STEMing the Flow: Connecting Undergraduates with Applied Science

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As part of the institution's continuing effort to increase the number of students majoring in STEM fields, a collaborative team is promoting recruitment and retention of STEM majors by using a multi-faceted approach. The goal is to surround the incoming students with support and involve them early in the research efforts of the departments through faculty and peer mentoring. The activities are expected to facilitate an increase in the number of STEM majors incrementally, 10% each year, to reach new highs in STEM retention, ultimately leading to graduation rates of 58%, the institution's average for all majors. The majors most affected are biology, chemistry, and computer science, as differentiated from the mathematics, engineering, and physics disciplines that are mainly service-oriented at the institution.Intellectual MeritUndergraduate research is being enhanced in a variety of disciplines including information assurance, genetics, ecology, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry. Undergraduates become involved in research projects at the very beginning of their university career so that faculty can play an important role in mentoring STEM students. As these students progress, they become peer mentors to assist the following STEM majors. The research experiences along with cooperative learning laboratories are promoting student understanding of how science is conducted. To retain these students, the Supplemental Instructor (SI) method is being integrated into the introductory science classrooms. SI has been successfully used nationwide and on this campus to improve student performance. By providing SI instruction in the introductory science courses, all of the STEM majors are being reached, not just the group involved in the undergraduate research component. The students recruited into the program also gain a broader perspective of science by exploring the careers of successful scientists from a variety of disciplines through discussions of biographies/autobiographies. The reading forum allows for a broader discussion of the science world, ethics, and career guidance not normally allotted time in an undergraduate curriculum.Broader ImpactThe extrinsic merits of the STEM reform are 1) educating the public of the many merits of a science career, 2) providing an opportunity for students to become involved in independent and multidisciplinary research projects and to present their findings; and 3) instilling an understanding of the possibilities that the field of science can provide for STEM majors. A Summer Science Open House encompassing not only the traditional high school juniors but also Saint Francis University admissions counselors and high school guidance counselors is designed to impact STEM recruitment in the geographical area. Exposing and educating high school guidance counselors on the many merits of a science career enables them to pass this knowledge on to students and to better nurture their talents. The hiring of a graduate assistant for STEM recruitment is expected to have a large impact on the ability of the institution to increase the overall number of STEM graduates by 60% (from 45 to 75 STEM students). To broaden the reach across the region, a week-long one-credit summer science course for high school juniors is being implemented.