BUILDing Equity in STEM: A Collaborative Undergraduate Research Program to Increase Achievement of Underserved Community College Students

Undergraduate research programs at community colleges maximize their impact through partnerships with baccalaureate-granting institutions, which provide much needed access to subject matter experts, research labs, and funding to underserved students. The program Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity: Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (BUILD PODER) partners baccalaureate-granting California State University, Northridge with community college faculty and students to facilitate undergraduate research and development at community colleges. Eighty-one community college students and 41 community college faculty mentors have participated in BUILD PODER, performing research in STEM and biomedical disciplines. The authors document student, faculty, and institutional outcomes as well as share best practices in forming community college-university partnerships. Future directions also are offered in the development and implementation of transdisciplinary, multi-institutional community college collaborations.

Automated summary

By partnering with baccalaureate-granting institutions, community colleges are able to provide underserved students with access to subject matter experts, research labs, and funding through programs like BUILD PODER, which aims to facilitate undergraduate research and development in STEM and biomedical disciplines. Future directions include the development and implementation of transdisciplinary, multi-institutional community college collaborations.