Earth Science Pipeline: Recruiting and retaining under-represented ethnic groups in Earth Sciences

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ABSTRACTEarth Science Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Under-Represented Ethnic Groups in Earth Sciences California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) has a minority student population large enough for it to have been designated a Hispanic Serving Institution. However the Department of Geological Sciences has an enrollment of under-represented ethnic groups not only less than the surrounding community but also below that of the national average. CSUSB has initiated a project entitled "Earth Science Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Under-Represented Ethnic Groups in the Earth Sciences". This project conducts activities designed to (1) increase under-represented minority enrollment in the Department of Geological Sciences, (2) retain these students once they have entered the program, and (3) feed these students into the geosciences pipeline so that they either enter graduate school or the geosciences profession. The overall theme that unifies the proposed activities is that studying geology can be exciting, and that it is possible to pursue a rewarding career in geosciences. Specific activities include the development of a collaborative program for the teaching of geological sciences with local schools with high minority enrollments, and interaction with, and training of sixth to twelfth grade teachers through activities such as workshops, demonstrations and formal field trips. Teachers will also be involved in designing demonstrations and hands-on activities for use in their classrooms. Activities include annual summer geological field trips conducted by faculty from the Department. Students will also be invited to participate during the summer and/or academic year in research projects under the supervision of a faculty member from the Department of Geological Sciences at CSUSB.