Research Engagement Across Curricular Tracks

部落学院和大学方案(TCUP)的一个目标是提高为本国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教学和研究能力。在这些机构扩大STEM课程的范围，可以扩大学生在STEM领域追求富有挑战性和回报的职业的机会，提供在可能具有文化意义的领域进行研究的机会，并鼓励社区和世代对科学和数学教育的欣赏。该项目与这一目标直接一致，而且将使整个知识体系了解本科生研究经验在招募和留住STEM研究人员和培养下一代STEM专业人员方面的重要性和开展工作。在留住更有可能攻读更高学位的学生方面，教师与研究的联系，从而将学生与文化和地理相关的研究联系起来，是重要的一步。对于那些直接从部落大学进入STEM劳动力大军的学生来说，同样重要的是他们在数学、科学和技术方面拥有明确的技能。该项目的总体目标是模拟TCUP如何以及为什么支持创新，例如早期接触研究，从而促进部落学院STEM学生的教与学。这项建议建立在过去十年来与首席钝刀学院(CDKC)进行的两个TCUP项目相关的先前研究的基础上，并解决了部落大学生在STEM领域留住和完成的关键问题。该学院过去十年TCUP能力建设的主要发现之一是，在两年制学院参与研究的学生往往在教育过程中保持更长的参与度。这些研究项目一直是让学生参与STEM领域的一种工具，并帮助他们选择STEM领域的学位和劳动力安置。这项工作的第一个目标是增加选择STEM专业并在转到四年制大学后继续学习这些专业的学生数量。这里提出的跨课程的研究参与(REACT)项目包括探索将研究作为在CDKC学生中招生、留住和取得成功的工具。第二个目标是增加进入STEM劳动力队伍的STEM学生人数。学院增加了一个新的应用科学副学士学位课程，以实现这一目标，并将帮助学生集中他们的技能，满足当地STEM雇主的需求。这项工作的第三个目标是在部落学院入学后增加选择STEM专业的学生数量。为了帮助实现这一目标，学院将为该地区的高中生提供暑期研究体验。学生将与当前研究和大学年龄较大的科学研究实习生互动，帮助促进从中学到大学STEM项目的过渡。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will inform the body of knowledge about the importance and conduct of undergraduate research experiences in recruiting and retaining underrepresented individuals into STEM studies, and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals. The connection of faculty to research and thereby the students to culturally and geographically relevant research is an important step in retaining students who are more likely to pursue advanced degrees. For those students entering the STEM workforce directly from a tribal college, it is equally important that they have a well-defined skill set in mathematics, science, and technology. The overall goal of this project is to model how and why TCUP supported innovations, such as early exposure to research, have contributed to the enhancements of teaching and learning among STEM students in the tribal college. This proposal builds on prior research conducted in relation to the two TCUP projects conducted at Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) over the last ten years and addresses key issues concerning tribal college student retention and completion in STEM fields. One of the major findings of the past ten years of TCUP capacity building at the college is that students who are involved with research at the two-year college tend to remain engaged longer in the educational process. The research projects have served as a tool to keep students involved in STEM fields and helped them choose STEM areas for degrees and for workforce placement. The first objective of this work is to increase the number of students choosing STEM majors and continuing in those majors upon transfer to four-year colleges. The Research Engagement Across Curricular Tracks (REACT) project proposed here includes exploring the use of research as a tool for recruitment, retention and success among CDKC students. The second objective is to increase the number of STEM students entering the STEM workforce. The addition of a new Associate of Applied Science degree program to the college addresses this objective and will help students focus their skill sets and fulfill local STEM employer needs. The third objective of this work is to increase number of students choosing STEM majors upon enrollment in the Tribal College. To help accomplish this objective, the college will offer a summer research experience for area high school students. Students will interact with current research and older college age science research interns helping facilitate the transition from secondary school to college STEM programs.