Exploring Foundational Knowledge of University Advocates supporting Transfer Students of Color in the Natural Sciences

• In Event: Exploring Supports for STEM Students Spanning the Transfer Trajectory From Community College to University

Abstract

Faculty and staff in the Natural Sciences play a critical role in conveying the institutional culture and common beliefs, norms, and practices that can disproportionately negatively impact students of color (Bensimon, 2005; Maltese & Tai, 2011; Ortiz & Boyer, 2003) as some beliefs about students’ abilities can embody racialized narratives. Even in high impact practices like mentoring students in research, there is significant variation in the extent to which students of color are supported, “weeded out”, or discouraged (Griffin et al., 2010; McCoy et al., 2013). These differences are, in part, due to whether faculty mentors are knowledgeable about, reify, or challenge harmful aspects of institutional culture (Griffin et al., 2010).
One area where the effects of institutional racism are visible in institutional culture is through the transfer function which requires undergraduate students of color in the Natural Sciences to exhibit resilience against seemingly race-neutral policies (McGee, 2020). Since institutional racism exists across structural, cultural, and interpersonal domains (Collins, 2009), it takes targeted efforts across all three domains to sufficiently address and combat the inequities impacting the transfer function for these students. To effect institutional change, our larger research project aims to develop Transfer Advocacy Groups (TAGs)—a collaboration of university faculty, staff, and students working towards implementing concrete changes to support transfer students of color in the Natural Sciences. Though the TAGs will prioritize the experiences of transfer students of color, the knowledge and positionalities of the advocates also matter. This more narrowed research focus sought to inform the larger project by ascertaining the knowledge of faculty and staff at universities situated to impact change for transfer students of color. We asked: What do university faculty and staff know and understand about the experiences of transfer students of color in the Natural Sciences at their respective institutions?
For this qualitative interview study (deMarrais, 2004), we conducted 5 semi-structured interviews with university stakeholders at two BDGIs who serve transfer students of color in Natural Science in a variety of capacities including department chairs, college deans, academic coaches, and advisors. The purpose of the interviews was to establish a foundation for the baseline knowledge and understandings these stakeholders have about the experiences of transfer students of color in the Natural Sciences. We used open coding and thematic analysis to establish preliminary themes around these foundational knowledge and understandings. We found that stakeholders have multiple conceptions of the meaning of “transfer” making it difficult to ascertain students' needs with regards to course offerings, advising, and other academic supports. Additionally, while stakeholders discussed university, college, or departmental efforts to diversify the student body in the Natural Sciences, they often did not distinguish between general challenges faced by transfer students versus those unique to transfer students of color. Through examining university faculty and staff transfer advocates current understandings and knowledge base, TAG facilitators are better positioned to structure TAG activities to include establishing shared understandings of the experiences of transfer students of color and aid the TAGs in shaping the work they engage in to impact institutional change.

Authors

• Missy D. Cosby, University of Tennessee

• Gina Quan, San José State University