AMS Engagement of Two-Year College Geoscience Programs

In 2021 the AMS was invited to participate in a workshop focused on ‘Strengthening Engagement between Disciplinary Societies and Community Colleges’. The workshop was supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education and held virtually in January 2022. The workshop included two-year college (2YC) educators and professional society representatives, including AMS members and staff. Over a period of several meeting dates the workshop participants focused on several high-level goals such as learning strategies and resources, partnership vision, diversity, equity and inclusion, cross-discipline collaboration and resource sharing, connections and network building. Some of the AMS focus areas as a result of the workshop included increasing connections to 2YCs to make faculty and students aware of available resources, better representation of 2YC geoscience programs, faculty and students. The most significant outcome has been the formation of a 2YC committee within the AMS Board on Higher Education (BHE). The committee members include several 2YC and 4YC faculty.

Over the course of the last two years, the committee has focused on developing a list of 2YC institutions offering programs in atmospheric science and meteorology along with a survey to better understand specific challenges unique to two-year institutions and community colleges. An expanded group of committee members also participated in a second NSF workshop, ‘Fostering Two-Year College Collaborations with Disciplinary Societies’ and has continued work on the action plan formed during the workshop.

The committee has also broadened the vision in consideration of the 2YC to 4YC transfer process as well focus on allied disciplines such as environmental and climate sciences and sustainability. We will present an update to the first session last year which details the committee focus, accomplishments, and lessons learned.