STEM Scholars: Attracting and Retaining Students in Science and Mathematics Majors

跨西尔瓦尼亚大学（TU）STEM学者计划为连续几年入学的两批新生提供四年的支持，每批学生最多可达15名。 在TU STEM学者计划的参与者是从学生谁是在生物学，化学，计算机科学，数学，物理，神经科学或环境科学的预期专业招募。 除了S-STEM奖学金的财政支持外，招收和留住学生的计划活动还包括STEM教师的个性化指导和建议，定量推理和学习习惯研讨会，科学讲座，科学和数学期刊俱乐部，夏季研究经验，以及STEM职业机会演讲。通过为被选中参加TU STEM学者计划的学生提供的各种队列建设活动和其他支持机制，该项目有助于为本科STEM学生提供有效招聘和保留策略的知识基础。 通过该项目开发的学生服务与现有TU学生服务的融合为其他类似机构提供了一个模式。更广泛的影响：S-STEM奖学金允许来自弱势社会经济背景的学生在私立文科大学攻读STEM学科的专业。 最近来跨西尔瓦尼亚的学生中有三分之一以上是第一代大学生。 因此，TU STEM学者计划正在扩大参与到那些否则可能没有机会成为STEM专业人士的个人。

The Transylvania University (TU) STEM Scholars Program provides four years of support to two cohorts of freshmen entering in successive years, with up to 15 students comprising each cohort. Participants in the TU STEM Scholars Program are recruited from students who are intended majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, neuroscience or environmental science. In addition to the financial support from the S-STEM scholarships, program activities to recruit and retain students include personalized mentoring and advising by STEM faculty members, workshops on quantitative reasoning and learning habits, scientific lectures, a science and math journal club, summer research experiences, and presentations on STEM career opportunities.Intellectual Merit: Through the various cohort-building activities and other support mechanisms provided the students selected to participate in the TU STEM Scholars Program, this project contributes to the knowledge base of effective recruitment and retention strategies for undergraduate STEM students. The fusion of existing TU student services with those developed through this project provides a model for other similar institutions.Broader Impacts: The S-STEM scholarships allow students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue an education as a major in a STEM discipline at a private liberal arts university. More than one-third of recent incoming students to Transylvania are first generation college students. Thus, the TU STEM Scholars Program is broadening participation to individuals who otherwise may not have had opportunities to become STEM professionals.