Facilitating Seamless Transition to Towson University

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案的长期目标是在Towson大学(TU)与巴尔的摩城市社区学院(BCCC)和巴尔的摩县-卡顿斯维尔社区学院(CCBC)之间建立一个正式的项目，该项目将加强少数族裔学生在一个允许他们在生物医学科学领域从事职业生涯的领域内完成他们的理科学士学位的转学和留存。BCCC是一家开放访问、两年制的国家资助机构，大多数学生是巴尔的摩市居民(85%)、非裔美国人(82%)和女性(75%)。CCBC也是一家开放获取、为期两年、由国家资助的机构。加入CCBC使该计划在性别角度(CCBC 42%为男性)、少数群体角度(CCBC包括非裔美国人和西班牙裔学生)和地理角度(包括巴尔的摩县)方面更加多样化。TU是一所四年制的综合性公立大学，少数民族学生占16%。这一计划的具体目标是：(I)提高BCCC的计划意识，以确保合格的学生被引导到该计划；(Ii)与CCBC共同发起一项计划，以增加参与该计划的巴尔的摩地区少数民族学生的多样性和数量；(Iii)提高TU的计划意识，以改变对学生和该计划的刻板印象；(Iv)为学生提供积极和支持性的学术计划(包括辅导、同伴指导、暑期研究经验、每个学生的教师指导团队，以及外部计划评估者对该计划的年度评估)；以及，(V)为学生提供在TU和研究生教育和职业生涯中取得成功所需的技能和能力。每一批学生都将在学业上得到仔细的建议，以便他们通过完成许多生物学核心课程和大多数普通教育要求，以真正的初级身份进入TU。通过这项资助的头两年获得的经验导致了这次更新的以下变化：纳入了一个更正式的评估计划；纳入了CCBC以增加多样性和申请者池；在该计划的第一学期纳入了一门通识教育课程，学生将有机会准备口头和书面的科学报告(在转到TU后，获得的学分将计入理科学士学位)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The long-term goal of this proposal is to establish a formal program between Towson University (TU) and both Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) and the Community College of Baltimore County- Catonsville (CCBC) that will enhance transfer and retention of minority students to the completion of their B.S. degree in an area that will allow them to pursue careers in the biomedical sciences. BCCC is an open access, two-year, state-sponsored institution with a majority of students who are Baltimore City residents (85%), African-American (82%), and female (75%). CCBC is also an open access, two-year, state sponsored institution. The inclusion of CCBC allows for more diversity in the program from a gender perspective (CCBC 42% male), a minority perspective (CCBC includes both African American and Hispanic students) and from a geographic perspective (to include Baltimore County). TU is a four-year comprehensive state-sponsored university with a minority student population of 16%. The specific aims of this program are to (i) Increase program awareness at BCCC in order to ensure that qualified students are directed to the program; (ii) Initiate a program with CCBC to increase the diversity and number of Baltimore area minority students involved in the program; (iii) Increase program awareness at TU to change stereotypical expectations of students and the program; (iv) Provide for an active and supportive academic program for students (including tutoring, peer mentoring, summer research experiences, faculty mentoring teams for each students, and annual evaluations of the program by an outside program evaluator); and, (v) Provide students with the skills and capacity required to succeed at TU and post-graduate education and careers. Each cohort of students will be carefully advised academically so that they enter TU with true junior status by completing many of the Biology core courses and most of the General Education requirements. Experience gained through the first two years of this grant have led to the following changes in this renewal: the inclusion of a more formalized assessment program; the inclusion of CCBC to increase diversity and applicant pool; and the incorporation of a general education course in the first semester of the program where students will be exposed to preparing oral and written scientific presentations (credit earned will count toward B.S. degree upon transfer to TU).