Collaborative Undergraduate Research Experiences in the Mathematical Sciences for Community College Students

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 pilot project aims to engage community college students and faculty in meaningful research experiences in mathematics, statistics, and data science. A central goal of the project is to increase the participation rate of underrepresented minority community college students in research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs.

Many community college students work full-time jobs or have family duties, presenting a challenge to participate in a traditional research experience. Additionally, community college faculty responsibilities are often centered on providing top quality classroom instruction, leaving limited time to guide student research projects. Additionally, early research experiences in the mathematical sciences are less common than in some other disciplines, which may keep students from discovering a passion for the discipline as they begin their academic careers.

This project addresses these challenges by adapting the proven Research Experiences in Community Colleges (RE-C^2) model to an online community of practice. The project will explore the effectiveness of the RE-C^2 format at multiple sites nationwide by fostering collaboration between student researchers and faculty. Specifically, each year, five teams consisting of two community college students, one community college faculty, and one faculty member from a 4-year institution will work together to explore open problems from across the mathematical sciences.

The project will give community college students the opportunity to grow mathematically and gain technical and communication skills by introducing them to the excitement of collaborative research. Led by Los Angeles Pierce College, this effort includes collaborators from George Mason University, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, UCLA, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

During their year-long research project, students will enroll in coursework in linear algebra and differential equations. Concurrently taking these courses and collaborating on an original research project will provide a rich and engaging intellectual environment where participating students will gain new perspectives on mathematics and their future at STEM learners and professionals.

Project evaluation will use surveys and focus groups to assess students’ technical, communication, problem solving and collaborative skills, awareness of mathematics, and impact of the program on the desire to pursue additional mathematical coursework and, ultimately, a STEM career. Project outcomes, including student research findings, will be disseminated through presentations, publications, and direct contact with peer institutions looking to build similar programs.

The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs are supported by this program.

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.