Equipment: Enhance STEM courses

部落学院和大学计划（TCUP）的一个目标是提高为美国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。扩大这些机构的STEM课程基础设施，可以扩大学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性、回报丰厚的职业的机会，为可能具有文化意义的领域提供研究，并鼓励社区和世代对科学和数学教育的欣赏。这个项目直接符合这个目标。基本实验室设备的必要性几乎与令人信服的STEM教学和研究的必要性一样重要。湾米尔斯社区学院正在增加其设备储备，使用STEM教学中常见的实验室设备。特别是高压灭菌器，在中学后的STEM教学和研究中非常常用，对于那些可能在另一所学院或大学攻读更高专业课程的学生来说，缺乏高压灭菌器可能会被认为是一个严重的劣势。此外，获得此类设备可以对学生对科学探究和职业选择的看法产生不成比例的积极影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular infrastructure at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal. The necessity of basic laboratory equipment is almost as great a priority as the necessity of compelling STEM instruction and research. Bay Mills Community College is increasing its equipment holdings with laboratory equipment commonly found in STEM instruction. Autoclaves, in particular, are so commonly used in post-secondary STEM instruction and research that their lack can be considered a profound disadvantage to students who may pursue higher-division coursework at another college or university. Additionally, access to such equipment can have a disproportionately positive impact on the view students have of scientific inquiry and career options.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.