Barriers and Opportunities for 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees: Systemic Change to Support Students' Diverse Pathways

This 194-page 2016 report, edited by Shirley Malcom and Michael Feder, investigates barriers and opportunities faced by students pursuing STEM degrees at 2-year and 4-year institutions. This consensus report was compiled by a number of contributors including the Committee on Barriers and Opportunities in Completing 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees.  As noted in the report's introductory description, "about half of those [students] with the intention to earn a STEM bachelor’s degree and more than two-thirds intending to earn a STEM associate’s degree fail to earn these degrees 4 to 6 years after their initial enrollment." This report consists of seven chapters: Introduction; Multiple STEM Pathways; The Culture of Undergraduate STEM Education; Instructional Practices, Departmental Leadership, and Co-Curricular Supports; Institutional, State, and National Policies; Leading and Sustaining Change; and Conclusion and Recommendations.