Collaborative Research: S-STEM: Computing and Engineering Network to Grow Academically and Generate Excellence (C-ENGAGE) [2026-2032]. Research lead: Dr. Tina Cheuk

The purpose of this research is to investigate how low-income parenting and non-parenting students navigate engineering and computer science programs as they transfer from community colleges to a four-year institution. Despite growing awareness of the challenges facing student parents in higher education, existing research has largely failed to address the specific context of engineering and computer science majors, which have high out-of-class-time participation expectations and often require summer internships or co-ops that may involve relocation.

This study addresses what we term “care-evasiveness” in higher education (i.e., the failure of colleges and universities to recognize and accommodate caregiving responsibilities) that significantly impact student parents’ curricular and co-curricular participation, academic progress, and professional success. Additionally, this research examines how a strengths-based approach utilizing the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment can support both parenting and non-parenting low-income students in developing their engineering and computer science identities and achieving academic and professional success.

Research question 1: What are alternative pedagogical approaches in engineering and computer science that challenge care-evasiveness regarding student parents' caregiving responsibilities?

Research question 2: How can student parents and institutions utilize a strengths approach to support low-income student parents and shape their engineering and computer science transfer experiences?