GP-IMPACT: Geosciences Streamlined Pipeline And Research for Community Colleges (Geo-SPARCC)

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Increased participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is an area of national concern, especially as enrollment in STEM disciplines and development of the STEM workforce is not keeping pace with the need. This is particularly true in the geosciences where the lack of diversity compounds the problem. This Geosciences Streamlined Pipeline And Research for Community Colleges (Geo-SPARCC) at Mississippi State University (MSU) fills a gap in the awareness of and education in the geosciences through collaboration with the State's community colleges. Mississippi is a rural state with a strong community college system, enrolling greater than 75,000 students, ~42% from underrepresented groups (majority African American). Mississippi State University collaborates with Jones County Junior College to develop engaging online versions of introductory geology courses, which will be available to all community college students through Mississippi's Virtual Community College Consortium. The Geo-SPARCC project also develops an e-mentoring network to recruit community college students to consider geosciences degrees and careers, and facilitate their transfer into a 4-year university. The MS Virtual Community College Consortium fosters sustainability of Geo-SPARCC and has the potential to help significantly increase the number of underserved and underrepresented populations in the geosciences.The Geosciences Streamlined Pipeline And Research for Community Colleges (Geo-SPARCC) project proposes a collaboration between Mississippi State University (MSU) and Mississippi's community colleges (CCs) to develop a pathway from 2 year to 4 year institutions via online instruction and e-mentoring. Geo-SPARCC will 1) interest/recruit CC students in geosciences through engaging online physical/historical geology courses; 2) provide individualized research and field opportunities within online courses; and 3) develop an e-mentoring/social media program between MSU Geosciences faculty/graduate students and CC students. Jones County Junior College (JCJC), the lead CC on the Geo-SPARCC project, will make Geo-SPARCC's online geology courses available through the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC), providing access for students at all 15 Mississippi CCs as well as MS high school students in dual enrollment courses. The Geo-SPARCC online courses will include personalized research/field components where students conduct independent research and geocaching, and opportunities to participate in MSU Geosciences-led field excursions. Career video vignettes included in the online course design will introduce students to geosciences employment opportunities. Geo-SPARCC further provides CC students with directed individual study research opportunities that can culminate in student presentations at the Mississippi Academy of Science annual conference. Sustainability is ensured since the Geo-SPARCC online courses will be offered in perpetuity by JCJC through the MSVCC, with MSU collaborating with JCJC beyond the Geo-SPARCC project to provide credentialed adjunct instructors to teach the online courses.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.