Sacramento College Coalition for Future Scientists

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DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): This Bridges to the Baccalaureate project unites California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) and the three main campuses of the Los Rios Community College District (Los Rios) in an inter-institutional partnership, named The Sacramento College Coalition for Future Scientists. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of well-prepared students from underrepresented groups who transfer from Los Rios to CSUS or other four-year institutions to complete baccalaureate degrees in majors related to careers in biomedical research. In California, most students begin their college education at a two-year California Community College. This is particularly the case for African American, Chicano/Latino, and Native American students who are gravely underrepresented in the pool of high school students who are eligible for freshman admission to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus. Under representation of these groups at CSUs and UCs is compounded by transfer rates that are substantially lower than transfer rates for students from other groups. Since Los Rios is the primary feeder college for CSUS, partnership efforts to improve the academic preparation and transfer of Los Rios students from underrepresented groups to science majors at CSUS relate directly to the Bridges to the Future Program's goal of promoting "improvement in the quality and quantity of underrepresented minority students being trained as the next generation of scientists". The project aims to achieve the overall goal by: (1) fostering early "connection" with CSUS through new student orientations, peer mentoring by CSUS students, and participation in extracurricular activities with CSUS students; (2) improving student completion of major appropriate transfer curricula through individual academic advising and development of GE/major planning guides; (3) improving overall G.P.A.s and science grades through structured study groups and individual academic assistance; (4) expanding the cadre of CSUS faculty engaged in providing mentoring and research experiences and providing a research training experience for Los Rios faculty at CSUS; and (5) enhancing student interest in science research and careers in the biomedical sciences through participation in summer research programs and science conferences.