Pathways to the geosciences through 2YR community colleges: A strategic recruitment approach being used at Texas A&M University. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018) - Houser, Chris
ABSTRACT: The adoption of enrollment-based budgeting at many institutions poses serious problems for geoscience programs that have been facing enrollment challenges in recent years, particularly in response to drops in the price of oil and gas. This commentary describes the impetus for, and results of, the Pathways to the Geosciences program at Texas A&M University, designed to provide transfer students with guided pathways and allow the college to maintain enrollment and buffer against fluctuations in oil and gas prices that are shown to affect first-year enrollment. Results suggest that the program resulted in a statistically significant increase in the population of underrepresented minority students, who now represent 33% of the total undergraduate population and 39% of the incoming cohort in Fall 2016. The Pathways to the Geosciences program is offered as a model for other geoscience programs through this early review of the program and its impact on enrollment.