Creating Opportunities for Students in Science (COMPASS) Scholarship Program

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Through this project, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) is recruiting undergraduate students majoring in Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science, or Chemistry. With strong institutional support, the project seeks to make a sustained impact on STEM programs at UNCP by strengthening connections among UNCP's academic and student support programs, while also reinforcing UNCP's connections with industry and local employers. The technical implementation of project activities begins during students' sophomore year, when academically-talented cohorts of students who demonstrate financial need receive scholarships, with the goal of increasing the number of students earning STEM BS degrees and advancing to STEM careers or graduate programs. To achieve its objectives, the project is guided by three core strategies: (1) building a community of scholars, (2) close coordination of program support activities with existing UNCP resources, and (3) a focus on STEM career preparation. The project provides students with enhanced academic support and career preparation services, which include intensive mentoring, tutoring/supplemental instruction, scientific and career workshops, and seminars. Career-oriented activities are all flexibly-designed to meet the needs of the students. Rigorous data collection with assessment evaluates the effectiveness of these interventions in meeting the unique needs of UNCP students and to achieve successful student outcomes. Such data is helping to establish a model for achievement that can be replicated in other STEM disciplines at UNCP and sister UNC institutions.