Building Academic Success Early for STEM

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With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 pilot aims to enhance the learning and experiences of STEM undergraduates at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). TAMIU serves a student population that is more than 89% Hispanic, including significant populations of first-generation and low-income students that often benefit from additional support as they adjust to their undergraduate programs. The project leadership team will identify and provide support to first-time freshman and transfer students who are not yet college ready through a multidisciplinary approach that focuses on: 1) building learning skills and confidence based on students’ prior knowledge; 2) strengthening students’ sense of identity and cultural capital; and 3) making learning contextual and relevant through a supportive, curriculum-based program. In addition to providing workshops to address identified student needs in college mathematics and biology, students will work to strengthen key academic skills shown to increase student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This pilot project will collect and analyze data to determine the extent to which the participants met the project goals and operational objectives, which will add to the body of knowledge on best practices to improve enrollment and retention of STEM undergraduates from diverse, historically underrepresented populations. The overarching goal of this project is to increase the enrollment and degree completion rates of TAMIU STEM students and have a positive impact on their sense of belonging in the future STEM workforce. Specifically, the project team will recruit, prepare, and retain 30 first time freshman and transfer students while providing them culturally responsive academic learning and career readiness support strategies. The implementation of culturally responsive teaching strategies will improve the metacognitive skills and self-efficacy of minority first-time freshman and transfer students in STEM. The project’s mixed methods research plan will collect and analyze student surveys, program assessment data, and student and stakeholder interviews and focus groups. Results will be shared with the STEM education community through the project website, STEM and HSI higher educational conferences, and NSF program meetings. This pilot project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden STEM participation, and build capacity at HSIs.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.