Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program

描述(由申请人提供)：德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校(UTEP)和埃尔帕索社区学院(EPCC)提议续签他们长达20年的合作伙伴关系，以促进对生物医学/行为科学感兴趣的未被充分代表(主要是墨西哥裔美国人)的学生成功地从社区学院过渡到大学，并提高他们完成学士学位的程度。这两个机构之间非常成功的通向文凭项目的桥梁将继续帮助增加这些科学领域的多样性，并对拉美裔社区的社会流动性产生积极影响。这项建议的具体目标如下：具体目标1：提高少数族裔学生(主要是墨西哥裔美国人)以生物医学/行为科学为职业的兴趣。在招生期间，将采用几种策略来通知和吸引学生，例如使用各种教育工具和社交媒体，如Facebook(例如，UTEP导师在EPCC的传单、课堂访问和研讨会、桥梁计划网站等)。此外，EPCC的学生导师和研讨会将在这一过程中发挥重要作用。具体目标2：保持大约90%的Bridges参与者转学生物医学/行为科学学士学位课程的比率，同时使体验更有效率。除了2013年的布里奇斯暑期研究参与者外，我们在过去四年中一直保持92%至100%的转化率(那些2013年的学生在暑期体验后没有立即转学的学生计划在今年春天或明年秋天转学)。我们将继续提供每周的座谈会、研讨会和工作坊，以培养参与者的专业技能，并了解生物医学/行为科学以及在我们的计划中被证明非常有效的其他战略的职业选择。具体目标3：显著提高完成生物医学/行为科学学士学位的转学参与者的比例。我们建议在拟议的资助期(5年)内，将获得生物医学/行为科学学士学位的Bridges参与者的百分比从历史(20年)的平均68.6%提高到平均的80%。我们建议的最终目标是增加未被充分代表的学生(主要是西班牙裔)涌入生物医学/行为科学职业，并鼓励他们走向研究生(博士)。研究计划。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC) propose to renew their 20 years partnership to promote the successful transition of underrepresented (primarily Mexican-American) students with interests in biomedical/behavioral sciences from the community college to the university and to improve their completion of a baccalaureate degree. The highly successful Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program between these two institutions will continue aiding to increase the diversity in these scientific fields and positively influencing the social mobility of the Hispanic community. The specific aims of this proposal are the following: SPECIFIC AIM #1: To increase interest among minority students (primarily Mexican-Americans) in biomedical/behavioral sciences as a career. During the recruitment period several strategies will be employed to inform and attract students, such as the use of a variety of educational tools and social media like Facebook (e.g., flyers, classroom visits and seminars at EPCC by UTEP mentors, Bridges Program website, etc.). Also, the student tutors and a symposium at EPCC will play important roles in the process. SPECIFIC AIM #2: To maintain a transfer rate of about 90% of Bridges participants to baccalaureate degree programs in the biomedical/behavioral sciences, while making the experience more efficient. Except for the 2013 cohort of Bridges summer research experience participants, we have maintained a transfer rate of from 92 to 100% over the past four years (those students in the 2013 cohort who did not transfer immediately after the summer experience plan to do so either this coming spring or next fall). We will continue to offer weekly colloquia, seminars, and workshops to develop participants' professional skills and understanding of career options in the biomedical/behavioral sciences as well as other strategies that have proven to be very effective in our program. SPECIFIC AIM #3: To significantly increase the percentage of transferred participants who complete a baccalaureate degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences. We propose to increase the percentage of Bridges participants who attain the baccalaureate degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences from our historical (20 year) average of 68.6 % to an average of 80% over the proposed grant period (5 years). The ultimate goal of our proposal is to increase the influx of underrepresented students (mainly Hispanics) into biomedical/behavioral science careers and encourage them toward a graduate (Ph.D.) research program.