CAREER: Divergent Transfer Trajectories in Computer Science: A Mixed Methods and Person-Centered Exploration of (In)Equity and Community College Transfer Pathways

This CAREER project will study transfer pathways from community college to CS majors in the University of California (UC) system to provide the first comprehensive picture of degree and early career trajectories followed by transfer students in CS. Community college transfer students represent a high-achieving and often untapped pool of talented emerging computer scientists. Thus, supporting their success is essential to growing the CS workforce, and future research is needed to understand how community college transfer students navigate their CS degree pathways and obtain success in reaching their educational and professional goals. This mixed-methods study will rely on longitudinal data in the form of surveys, student records, and ethnographic interviews, beginning from the time transfer students enter their UC campus and following them as they matriculate through their CS degree programs. Specific analyses will be guided by two overarching questions: (1) What trajectories do community college transfer students follow in their computer science bachelor’s degree pursuits? (2) How do community college transfer students following varying degree trajectories describe and make meaning of their experiences? Person-centered statistical analyses and ethnographic interviews will also explore variation among transfer students. In particular, this study will add nuance and complexity in terms of how we understand community college transfer student success, pushing us to define success beyond traditional metrics (e.g., degree efficiency; four- or six-year graduation rates, etc.). In doing so, this study will build a more robust knowledge base that can contribute to efforts to support community college transfer students as they exercise agency throughout their degree programs and obtain their professional goals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.