Implementation Project: SURE (Scaffolding Undergraduate Research Experiences)

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Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Alamo Community College District – St. Philip’s College provides a scaffolded approach to broaden opportunities for community college, first generation, and HBCU students to succeed in STEM majors. The project has a strong focus on professional development of faculty (including adjunct faculty) to strengthen teaching and mentoring of students engaged in research experiences and preparing undergraduate students for graduate school or the workforce, focusing on the critical transition from community college to Bachelor of Science programs. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation, as well as by internal and external advisory committees.The goal of the project is to enrich STEM education quality, increase STEM student research and internship experiences and facilitate community college student transfer to universities to earn Bachelor of Science degrees. The four objectives are: (1) increase STEM faculty use of evidence-based pedagogy instruction in lecture and lab classes, leading to (2) improved STEM student retention and (3) a substantial increase in the number of STEM students who participate in experiential learning opportunities, thereby increasing student retention in the critical transition years and (4) increasing the number of STEM students who transfer and earn BS degrees from universities. The project aims to advance knowledge and understanding in STEM education by outlining how faculty use of evidence-based pedagogy impacts underrepresented STEM majors’ academic outcomes, how quality education and mentoring/advising impacts access to research/internship opportunities and how two-year colleges can collaborate with four-year STEM programs to create transfer pipelines and support for students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.