Agenda
 Welcome, Introductions & Overview ~ 5-10 minutes
 David Cedrone, MA Dept of Higher Education;
Deborah Boisvert, BATEC Center for IT
 MassTransfer Overview ~ 5-10 minutes
 Participants identify other models
 Envisioning a STEM transfer block ~35 minutes
 What would be included? (15)
 Talk in small groups; report out to the larger group
 Implications at the high school level
 How feasible is this and what is needed to make it happen? (10)
 Wrap-Up
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Introductions
 Welcome!
 David Cedrone and Deborah Boisvert
 Please introduce yourselves briefly please
 Name
 School
 State
 Transfer Experience?
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Introductions
 Welcome!
 David Cedrone and Deborah Boisvert
 Help us understand who you are:
 High School
 Community College
 4-year schools?
 Transfer Experience?
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Session Overview:
 Consider the context – what issues can be addressed through a STEM
Transfer block
 Introduce an example of a statewide transfer system – MassTransfer
 Implications for 4 year programs, high school preparation
 Participants will discuss alternative models and implementation
strategies
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
STEM Transfer Block
 Challenges to address
 Acceleration to 4 year degree - workforce
 Lower total cost for students
 Agility of education pipeline
 Common foundation across STEM programs and career pathways
 Consistency of outcomes from 2 year programs
 Support student mobility between two-year programs?
 Adult student acceleration to completion
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
MassTransfer Associate Degree
 Associate’s degrees under MassTransfer are linked to bachelor’s degrees and
schools at Massachusetts state colleges and University of Massachusetts
campuses. For example:
Community
Associate’s College
Business Berkshire
Administration
Business Berkshire
Administration
Business Berkshire
Administration
Business Berkshire
Administration
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
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State
College/
Bachelor’s University
Management Science Bridgewater
Business Fitchburg
Administration
School of Management UMass
Amherst
College of UMass
Management Boston
Associated Degree Transfer Benefits
Benefits for students who complete associate’s degrees under MassTransfer are
Minimum Final GPA Benefits
2.0 GPA No admission fee or essay;
Guaranteed, full transfer of credits applied to the bachelor’s
degree; and
Automatic satisfaction of the general education requirements at
the receiving institution, with the receiving institution able to add
no more than six additional credits/two courses.
2.5 GPA All of the above benefits, plus guaranteed admission
3.0 GPA All of the above benefits, plus a 33% tuition waiver
Stipulations: If the student changes his or her major or if the linked baccalaureate
program requires a higher grade point average or specific courses which are required
of native students, the MassTransfer student must meet these requirements. If because
of space or fiscal limitations the receiving institution does not admit all qualified
applicants to a given major or program, the receiving institution will use the same
criteria for MassTransfer applicants as it does for its native students.
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
MassTransfer – General Education
General Education Transfer Block (34 credit hours)
English Composition/Writing
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Humanities and Fine Arts
Natural or Physical Science
Math/Quantitative Reasoning
6 credit hours
9 credit hours
9 credit hours
7 credit hours
3 credit hours
 Satisfies the general education requirements at the receiving institution with the
receiving institution able to add no more than six additional credits / two courses in
compliance with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ Standards for
Accreditation.
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
General EducationTransfer Benefits
 Automatic satisfaction of the general education requirements at the receiving
institution, with the receiving institution able to add no more than six additional
credits/two courses.
 Stipulation: Students enrolled in a specific major or degree program may be
required to take additional courses if these courses are specifically required for the
major or program and are required of native students.
Minimum Final GPA Benefit
2.0 GPA Automatic satisfaction of the general education requirements at the
receiving institution, with the receiving institution able to add no
more than six additional credits/two courses.
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Typical approaches:
 Enforcing a common course numbering system and
standardized course syllabi across the state.
 Articulation agreements negotiated institution by institution for
each individual program.
 Ad-hoc 1 on 1 student advising and course equivalency mapping
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Questions to be addressed
 Could public higher education institutions agree on a 30-35 CR
block of STEM courses that would work both in transfer and
career programs for community colleges and have direct
equivalences in 4YR colleges?
 A “block” transfer that might vary in implementation and individual courses, but
would be accepted and would help insure a student could complete a 4YR STEM
major in 2 years following transfer and also serve as a basis for career programs
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Possible Framework
Workforce
Discipline-Specific
4-year Program
Discipline-Specific
Transfer Program
Discipline-Specific
Transfer Program
Discipline-Specific
Transfer Program
STEM Transfer Block
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Discipline-Specific
CTE Program
Discussion: Can we agree?
 Is there a common base for 2YR to 4YR transfer and
Discipline-Specific
4-year Program
2YR CTE curricula?
Workforce
 Can we create an effective bridge?
Discipline-Specific
Transfer Program
Discipline-Specific
CTE Program
 How many credits?
 30CR, More? Less?
STEM Transfer Block
 Which Science courses? Which Math courses?
 Fixed, menu?
 Multiple pathways?
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Discussion: Can we agree?
 If such a block was developed, what would be the
Discipline-Specific
4-year Program
impact on common core curricula? e.g., curricula
content and advising
Workforce
 How would it affect K12 programs and in particular
engineering/technology curricula?
Discipline-Specific
Transfer Program
Discipline-Specific
CTE Program
STEM Transfer Block
Incorporates Computational Thinking
 How could "computational thinking" be incorporated
in this block?
 How to define, rally support?
 Would industry see this as a prerequisite to workforce
needs? CC grads? 4YR grads?
 Would 4yr and CCs agree to accept as in the agreement?
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Contact Information:
David Cedrone
MA Department of Higher Education
dcedrone@bhe.mass.edu
Deborah Boisvert
BATEC Center for Computing Technologies
deborah.boisvert@umb.edu
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011
Thank you!
STEMTech Conference, October 2, 2011