Increasing Retention of Underrepresented Students in STEM Fields at California Community Colleges: A Study of the STEM2 Program

With the need to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates, higher education institutions need to identify and improve ways to increase underrepresented STEM student retention rates. Cypress College in Southern California implemented a program called STEM2 (Strengthen Transfer Education and Matriculation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to give students the support and the resources to continue with their intended majors. In this study, we examined the impact of the STEM2 participation for 1,113 students on multiple core outcomes of retention, four-year transfer, and associates of arts (AA) degree completion of STEM students. Logistics regression was used to determine the significance of input variables and the odds that the desired outcome was achieved. Results indicated there is a difference in student outcomes based on the students’ ethnicity, enrollment in the STEM2 program, and use of student support programs. Implications for practice and future research were also included.