Salish Kootenai College RISE II Program Plan

描述（由申请人提供）：Salish Kootenai学院（SKC）是一所部落学院，位于蒙大拿州西部的flahead印第安保留地。SKC目前提供8个学士学位课程，11个副学士学位课程和7个结业证书课程。通常情况下，学生人数平均约为900-1000人，在任何给定的学年中都有50-100个部落的代表。该提案是对2006年首次授予SKC的NIGMS RISE （RISE I）的更新，该计划成功地开发并实施了学术严谨的理学副学士学位，旨在成功地将美洲原住民学生“2+2”入学到主流机构的大三，并将SKC的研究文化制度化。以RISE I的势头为基础，SKC正在为这次RISE更新（RISE II）寻求支持，其具体目标如下：1)让学生参与新的，严格的生命科学学士学位，使学生能够发展研究生课程所需的知识和技能，2)提高美国印第安学生在生物医学博士学位方面的保留率和学术成就。这个新学位的组成部分将包括强大的学术和社会整合活动，这两者都被证明对代表性不足的少数民族在科学领域取得成功很重要。这些包括：使用公认的最佳教育实践的探究式课程，全面的研究实验室经验，密集的一对一学生指导，批判性思维的发展，演讲技巧，参与国家科学会议，所有这些都在部落学院的文化框架内，促进了项目的保留。与RISE II提案协同工作的是其他协同SKC计划，例如新的NSF- steep奖，用于开发BS（中等教育），以培训本地高中科学教师，以及正在进行的NSF TCUP，它有助于BS （LS）和BS（计算机工程）计划的发展。该提案还包括一个全面的评估计划，以跟踪该计划的成功。这将是部落学院提供的第一个以生物科学为基础的学士学位，它的支持对越来越多的土著学生进入主流机构的生物科学博士课程至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is a tribal college located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. SKC currently offers 8 Bachelor's degree programs, 11 Associate's degree programs, and 7 Certificate of Completion programs. Typically, the student body size averages approximately 900-1000 students and between 50-100 Tribes are represented in any given academic year. This proposal is a renewal of an NIGMS RISE first awarded to SKC in 2006 (RISE I) that successfully developed and implemented an academically rigorous Associate of Science degree aimed at successful "2+2" matriculation of Native American students into the junior year at mainstream institutions and institutionalized a research culture at SKC. Building on the momentum of RISE I, SKC is requesting support for this RISE renewal (RISE II) with the following specific aims: 1) Engage students in a new, rigorous BS degree in Life Science that allows students to develop knowledge and skills required for advancement towards graduate programs, and 2) Increase the retention and academic success of American Indian students in tracks leading to PhD degrees in biomedical. Components of this new degree will include strong academic and social integration activities, both of which have been shown to be important in underrepresented minorities succeeding in the sciences. These include: inquiry-based coursework using recognized educational best practices, comprehensive research lab experience with intensive one-on-one student mentoring, development of critical thinking, presentation skills, and participation in national science meetings, all within the cultural framework of a tribal college that promotes program retention. Working in concert with this RISE II proposal are other, synergistic SKC programs, such as a new NSF-STEEP award to develop a BS (Secondary Education) to train Native high school science teachers and an ongoing NSF TCUP that has contributed to the development of both the BS (LS) and BS (Computer Engineering) programs. This proposal also includes a comprehensive evaluation plan to track the success of the program. This will be the first biological science-based Bachelor's degree to be offered at a tribal college and its support is critical to increasing numbers of Native students entering bioscience PhD programs at mainstream institutions. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project seeks funds to support a new BS (Life Sciences) degree program at Salish Kootenai College (SKC), a tribal college on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Support of this project will increase the numbers of Native Americans entering into and completing biomedical PhD programs. This will provide a pipeline for trained professionals culturally competent to address issues of health (diabetes, heart disease, obesity) among underserved, Native populations.