Relationship losses from high school and lack of permanence undermine student attempts to successfully transition to college. This process is repeated for two-year college students as they transfer to finish a baccalaureate degree.  The importance of the relationships students develop with campus faculty and staff is sometimes underappreciated. Attachment theory, often taught in foster care training, is concerned with how children’s early relationships affect their development and their capacity to form later relationships. It can be useful in helping those who work with students to think about both past and future. It can increase understanding about what students may bring into the new environment in college, and, looking forward, how one can build on the past, modify expectations and strategies that are no longer helpful, and help the development of new positive relationships.  The ability of students to become attached and identify themselves as a member of the scientific community can help to support them as they navigate their educational experience.

Attachment theory: Guiding STEM majors through significant change

255th National Meeting (2018)

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