Facilitating Seamless Transition from Community College to Towson University

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的长期目标是在陶森大学（TU）和巴尔的摩城市社区学院（BCCC）以及巴尔的摩县社区学院（CCBC）之间建立一个正式的项目，以加强少数民族学生的转学和保留，使他们能够在一个领域完成学士学位，从而使他们能够从事生物医学科学的职业。BCCC是一个开放的，两年制，国家资助的机构，大多数学生是巴尔的摩市居民（80%），非洲裔美国人（81%）和女性（73%）。CCBC也是一所开放的两年制国家资助机构，从性别角度（CCBC 42%为男性），从代表性不足的学生角度（CCBC包括非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔学生- 40%）以及从地理角度（包括巴尔的摩县）提供了额外的多样性。大连理工大学是一所四年制国立综合性大学。目前，TU的学生人数由14,495名本科生和3516名研究生组成。TU每年招收大约1500名转学生。毕业率（六年）为60%，高于51.9%的全国平均水平（教育统计中心）。东南工业大学的少数族裔人口占13.4%，但东南工业大学正试图通过增加多样性的举措来增加这一数字，这是该大学使命宣言的一部分。生物科学系已经在改善其多样性，少数民族人口占21%。该项目的具体目标是：(i)继续在BCCC和CCBC进行招聘工作，以提高项目的知名度，并增加社区大学合作机构的合格学生数量；（ii）继续提高TU的项目意识，为桥梁学生创造一个支持性的制度环境；（iii）为学生提供积极和支持性的学术项目（包括辅导、同伴指导、暑期研究经历、每位学生的教师咨询团队，以及项目评估员对项目的年度评估）；（iv）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术上得到仔细的建议，以便他们在完成许多化学，数学和生物核心课程以及正式衔接协议规定的大多数通识教育要求后，以真正的大三学生身份进入TU。自过去的竞争性更新以来，我们的转移率为63%，高于我们50%的目标，远高于桥梁项目23%的平均水平（Mervis, 2006）。我们的桥梁项目的更新将使我们能够继续成功地将BCCC和CCBC学生转移到四年制大学，并为我们提供一个机会来增加我们的数据库，以便能够传播我们在定量数据的支持下所学到的知识。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this project is to establish a formal program between Towson University (TU) and the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) and the Community College of Baltimore County (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 (80%), African-American (81%), and female (73%). CCBC is also an open access, two-year, state-sponsored institution and provides additional diversity in the program from a gender perspective (CCBC 42% male), an underrepresented student perspective (CCBC includes both African American and Hispanic students- 40%), and from a geographic perspective (to include Baltimore County). TU is a four-year comprehensive state-sponsored university. Currently at TU the student population is comprised of 14,495 undergraduates and 3516 graduate students. TU admits approximately 1500 transfer students a year. The graduation rate (in six years) is 60%, which is above the national average of 51.9% (Center for Educational Statistics). TU has a minority population of 13.4%, but is trying to increase that number with initiatives to increase diversity at TU, which is part of the mission statement for the university. The Department of Biological Sciences is already improving its diversity with a minority population of 21%. The specific aims of this program are to: (i) continue recruitment efforts at BCCC and CCBC to increase program awareness and increase the pool of qualified students at community college partner institutions; (ii) continue to increase program awareness at TU to create a supportive institutional climate for Bridges students; (iii) provide an active and supportive academic program for students (including tutoring, peer mentoring, summer research experiences, faculty advising teams for each student, and annual evaluations of the program by a program evaluator); and, (iv) 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 Chemistry, Mathematic and Biology core courses, as well as, most of the General Education requirements as prescribed in formal articulation agreements. Since the past competitive renewal we have had a transfer rate of 63%, which was above our target of 50% and well above the average of 23% for Bridges Programs (Mervis, 2006). The renewal of our Bridges program will allow us to continue the successful transfer of BCCC and CCBC students to four-year institutions and provide us with an opportunity to increase our database to be able to disseminate what we have learned supported by quantitative data. Increasing the number of underrepresented minorities who successfully transfer from a community college to a four-year institution to receive a B.S. in an area of biomedical science increases the numbers of those students that might go on to receive a Ph.D. and pursue a career in biomedical research. This is of critical importance as the number of underrepresented minorities continues to grow, the need to have all capable and eligible individuals participating biomedical research that are sensitive to health disparities in their communities will be of great benefit to society. This program has successfully transferred 63% of program participants to a four-year institution and in the past granting period two have already graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics.