Supporting Transfer Students in the Geosciences from Two-Year Colleges to University Programs

Providing pathways that support geoscience transfer students from two-year colleges (2YC) to four-year colleges and universities (4YCU) addresses enrollment challenges, diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and helps build the 21st-century geoscience workforce. Building bridges between 2YC-4YCU programs can happen in various ways, all of which support students, strengthen geoscience programs, and help 2YC geoscience faculty feel less isolated. We present three regional examples of how 2YC geoscience programs have developed bridges with 4YCU partners. While these examples are geoscience-specific, they are broadly applicable to all STEM fields looking to engage and support transfer students.