Female Undergraduate STEM Persistence: A Focus on the Role of Living and Learning Communities

• In Event: 60.045 - Underrepresented Students and STEM

Abstract

What role does postsecondary educational programming like living learning communities (LLCs) play in mitigating the loss of women in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline? Using longitudinal institutional data to compare six cohorts of male and female STEM majors to participants in a women in STEM LLC at the same institution, we conduct propensity score matching to examine the impact of postsecondary programming on STEM degree completion. Preliminary results show positive outcomes for program participation on degree attainment in fields with the largest gender gaps: engineering, mathematics, physical science, and computer science.

Authors

• Samantha Nix, Florida State University

• Kari L Roberts, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

• Roxanne M. Hughes, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory