Bridges to Success in the Sciences

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cuyahoga Community College's renewal application to the National Institutes of Health's Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program is being submitted with two university partners, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University. The continuing goal of Cuyahoga Community College's Bridges to Success in the Sciences program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who complete their science education at the community college level, transfer to and complete their science education at a four-year institution. Tri-C's Bridges to Success in the Sciences Program provides academic supports and activities designed to increase the success of underrepresented minority students studying in biomedical and behavioral science fields. Bridges will use a cohort model and specific research pathways for our students in the program. This approach assures continuity of the research experience throughout the students' participation in the Bridges program. Bridges students will be assigned to research mentors from our partnering four-year universities and other participating research institutions. Over the term of grant, 75 students will work in the lab of the research mentor for a minimum of 15 hours a week during the academic year. Continuing summer research experiences will be available for 40 Bridges students (8 each year), working 35-40 hours in the labs of their assigned research mentors. Students entering the Bridges program at Tri-C will be paired with an experienced Tri-C Bridges faculty mentor who will advise the student and carefully monitor his/her academic progress throughout their tenure in the program. The students will also be mentored by peer student researchers (upper level undergraduates and possibly some graduate students) that are either Bridges alumni or have had similar background experiences as students in the program and currently work in the research mentors' laboratories. In addition to typical course requirements, Bridges students will be required to complete the recently developed BIO 1806 Introduction to Research Methods course and a newly developed seminar series "Laboratory Techniques and Practices". The seminar series will be integrated into the existing framework of Bridges workshops, seminars and meetings, which provide additional training for students and allow for discussion about how the program and what else could be done to better meet the students' needs. Bridges program students will also prepare and maintain an e-portfolio, which allows students to reflect upon their progress and successes, which promote persistence and retention, sharpens planning and organizations skills, and provides students with reflective writing practice. The Bridges program makes it possible for faculty advisors, research mentors and Bridges peer mentors to fill participating students' needs for academic integration, course mastery and paid research experiences. The results of these mentoring, academic support and research efforts are fewer hours spent employed outside school, an excitement for research, increased hours of education completed, higher GPA's, STEM degree completion, and university transfer.