The M-STEM Academies at the University of Michigan: An Integrated Approach to Increase the Number and Diversity of Undergraduates in STEM Disciplines

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The M-STEM Academies at the University of Michigan (UM) is providing a holistic support system for cohorts of students with high potential in science that have been traditionally underrepresented or historically not as successful within a highly competitive research university. The effort is based on the nationally recognized Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and integrates a current pilot program into the natural science and mathematics departments in the liberal arts college at UM. The project provides students a comprehensive bridge program as students transition into UM, including academic coaching, development workshops, and research opportunities. Intellectual merit: This cross-university effort, rare for an institution of this size, involves collaboration of many academic support units that have a vested interest in success for all students and is laying the groundwork for a long-term institutional transformation at UM. In addition, the proposed evaluation (with a defined control group) contributes to our knowledge of student retention, portability, and scalability of the Meyerhoff model to a range of undergraduates in STEM programs at large research universities. Broader Impacts: The project represents a well-documented model that is used to increase the number and the academic qualifications of students graduating with STEM degrees. Increasing the number and diversity of students pursuing and completing STEM degrees (with accompanying multicultural competency) also serves to provide a valuable support network for multiple educational communities at UM (and beyond) and provides similar and needed traits to the STEM workforce.