SC STEPs to STEM

南卡罗来纳州大学（USC）正在通过招聘和保留工作的结合，增加其科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）课程的毕业生人数。一个特别的重点是接触那些由于背景不足或“大器晚成布卢默”而处于STEM职业辍学边缘的学生，他们最近才发现自己对科学有兴趣。为了支持这些努力，项目小组在南加州大学的教师与来自州立技术学院、南加州大学分支校园和地区中学的学生、辅导员和教师之间建立了牢固的联系。招聘计划包括i）外展高中职业和指导顾问，ii）为成功完成相关专业发展课程而授予的STEM咨询继续教育学分，以及iii）使用基础广泛的跨学科研讨会课程，沿着科学和技术课程的历史和哲学，以吸引非STEM学生进入STEM学科。保留计划的特点是：i）新的桥梁课程，为学生准备STEM学科（特别是微积分）的严格性，ii）开发暑期研究所，以提高学生的“数学准备”并协调STEM研究经验，iii）为所有STEM专业和针对保留率最低的专业的活动提供广泛的学生支持活动。该项目的智力价值在于致力于该项目的强大而多样化的教师和管理人员团队及其广泛的兴趣和经验，特别关注上述“有风险”的学生。通过国家高等教育系统各级领导机构的全面参与，该项目的广泛影响正在显现。这种参与反过来影响了大量的州内学生，从而有利于增加该州的STEM劳动力。

The University of South Carolina (USC) is increasing the number of graduates of its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs through a combination of recruitment and retention efforts. A particular focus is on reaching students who are on the edge of dropping out of STEM careers due either to insufficient background or being a "late bloomer," only recently discovering an affinity for the sciences. To support these efforts the project team has established strong ties between faculty at USC and the students, counselors, and faculty from the state technical colleges, the USC branch campuses, and regional secondary schools. The recruitment plan includes i) outreach to high school career and guidance counselors, ii) continuing education credit in STEM counseling granted for successful completion of an associated professional development curriculum, and iii) the use of broad-based interdisciplinary seminar courses, along with history and philosophy of science and technology courses to attract non-STEM students to STEM disciplines. The retention plan features i) new bridge courses to prepare students for the rigors of STEM disciplines (especially calculus), ii) development of a Summer Institute to improve the "math readiness" of students and to coordinate STEM research experiences, and iii) broad-based student support activities for all STEM majors and activities that target majors with the lowest retention rates. The intellectual merit of the project rests in the strong and diverse team of faculty and administrators committed to the project and their wide-ranging interests and experiences, which are focused particularly on the "at risk" students described above. The broader impacts of the project are being felt through the comprehensive involvement of leading institutions at all levels in the state's higher education system. Such involvement affects in turn a large number of in-state students with resulting benefits to increasing the state's STEM workforce.