we have planned a number of activities to entice and recruit 2YC to enroll in a geoscience degree. These include field-trips, “Meet and Greet” in 2YC classrooms, meeting with Alumni and members of the community, welcome days, and evaluating the requirements that are roadblocks for undeclared students.