NACME’s community college programs continue to influence the national conversation on the community college pathway to engineering careers for underrepresented minorities. The community college arena contains a large and often overlooked pool of students who have the potential to become the future engineers and scientists who will contribute to solving our pressing national issues.

“The evidence is clear,” said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, NACME executive vice president and COO, during his keynote address at the 2008 Annual Regional Conference of the National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA), Northeast Region, an Affiliate Council of the American Association of Community Colleges.

“Community college transfer students who complete an associate of science degree in engineering science are as likely to receive a bachelor’s degree in engineering as students who attended four-year campuses only. For example, 64 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native, 50 percent of African American, and 55 percent of Hispanic science and engineering bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients in 2004 and 2005 attended community colleges,” said Dr. McPhail.

NACME’s community college programs include:

Pipeline Partnership for the Advancement of Engineering Education
Promising Practices in Transfer and Articulation Programs and Policies
Beyond the Dream: From Developmental Mathematics to Engineering Careers
Engineering Awareness Strategy
Transfer Scholarship Strategy