Communities that make a difference: The STEM student perspective

Responses from open-ended survey questions regarding undergraduate students' connections to community were collected from five different institutions, ranging from a large research institution in the Pacific Northwest to a small teaching college in the Northeast. Our results show that, regardless of institution or U.S. geographical location, STEM students felt connected to family more than any other community in their undergraduate experience. At institutions where faith plays a role in the institutional mission and culture, connections to religious organizations (especially church) were a close second in the strong connections to community that students reported in their lives. Across institutions, friends played a strong role in the communities in which students participated, and traditional extracurricular activities (non-academic clubs within the institution itself) also provided a significant source of connection for many students.