Project Pathways: Broadening Access and Success for STEM Students

Project Pathways是一所两年制大学、几个当地独立学区、Big Thicket National Preserve和Conservation Fund的合作项目，沿着了德克萨斯大学西南医学中心、北德克萨斯大学、哈佛大学和德州仪器的特别援助。其目标是提高本科生在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）课程的招生和保留率，重点是来自代表性不足的群体的学生，包括妇女，少数民族和残疾学生。它回应了国家对需要增加获得STEM领域学位的本科生数量的担忧，以及当地大学对入门级科学课程高流失的担忧。智力优势：为了实现其目标，Project Pathways通过提供以下服务来增加攻读STEM学位的学生数量：1）在大学预科水平的教育推广，2）通过专业发展讲习班和高中教师和社区学院和大学教师/管理人员务虚会，加强跨学科，基于调查的课程，3）在STEM学科中专门招聘代表性不足的学生，以及4）早期本科研究经验。在这个项目上的广泛合作和协作允许Pathways的学生获得一套不寻常的资源，特别是学院的扫描电子显微镜，一种很少位于社区学院的研究仪器，以及在大灌木丛国家保护区等地方进行的社区研究。 更广泛的影响：该项目为其他试图解决类似问题的学术机构提供了一个模式。在五年内，该项目的具体目标是：1）将拥有STEM领域的学生人数增加25%; 2）将STEM学生的留存率增加20%; 3）将获得STEM学位和/或转入四年制院校STEM专业的学生人数增加15%;以及4）将STEM专业代表性不足的群体数量增加15%。

Project Pathways is a collaboration among a two-year college, several local independent school districts, the Big Thicket National Preserve and the Conservation Fund, along with special assistance from the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, the University of North Texas, Harvard University, and Texas Instruments. The goal is to improve undergraduate student recruitment and retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs with an emphasis on students from under-represented groups, including women, minorities and students with disabilities. It responds to national concerns about the need to increase the number of undergraduate students obtaining degrees in STEM areas, as well as the local college-level concern about high attrition in entry-level science courses.Intellectual merit: To accomplish its objectives, Project Pathways is increasing the number of students pursuing STEM degrees by providing: 1) educational outreach at the pre-college level, 2) interdisciplinary, inquiry based curricula enhancements through professional development workshops and retreats for high school teachers and community college and university faculty/administrators, 3) specialized recruitment of underrepresented students across STEM disciplines, and 4) early undergraduate research experience. The extensive partnering and collaboration on this project permits Pathways' students to have access to an unusual set of resources, in particular, the College's scanning electron microscope, a research instrument rarely located in a community college, and community-based research in places such as The Big Thicket National Preserve. Broader impact: The project serves as a model for other academic institutions trying to address similar concerns. Over five years, the project's specific objectives are to: 1) increase the number of students with a declared STEM field by 25%; 2) Increase the retention rate of STEM students by 20%; 3) increase the number of students who graduate with a STEM degree and/or transfer to a four-year institutions as STEM majors by 15%; and 4) increase the number of underrepresented groups majoring in STEM by 15%.