STEMing the Flow: Connecting Undergraduates with Applied Science

作为该机构不断努力增加STEM专业学生数量的一部分，一个合作团队正在利用多方面的方法促进STEM专业的招聘和留住。我们的目标是通过教师和同行指导，让新生得到支持，并让他们及早参与院系的研究工作。预计这些活动将促进STEM专业数量以每年10%的速度递增，达到STEM保留率的新高，最终导致该机构所有专业的毕业率达到58%。受影响最大的专业是生物、化学和计算机科学，有别于该机构主要面向服务的数学、工程和物理学科。智力价值本科生研究正在信息保障、遗传学、生态学、分析化学、无机化学、有机化学和物理化学等多个学科得到加强。本科生在大学生涯一开始就参与研究项目，这样教师就可以在指导STEM学生方面发挥重要作用。随着这些学生的进步，他们将成为同伴导师，帮助以下STEM专业的学生。这些研究经验以及合作学习实验室正在促进学生对科学是如何进行的理解。为了留住这些学生，补充讲师(SI)方法正在被整合到科学入门课堂中。SI已经在全国范围内和这个校园成功地用于提高学生的表现。通过在科学入门课程中提供SI指导，所有STEM专业的学生都能接触到，而不仅仅是本科研究部分涉及的群体。被招募到该项目的学生还通过讨论传记/自传来探索来自不同学科的成功科学家的职业生涯，从而获得更广阔的科学视角。阅读论坛允许就科学世界、伦理和职业指导进行更广泛的讨论，这是本科课程通常没有分配的时间。广泛影响STEM改革的外在好处是1)教育公众科学职业的许多优点，2)为学生提供参与独立和多学科研究项目并展示他们的发现的机会，以及3)灌输对科学领域可以为STEM专业提供的可能性的理解。夏季科学开放日不仅包括传统的高三学生，还包括圣弗朗西斯大学的招生顾问和高中指导顾问，旨在影响该地理区域的STEM招生。向高中辅导员展示和教育他们科学事业的许多优点，使他们能够将这些知识传授给学生，并更好地培养他们的才华。为STEM招聘聘请一名研究生助理预计将对该机构将STEM毕业生总数增加60%(从45名STEM学生增加到75名STEM学生)的能力产生重大影响。为了扩大该地区的覆盖面，正在为高三学生实施为期一周的暑期科学课程。

As part of the institution's continuing effort to increase the number of students majoring in STEM fields, a collaborative team is promoting recruitment and retention of STEM majors by using a multi-faceted approach. The goal is to surround the incoming students with support and involve them early in the research efforts of the departments through faculty and peer mentoring. The activities are expected to facilitate an increase in the number of STEM majors incrementally, 10% each year, to reach new highs in STEM retention, ultimately leading to graduation rates of 58%, the institution's average for all majors. The majors most affected are biology, chemistry, and computer science, as differentiated from the mathematics, engineering, and physics disciplines that are mainly service-oriented at the institution.Intellectual MeritUndergraduate research is being enhanced in a variety of disciplines including information assurance, genetics, ecology, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry. Undergraduates become involved in research projects at the very beginning of their university career so that faculty can play an important role in mentoring STEM students. As these students progress, they become peer mentors to assist the following STEM majors. The research experiences along with cooperative learning laboratories are promoting student understanding of how science is conducted. To retain these students, the Supplemental Instructor (SI) method is being integrated into the introductory science classrooms. SI has been successfully used nationwide and on this campus to improve student performance. By providing SI instruction in the introductory science courses, all of the STEM majors are being reached, not just the group involved in the undergraduate research component. The students recruited into the program also gain a broader perspective of science by exploring the careers of successful scientists from a variety of disciplines through discussions of biographies/autobiographies. The reading forum allows for a broader discussion of the science world, ethics, and career guidance not normally allotted time in an undergraduate curriculum.Broader ImpactThe extrinsic merits of the STEM reform are 1) educating the public of the many merits of a science career, 2) providing an opportunity for students to become involved in independent and multidisciplinary research projects and to present their findings; and 3) instilling an understanding of the possibilities that the field of science can provide for STEM majors. A Summer Science Open House encompassing not only the traditional high school juniors but also Saint Francis University admissions counselors and high school guidance counselors is designed to impact STEM recruitment in the geographical area. Exposing and educating high school guidance counselors on the many merits of a science career enables them to pass this knowledge on to students and to better nurture their talents. The hiring of a graduate assistant for STEM recruitment is expected to have a large impact on the ability of the institution to increase the overall number of STEM graduates by 60% (from 45 to 75 STEM students). To broaden the reach across the region, a week-long one-credit summer science course for high school juniors is being implemented.