WASHINGTON EARTH SCIENCES SUMMIT ON UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER

The Washington State Earth Sciences Summit was a 3-day workshop convened in September 2022. The Summit brought together faculty and advisors from undergraduate Earth science programs at community colleges (2YCs) and four-year universities (4YC/U) to address changes in the field and forge stronger and more equitable educational pathways.

The 31 attendees focused on exploring competencies that transfer students should possess and identifying obstacles for students in Earth science. Day one concentrated on 2YCs, aiming to build a network of Earth science faculty and advisors and engaged participants in discussions about Earth science pathways with an equity lens. The majority of participants reported engaging in critical conversations about Earth Science pathways, recognizing the challenges and lack of equity in the current transfer process. On the second day, 4YC/U participants joined the Summit, discussing program maps and successful transfer practices. They also explored recommendations from Vision & Change (Mosher and Keane, 2021) and options for strengthening Earth Sciences transfer. Participants reported significant increases in their sense of community and ability to collaborate with faculty and advisors from other institutions, fostering improved programs. The third day focused on potential partnerships, including a poster session showcasing existing collaborations. Participants engaged in breakout conversations and action planning. The Summit concluded with reflections, evaluation, and the identification of next steps for improving transfer in Earth Sciences.

Since the Summit concluded, the community continues active engagement. A successful virtual transfer fair brought together future transfer students with faculty from 7 4YC/U programs. Participants assembled a transfer guide, including a summary of degree requirements. Finally, a follow-up meeting was held to continue the forward momentum.

The Summit provided a productive platform for Earth science faculty and advisors to collaborate and develop action plans for improving geoscience transfer. Participant feedback indicated strong support for future meetings. Detailed program and evaluation results are available on the workshop website: https://sites.google.com/highline.edu/wa-earth-sciences-summit/home.