Fostering Student Success in STEM Disciplines through Engaged Learning - Phase II

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Fort Belknap College (FBC) is a tribally controlled community college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northcentral Montana. The overall goals of the proposed project are to increase student participation and success in FBC?s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses and degree programs. This Phase II project will build upon the documented successes of FBC?s Phase I project, while addressing persistence challenges identified through the collection and analysis of Phase I evaluation data. In order to achieve the project?s dual goals, project personnel will carry out an integrated implementation strategy designed to accomplish eight student-centered objectives associated with: (1) enrollment in STEM degree programs, (2) participation in STEM summer academies, (3) performance on college placement exams, (4) participation in research and internship programs, (5) performance in STEM gatekeeper courses, (6) retention rates, (7) graduation numbers, and (8) transfer numbers. Primary project strategies for accomplishing these objectives include: (1) extensive outreach and recruiting programs, (2) pre-college summer STEM academies, (3) summer research and internship opportunities, and (4) supplemental instruction and tutoring for STEM courses. In addition to supporting these student-centered project activities, project funds also will be used to support: (1) the establishment of a data- driven annual review process for STEM programs, (2) comprehensive mathematics curriculum reform, and (7) ongoing faculty development opportunities. Evaluation activities will provide project personnel with the information needed to effectively monitor the project?s progress, improve its ongoing effectiveness, assess its success in achieving project goals and objectives, and communicate its outcomes to a variety of stakeholders.