EXPLORING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN THE EARTH SCIENCES AT A PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION

Over the last few years, many institutions have been struggling to recruit and retain majors in the Earth Sciences, especially in geology. The resulting decline in geoscience enrollments has led to the termination of some geology programs across the country. Utah Valley University is a large, open enrollment, primarily undergraduate institution located in Orem, Utah. The Department of Earth Science offers four degrees in Earth Science Education, Geology, Geography, and Environmental Science and Management, along with minors in Geography and Earth Science. The department employs thirteen full-time faculty and has averaged around 147 students across all majors over the last seven years. In 2021 we surveyed all current majors (n=42 respondents) to understand why students were choosing to enroll in our Earth Science majors and get a sense of how content they were and how supported they felt by the department. The following year, with assistance from the office of Business Intelligence and Research Services at UVU, we surveyed students who had left any Earth Science major from 2016-2021 to gain insight into student attrition (n=61 respondents). Survey results of student attrition were also compared to student completion data over the same period to identify potential areas of concern for any specific demographic group or degree program. Results showed that current students primarily choose an Earth Science major because of a prior interest in the subject or because they desire a career that would allow them to work outside. Students also expressed satisfaction in their experience as a major and felt they have the resources needed to succeed. Students left Earth Science majors for a wide variety of academic, financial, and career reasons, and there were a disproportionate number of female students that left the BS Geology major compared to males. Based on these results and an academic program review of the Earth Science department, numerous changes are being implemented that will hopefully have positive impacts on recruitment and retention of Earth Science majors.