Promoting persistence of underprivileged college students in science and mathematics through engagement of their families

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This National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon will award scholarships to 36 low-income, academically talented students, and provide the recipients specialized on-campus programing. Both freshmen and transfer students will be eligible for these scholarships. Scholarships will be offered to qualified students in biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, mathematics, and physics. Elements in the program will include targeted academic support and cohort development through co-curricular activities. Scholarship recipients will have access to STEM career development opportunities including individual mentoring by faculty, internships, participation in faculty research, and pathways for job placement. It is anticipated that many of the scholarship recipients will be first-generation college students and the project includes an effort to include the families of scholarship recipients in a way that enables the student's family to appreciate the challenges and opportunities of higher education and to assist in providing the support students may need to complete STEM degrees. Scholarships and support for low-income and academically talented students, who may not otherwise be able to obtain STEM degrees, will help to produce a well-trained workforce that will contribute to the nation's economic growth and industrial competitiveness.While current research provides evidence for the importance of family support, few published studies investigate college completion outcomes when the parents and family members of college students from low-income backgrounds are purposefully informed and included in campus-centered social support activities. This Pacific University S-STEM project will include an effort to specifically inform students' parents or other critical family members about college, including processes such as advising and registration, college milestones such as declaring a major, and opportunities such as internships and research. Topics will include the essential time commitment required for students to be successful in college, and that time spent away from college studies should be limited to ensure academic success and access to the economic opportunities of STEM careers. Materials will be multi-lingual and designed with sensitivity to relevant cultural values and cultural norms of communication. The project will study ways to help students' families to understand the investment value for a college education, and thus be more willing and better able to provide emotional support and encouragement for completing college. The results will help to inform the nation's STEM education community about the role of family members in improving retention and degree completion among low-income and academically talented students.