A Planning Grant Project to Enhance Undergraduate Student Retention in Science, Technology, and Mathematics at HSSU

哈里斯-斯托州立大学(HSSU)将进行STEM项目自我分析，以确定如何提高HSSU的学生留存率和学生成就率。在这个规划项目中，HSSU有两个目标：1)分析目前存档并定期收集的数据，2)收集新的数据，以更全面地显示当前学生和假定的未来学生的情况。将采用的方法包括对HSSU过去几年收集的学生人口数据进行分析，并在该项目过程中收集新的数据。这些数据将被用来帮助理解从现有数据中可以确定哪些因素与学生的成功有关。目前的数据并没有提供STEM课程和大学整体学生保留率和学生成功的完整图景。将通过项目教师设计和实施的调查工具、对现有和以前的STEM学生的访谈以及对中等STEM教师的调查和访谈来收集更多的数据。这个项目的智力价值在于使用数据来理解导致学生在HSSU成功和留住的因素。这将使教职员工和管理人员能够设计一个项目来改进STEM项目，从而提高HSSU学生的科学和数学素养和能力。这一改进将导致学生在课堂上取得更大的成功，并在大学中保持更多的留存。虽然这个项目不会对设施和仪器设备产生直接影响，但它将允许通过实施项目确定改善这些领域的方法。HSSU的大多数学生来自代表人数较少的非裔美国人、女性、第一代和低收入群体，因此该项目的更广泛影响是它将增加这些群体在STEM中的参与。

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) will undertake a STEM program self-analysis to determine ways to improve student retention and student success at HSSU. In this Planning Project, HSSU has two objectives: 1) analyze the data that is currently on file and collected on a regular basis, and 2) collect new data that will show a more complete picture of the current students and putative future students. The methods to be employed consist of analysis of data that HSSU has been collecting on the student population over the past several years and collecting new data during the course of this project. This data will be used to help understand what factors can be identified from the existing data that bear on student success. The current data does not give a complete picture of student retention and student success in STEM courses and in the university overall. More data will be collected with survey instruments designed and conducted by project faculty, interviews with current and former STEM students and both surveys and interviews of secondary STEM teachers. The intellectual merit of this project is in the use of data to understand of the factors that result in student success and retention at HSSU. This insight will allow the faculty and administration to design a project to improve the STEM Programs, thereby improving the scientific and mathematical literacy and abilities of HSSU students. This improvement will result in greater student classroom success and retention in the university. Although this project will have no direct impact on facilities and instrumentation, it will allow identification of ways to improve these areas via an Implementation project.Most HSSU students are from underrepresented groups African-American, female, first generation, and low income therefore the broader impact of this project is that it will increase participation of these groups in STEM.