Chemistry First Scholars: Supporting At-Risk First-Generation Students in Chemistry

化学第一学者计划将向20名有经济需要和学术成绩的学生提供奖学金，这些学生正在寻求成为成功的化学家。该项目将吸引和支持有毕业风险的第一代化学学生，从而增加高质量专业化学家的数量，项目团队将继续接触校园，并为其他STEM部门提供领导，以促进STEM学生支持系统的最佳实践。这些实践包括确定教师导师，帮助学生确定个人的化学职业道路、机会和专业项目。该项目将在化学专业使用一个三层、包容性的学术支持项目，通过之前S-STEM项目的努力制度化。三层学生支持结构将首先依赖于建立一个自然的学生群体。化学学习社区（CLC）将从第一年开始，一直持续到毕业。在项目期间，总共会有四个中心。三层模式遵循最佳实践，支持第一代学生完成其大学生涯的各个阶段。化学第一学者计划将与现有的北卡罗来纳大学阿什维尔学者计划合作，加强化学专业学生之间的社区，并参与和支持有风险的、低收入的第一代学生。北卡罗来纳大学阿什维尔分校学术评估主任是一名独立的评估人员，将协调该项目的评估工作。通过对学生学业成绩、项目活动和项目可交付成果的评估和评价来衡量项目的成功。项目成果包括资助学者人数、奖学金获得者总数、学者毕业率和毕业后就业情况。为了调查该项目对学生在化学方面的保留、进步和成功的影响，相对于过去几年，从先前的S-STEM项目收集的信息和结果将作为项目前的基线。在这样做的过程中，该项目将有助于为有经济需要的学生提供有关成功项目的属性和实践的知识体系。

The Chemistry First Scholars program will offer scholarships to 20 students, with financial need and academic merit, who are seeking to become successful chemists. The project will attract and support through to graduation at-risk, first-generation students in chemistry, thereby increasing the number of quality professional chemists, and the project team will continue to reach across campus and provide leadership to other STEM departments in promoting best practices for support systems for STEM students. Such practices include identification of Faculty Mentors to help students dentify individual chemistry career paths, opportunities, and professional programs.The program will use a three-tiered, inclusive academic support program in the chemistry major, developed through institutionalization of efforts from a prior S-STEM project. The three-tiered student support structure will rely first on building a natural student cohort. A Chemistry Learning Community (CLC) will begin in the first year and last through to graduation. There will be a total of four CLCs over the project period. The three-tiered model follows best practices in supporting first generation students through all phases of their college career. The Chemistry First Scholars program will partner with the existing UNC Asheville Scholars Program to strengthen community among chemistry majors and to engage and support at risk, low income, first generation students. The Director of the Academic Assessment act UNC-Asheville, an independent evaluator, will coordinate the assessment the project. Success will be measured through the assessment and evaluation of student academic performance, project activities, and project deliverables. Project deliverables include the number of scholars funded, the total number of scholarships awarded, the graduation rate of scholars and career placement following graduation. To investigate the impact of the program on student retention, progress, and success in chemistry, relative to past years, the information and results gathered from the prior S-STEM project will serve as a pre-project baseline. In so doing, the project will contribute to a growing body of knowledge regarding attributes and practices of successful programs for students who demonstrate financial need.