HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Creating Connected College Research Communities

在改进的本科STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI计划)的支持下，这一轨道2：IEP将整合课程、联合课程和计划活动，以提高本科STEM教育的质量，并为科罗拉多州立大学普韦布洛分校(CSU Pueblo)和地区社区学院的大量拉美裔、农村和低收入学生增加STEM专科或学士学位学生的招生、保留率和毕业率。课程活动包括重新设计的课程作业，重点是增加机会和包容性，将被整合到涉及本科生研究机会、导师和学生服务的联合课程活动中，以及包括专业发展、科学素养、社区参与和获得理科学位的桥梁的方案活动中。该项目利用本科生研究作为增加获得STEM领域学位的拉美裔/拉丁裔、农村和代表性不足的学生群体数量的途径和催化剂。通过与服务于南科罗拉多州和与之接壤的州的少数族裔的地区社区大学、高中和CSU Pueblo的独特的三方合作伙伴关系，该项目将围绕共享的研究项目建立，以招募、留住STEM领域的学生并使其毕业。它整合了一条通向STEM研究领域的简化和创新之路，特别是在生物学、野生动物和资源管理方面，通过在文化敏感的学习环境中进行令人兴奋的体验式学习体验。这项本科生研究将创建社区，为STEM学位授予课程中从中学教育过渡到本科教育的学生提供密集的指导、学生支持和归属感。该项目旨在改善：1)招聘-通过利用学生对生物和野生动物地区性问题/问题的固有兴趣，并将他们招募到研究项目；2)留住-通过密集的指导和社区研究团队，为学生提供周到的服务和支持；3)指导和指导-通过CSU Pueblo和中央社区学院的教师研究导师和教练，培养学生的演讲、出版物和出席国家会议的能力；以及4)合作伙伴关系-与高中合作提供同步招生服务，与中央社区学院合作提供无缝转接协议，并开发课程，为学生立即平稳过渡到加州大学普韦布洛分校生物学和/或野生动物与自然资源学士学位课程做好准备。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育，扩大STEM的参与，并建设HSIS的能力。鉴于高等教育机构的不同性质和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法，以激励机构和社区的变革，并促进基础研究(I)关于学生参与式学习，(Ii)关于如何有效地多样化和增加对STEM的参与，以及(Iii)提高我们对如何建设高等教育机构能力的理解。HSI计划支持的项目也将从这些方法中获得如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2: IEP will integrate curricular, co-curricular, and programmatic activities to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education and to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associates or baccalaureate degrees in STEM for large numbers of Hispanic, rural, and low-income students at Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) and regional community colleges. The curricular activities consisting of redesigned coursework with a focus towards increased access and inclusion will be integrated to the co-curricular activities involving undergraduate research opportunities, mentorship, and student services, and the programmatic activities consisting of professional development, scientific literacy, community engagement, and bridges to BS degrees.This project utilizes undergraduate research as a pathway and catalyst for increasing the number of Hispanic/Latino, rural, and underrepresented student groups receiving degrees in STEM fields. Through a unique triad of partnerships with regional community colleges, high schools, and CSU Pueblo which serve underrepresented minorities in Southern Colorado and bordering states, this project will build around shared research projects to recruit, retain, and graduate students into STEM fields. It integrates a streamlined and innovative pathway towards STEM fields of study, particularly in biology and wildlife and resource management, via exciting experiential learning experiences within a culturally sensitive learning environment. This undergraduate research will create communities that provide intensive mentorship, student support, and a sense of belonging to transition students from secondary education to undergraduate education in STEM degree-granting programs.This project aims to improve : 1) Recruitment – by harnessing students’ inherent interest in biological and wildlife regional issues/problems and recruit them into research projects; 2) Retention - through intense mentorship and community research teams which provide students wrap around services and support; 3) Mentoring & Coaching – via faculty research mentors and coaches at CSU Pueblo and Central Community College fostering students’ presentations, publications, and attendance at national meetings; and 4) Partnerships - with high schools to provide concurrent enrollment offerings and with Central Community College to provide seamless transfer articulation agreements and develop programs to prepare students for immediate and smooth transition into the BS degree programs in Biology and/or Wildlife and Natural Resources at CSU Pueblo. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.