Biology and Environmental Science Training (BEST)

新墨西哥州北部学院生物和环境科学培训(BEST)项目将向25名全日制、有学术天赋且有经济需求的生物或环境科学(ES)专业学生提供年度奖学金。最佳项目将实施最佳实践支持性课程活动，包括同行领导的团队学习小组、生物学研讨会系列、教师指导的本科生研究经验(URE)和参与会议；以及一系列非课程活动，包括每月的队列建设活动，所有这些活动都被认为有助于留住人才。BEST还将通过提供带薪的夏季劳动力实习和URE来支持参与者进入STEM劳动力和研究生项目。这项计划对于增进科学知识和了解那些最有效地招收、留住和毕业STEM代表不足的学生的做法和服务非常重要，从而增加进入STEM劳动力队伍的代表不足的学生的数量，并使该领域多样化。项目目标包括：1)通过加强招聘和保留来增加生物学和ES项目的学生数量；2)通过增加每学期的学生学分来促进学位进步；3)提高毕业率；以及4)实施一项纵向研究，这将产生离开STEM量表的风险；分析STEM和非STEM专业的数学焦虑；分析学生服务与STEM项目中学生自我认同感和归属感的提高相关；分析暑期研究/劳动力实习与STEM职业生涯进入之间的相关性。这项研究将使用纵向队列设计评估支助服务和活动是否影响留级/毕业。所采用的措施源自《国家科学基金会教育研究和发展共同指导方针》，涉及定性和定量两个部分。早期的消耗点在前四个学期有很大的针对性，以获得比较样本并建立基线。将在关键点进行跟踪，以收集额外的措施，以确定随着时间的推移个别变化。分析将确定教师和同行指导、暑期实习和参与专业活动作为STEM离职或增强STEM自我认同的触发因素的影响。外部评价将提供有益的信息，以确保持续改进支助服务，确保这些服务有助于留住和完成学位。总结性评估将衡量项目在实现其目标方面的有效性，并为长期规划提供信息。

The Northern New Mexico College Biology and Environmental Sciences Training (BEST) project will provide annual scholarships to 25 full-time academically talented and underrepresented students with demonstrated financial need majoring in Biology or Environmental Science (ES). The BEST project will implement best practice supportive curricular activities, including Peer-led Team Learning study groups, Biology seminar series, faculty-mentored undergraduate research experiences (URE), and conference participation; and a suite of non-curricular activities including monthly cohort building activities, all known to foster retention. BEST will also support the entry of participants into the STEM workforce and graduate programs by providing paid summer workforce internships and URE. This program is important for the advancement of scientific knowledge and understanding of those practices and services that most effectively recruit, retain and graduate underrepresented students in STEM, thereby increasing the number of underrepresented students entering the STEM workforce and diversifying the field.The project objectives include: 1) increasing the number of students in Biology and ES programs by enhancing recruitment and retention; 2) increasing degree progress by increasing student credit hours taken per semester; 3) increasing graduation rates; and 4) implementing a longitudinal study that will generate a 'Risk of Leaving STEM' scale; analyze math anxiety among STEM and non-STEM majors; analyze student services that correlate with increases in a student's self-identity and sense of belonging in a STEM program; and analyze correlations between summer research/workforce internships and STEM career entry. The research will assess whether the support services and activities impact retention/graduation using a longitudinal cohort design. The measures employed are derived from the NSF Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development and involve qualitative and quantitative components. Early attrition points are heavily targeted in the first four semesters to gain comparative samples and establish baselines. Tracking will occur at key points to collect additional measures to establish individual changes over time. Analyses will determine the effect of faculty and peer mentoring, summer internships, and engagement in professional activities as triggers for STEM leaving or enhanced STEM self-identification. External evaluation will provide formative information to ensure continuous improvement of support services to ensure they foster retention and degree completion. Summative evaluation will gauge the project's effectiveness in meeting its goals and inform long range planning.