Understanding and Evaluating Practices for Integrating Commuter Students in Science, Technology, and Mathematics through Mentoring, Undergraduate Research, and Social Supports

了解和评估通过指导、本科生研究和社会支持将通勤学生融入科学、技术和数学的实践

• 批准号: 2129206
• 负责人: Michael Watters
• 金额: $ 150万
• 依托单位: Valparaiso University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-15 至 2026-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2129206&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Understanding; Evaluating; Practices; Integrating; Commuter

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Valparaiso University, a private four-year undergraduate institution. Over six years, thirty high-achieving, low-income scholars will be awarded scholarships for up to four years. They will be working towards baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Meteorology, Data Science and Statistics. Low-income students, particularly those who are commuting to college, often face challenges that impede their ability to participate in the various academic and co-curricular activities that are available on a residential college campus. This project plans to address those challenges through establishing and evaluating practices to integrate commuting students. This project will begin with a multi-faceted, targeted recruitment strategy designed to reach low-income students to encourage application. It will continue with mentoring, undergraduate research, and social support of science, technology, or mathematics (STM) students as they work towards their baccalaureate degree. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Specifically, this program focuses on commuter students by improving recruitment, retention, and mentoring strategies, thus preparing a diverse cohort for STM careers. This project has two objectives: 1) Broaden participation in STM by improving recruitment strategies for low-income students, and 2) Identify how retention strategies, both academic and social, change students’ self-efficacy and STM identity. In partnership with the Admission and Marketing Offices, this project expands recruitment practices to reach low-income commuter students through geo-targeted multimedia advertisement and informational activities. This project supports students’ retention and career development by actively integrating commuter students into the wider campus and scholarly community. The projects’ scholars have enhanced academic opportunities including: a multi-year research experience, participation in scientific conferences, presenting at departmental colloquia, faculty mentoring, career networking, skill-building, and cohort-building. Social activities include annual retreats, monthly meet-ups, and field trips. The impact of this project will be measured by tracking the effectiveness of recruitment efforts, monitoring student success metrics (GPA, retention and success in the student’s chosen STM major) and surveying both scholars and other STM students, comparing their attitudes and perceptions of their undergraduate experience. The results of project will also be assessed relative to baseline data. Faculty will share the design and results of the program with others through published articles and conference presentations. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income 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.

该项目将通过支持受过受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的国家需求，通过支持高成就的低收入学生的保留和毕业，这表明了瓦尔帕莱索大学（Valparaiso University）的财务需求，这是一家私人四年制本科生的经济需求。在六年的时间里，最多四年的三十个高分，低收入学者将获得奖学金。他们将在生物学，化学，生物化学，计算机科学，数学，气象学，数据科学和统计学方面攻读学士学位。低收入学生，特别是那些上大学的学生，经常面临挑战，这些挑战阻碍了他们参加住宅学院校园可用的各种学术和课外活动的能力。该项目计划通过建立和评估实践以整合通勤学生的方式来应对这些挑战。该项目将以多方面的，有针对性的招聘策略开始，旨在吸引低收入学生以鼓励应用。它将继续进行心理，本科研究，以及对科学，技术或数学（STM）学生的社会支持，因为他们致力于学士学位。该项目的总体目标是增加茎学位的完成，以证明财务需求，使低收入，高成就的大学生的本科生完成。具体而言，该计划通过改善招聘，保留和心理策略来关注通勤学生，从而为STM职业准备多样性队列。该项目有两个目标：1）通过改善低收入学生的招聘策略来扩展参与STM，以及2）确定学术和社会的保留策略如何改变学生的自我效能和STM身份。该项目与录取和营销办公室合作，扩大了招聘实践，通过靶向地理位置的多媒体广告和信息活动来吸引低收入通勤学生。该项目通过将通勤学生积极整合到更广泛的校园和学术社区来支持学生的保留和职业发展。这些项目的学者增强了学术机会，包括：多年的研究经验，参与科学会议，在部门口头校长，教职员工心理，职业网络，技能建设和队列建设。社交活动包括年度务虚会，每月聚会和实地考察。该项目的影响将通过跟踪招聘工作的有效性，监视学生成功指标（GPA，保留和成功在学生选择的STM专业）以及对学者和其他STM学生进行调查，比较他们的出勤率和对本科生的观念的看法。相对于基线数据，项目的结果还将进行评估。教师将通过发表的文章和会议演讲与他人分享该计划的设计和结果。该项目由NSF在科学，技术，工程和数学计划方面的奖学金提供资金，该计划旨在增加具有在STEM领域获得学位的经济需求的低收入学术才华的学生的数量。还旨在改善未来STEM工人的教育，并为低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业以及学术/职业途径提供知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评估标准通过评估来获得的支持。