A Public - Private Partnership to Increase Enrollment, Retention, and Diversity in Chemistry, Biology and Biochemistry

斯通希尔学院是马萨诸塞州布罗克顿附近唯一一所私立四年制学院，布罗克顿位于波士顿以南，是一个经济困难的城市地区。斯通希尔学院正在努力吸引更多、更多样化的学生参加其科学项目。这些努力之一是与马萨索特社区学院建立合作伙伴关系。同样位于布罗克顿的马萨索特社区学院服务于高度多样化的学生群体，并拥有不断增长的科学转移轨道。马萨索特社区学院正在努力增加生物、化学和生物化学的招生人数，并在毕业和/或转到四年制理科学士学位课程期间留住这些学生，特别是斯通希尔学院。斯通希尔学院和马萨索特社区学院的合作伙伴关系正在通过六项协调一致的举措实现其目标，即增加STEM的招生人数和化学、生物和生物化学的毕业率。这些举措是：(1)开发以主题为基础的普通化学课程，(2)为教职员工和学生提供更好的研究体验，(3)启动导师计划，(4)为一年级新生引入科学暑期桥梁计划，(5)促进早期接触科学职业道路，以及(6)为AP化学和生物课程提供进入大学实验室的机会。智力价值：这个项目的基础是促进更多学生参与科学的有效做法，例如，将影响所有理科专业的课程改革，以及针对代表性不足的学生和社区大学转学的重点举措。斯通希尔学院致力于以发现为基础的方法来学习科学，并致力于师生之间的暑期合作研究，这两项都是这个STEP项目的核心。马萨索特社区学院通过承诺聘用积极从事研究的博士科学家及其改善科学咨询的相关努力，成功地为代表不足和低收入的学生提供服务。通过与当地高中共享实验室资源和专业知识，其中许多高中无法遵守严格的AP实验室标准，斯通希尔和马萨索特学院正在促进增加和改进AP科学课程，并将高中生暴露在大学科学环境中，这是有前途的高中生接触科学的两个重要途径。斯通希尔-马萨索特步骤伙伴关系也在进行能力建设。斯通希尔学院正在与马萨索特社区学院共享其课程、研究和职业探索资源，并正在协助马萨索特社区学院加强其自身的指导、研究和拓展能力，而不是社区大学通常可能具备的能力。这一能力的增加预计将对马萨索特的科学转移轨道学生的招生和留住产生强大的影响，远远超过资助期，预计将帮助他们的教职员工和学生从更广泛的来源获得资助，包括NSF.Broader Impact：StoneHill-Massasoit Science Partnership可以作为一个模式，刺激私立四年制机构和社区学院之间的更大合作，以培养一支更大、更多样化的科学劳动力队伍。

Stonehill College is the only private four-year institution in the immediate vicinity of Brockton Massachusetts, an economically disadvantaged urban area south of Boston. Stonehill College is engaged in efforts to attract a larger and more diverse student population to its science programs. One of these efforts is a partnership with Massasoit Community College. Also located in Brockton, Massasoit Community College serves a highly diverse student population and has a growing science transfer track. Massasoit Community College is working to increase enrollments in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry, and to retain these students through graduation and/or transfer to 4-year baccalaureate programs in science, particularly Stonehill College. The Stonehill College - Massasoit Community College partnership is pursuing its goals of increased STEM enrollments and graduation rates in chemistry, biology, and biochemistry through six coordinated initiatives. These initiatives are (1) developing a theme-based General Chemistry curriculum, (2) providing enhanced research experiences for faculty and students, (3) launching mentoring programs, (4) introducing a Science Summer Bridge Program for incoming first-year students, (5) fostering early exposure to science career paths, and (6) providing access to college laboratories for AP Chemistry and Biology courses. Intellectual Merit: This project is grounded in effective practices in promoting increased student participation in the sciences, for example, curricular reforms that will impact all science majors, and focused initiatives targeting underrepresented students and community college transfers. Stonehill College has an established commitment to a discovery-based approach to learning science, and to collaborative student-faculty summer research, both of which are central to this STEP project. Massasoit Community College has had success in serving underrepresented and low-income students through a commitment to hiring research-active Ph.D. scientists and its related efforts to improve science advising. By sharing their laboratory resources and expertise with local high schools, many of whom cannot comply with rigorous AP lab standards, Stonehill and Massasoit Colleges are facilitating increased and improved AP science offerings, and exposing high school students to the collegiate science environment, two important gateways to science for promising high school students. The Stonehill - Massasoit STEP Partnership is also engaged in capacity building. Stonehill College is sharing its curriculum, research, and career exploration resources with Massasoit Community College, and is assisting Massasoit Community College in strengthening its own mentoring, research, and outreach capacities beyond what is typically possible for community colleges. This increased capacity is expected to have a strong impact on recruiting and retaining science transfer-track students at Massasoit well beyond the grant period, and it is expected to assist their faculty and students to secure grant funding from a wider range of sources, including NSF.Broader Impact: The Stonehill - Massasoit Science Partnership can serve as a model to stimulate greater cooperation between private four-year institutions and community colleges toward preparing a larger and more diverse science workforce.