SPARC³: The future of Associate of Science

ABSTRACT

Employment within STEM fields has been escalating at a greater rate than employment in other fields (National Science Foundation, 2010). Unfortunately, the number of college students moving into STEM fields of study are substantially low (Lowell & Regets, 2006). The first two years of STEM education for many students take place at the often-overlooked community college level. The purpose of this case study is to evaluate the innovative curriculum redesign of the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree program within the community college sector. Gaston College developed a program that includes inquiry-based instruction, authentic undergraduate research experiences, learning communities, and the inclusion of holistic student services for A.S. students. The goal of the SPARC3 (STEM Persistence and Retention via C3 i.e., curricula, cohorts, centralization) initiative was to increase persistence and retention among STEM students by transforming the traditional curriculum in the A.S. degree program, centralizing student support services, and increasing student engagement. This study uses the lens of transformational leadership to guide the evaluation of the data and to contextualize the constructs developed throughout the initiative. The findings reveal how SPARC3 has redesigned the way in which community colleges tackle their science curriculum and bring STEM curriculum back to the forefront. Further discussion of implications and concluding thoughts are included.