September 23, 2019
Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-Year Colleges, Faculty as Change Agents
In fall 2015, “Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-year Colleges (SAGE 2YC) Faculty as Change Agents” was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This ambitious project focuses on improving two-year college geoscience education at the course, program, department, institution, region, and professional levels. It works through the efforts of two-year college geoscience faculty who act as “change agents” in implementing and sustaining improvements in three areas:
1. Broadened student access to and participation in geoscience education
2. Increased emphasis on the academic success of students
3. Improved career and transfer pathways for students
Since the start of the grant four years ago, SAGE 2YC has formed two cohorts of geoscience faculty at community colleges across the country, with cohort 1 involving 11 teams comprised of 23 faculty change agents and cohort 2 involving 6 teams involving 13 faculty change agents. As the project nears completion in 2020, important lessons are emerging for community colleges and STEM educators nationally, many of which are captured in a blog written on September 12, 2019 by our director, Debra Bragg. Research completed by Dr. Bragg and other members of the evaluation/research team provide valuable insights on the work of faculty change agents nationwide.
For community colleges that are engaged in guided pathways and other reforms focusing on student success, results from this research may provide lessons to help others advance organizational changes to support more equitable student success.
Leadership of the SAGE 2YC project come from two- and four-year colleges and universities across the country. Their names and contact information is available here.