In fall 2015, “Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in聽Two-year Colleges (SAGE 2YC) Faculty as Change Agents” was funded by聽the National Science Foundation (NSF). This ambitious project focuses聽on improving two-year college geoscience education at the course,聽program, department, institution, region, and professional levels. It聽works through the efforts of two-year college geoscience faculty who act as 鈥渃hange聽agents鈥� in implementing and sustaining improvements in three areas:
1. 聽Broadened student access to and participation in geoscience education
2. 聽Increased emphasis on the academic success of students
3. 聽Improved career and transfer pathways for students
Since the start of the grant four years ago, SAGE 2YC has formed two cohorts of geoscience faculty at community colleges across the country, with聽cohort 1 involving 11 teams comprised of 23 faculty change agents and聽cohort 2 involving 6 teams involving 13 faculty change聽agents. As the project nears completion in 2020, important lessons are emerging for community colleges and STEM educators nationally, many of which are captured in a blog written on September 12, 2019 by our director, Debra Bragg. Research completed by Dr. Bragg and other members of the evaluation/research team provide valuable insights on the work of faculty change agents nationwide.
For community colleges that are engaged in guided pathways and other reforms focusing on student success, results from this research may provide lessons to help others advance organizational changes to support more equitable student success.
Leadership of the SAGE 2YC project come from two- and four-year聽colleges and universities across the country. Their names and contact聽information is available .