Investigating Why STEM Students Swirl Between Institutions

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Thirteen
  In Roundtable Session: Back to the Basics: Advancing the Conversation in STEM (Table 2)

Abstract

Students are taking increasingly complex pathways through higher education, yet mobility patterns other than vertical transfer have been largely neglected in the research literature (Taylor & Jain, 2017). Using semi-structured interviews with 27 graduating senior STEM majors from three universities, this paper explores why students “swirl” between institutions during their undergraduate studies. Rationale for swirling varied by type of enrollment pattern and student population. Almost all students received benefits from their enrollment mobility (e.g., stay on track toward degree, maximize chances for success, affordability) but swirling was often prompted by unmet needs at their home institution. This highlights the resourceful ways that students navigate higher education and suggests the need for institutions to reexamine how they support students.

Author

• Heather L. Thiry, University of Colorado - Boulder
  Presenting Author