Many students transferring to California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) are guided into a new educational journey while others are thrown right into the fire. The transition from a community college to a four-year university can be challenging and the better prepared a student is for what lies ahead, the more room for success they have. Within the confines of the Naraghi Hall of Science, the STEM (Science, Technology, Economics, and Mathematics) program has found a solution.
In 2011, Stan State was awarded a STEM Grant that allowed the university to allocate additional funds towards student guidance. This allowed advisers to articulate university courses in line with what local community colleges were requesting from transfer students within the disciplines of biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics and physics. Articulation refers to the process by which courses from the community college are aligned with those from Stan State and considered as transferable. In addition, with this grant, Stan State was looking to support the increase of enrollment and degree completion from Hispanic, first generation, and low-income students within these disciplines. Thus, the WOW 2 STEM (Warriors On the Way to STEM) program was created, which provides prospective Stan State transfer students from Merced Community College and San Joaquin Delta College with the proper guidance necessary for an easier transition.
“We want to make sure transfer students are on track with the courses they are taking at the community college level,” said Angelica Guzman, Activity One Coordinator and Transfer Adviser, “with this program, students shouldn’t lack prerequisites when they transfer and jump into the major with no problem.”
Stan State personnel like Angelica Guzman and faculty from STEM are working together to identify issues such as course articulation and the lack of mentorship that exists at the community college level by addressing those exact issues. Together, they visit prospective transfer students at their community college, advising them through a process of course selection that aligns with their major of interest within STEM.
Currently, Modesto Junior College (MJC) is not participating specifically with Stan State’s STEM Grant because they were offered their own. This means that the while Stan State still advises independent faculty and counselors at MJC, the hands-on programming they provide at Merced and Delta are not offered at the same capacity.
As for students outside of these three collegiate partners, Angelica believes the STEM Grant benefits them as well. “Sometimes a student may not be from our area or one of our local community colleges but may have taken courses that equivalent to some of our own,” said Angelica, “we want to be able to identify what we haven’t been able to articulate and fill in those gaps. We want to make sure that the courses they are taking are taken in an appropriate sequence so that they can begin their program here on the right foot.”