STEM Scholars: Attracting and Retaining Students in Science and Mathematics Majors

特兰西瓦尼亚大学(TU)STEM奖学金计划为连续两年入学的两批新生提供为期四年的支持，每个队列最多有15名学生。TU STEM学者计划的参与者是从生物、化学、计算机科学、数学、物理、神经科学或环境科学专业的学生中招募的。除了S-STEM奖学金提供的经济支持外，招收和留住学生的计划活动包括STEM教职员工的个性化指导和建议、关于定量推理和学习习惯的研讨会、科学讲座、科学和数学期刊俱乐部、暑期研究经验以及关于STEM职业机会的演讲。智力价值：通过为被选中参加TU STEM奖学金计划的学生提供各种队列建设活动和其他支持机制，该项目为本科生有效招生和留住策略提供了知识库。现有的TU学生服务与通过该项目开发的服务的融合为其他类似机构提供了一个模式。更深远的影响：S-STEM奖学金允许社会经济背景较差的学生在私立文科大学接受STEM专业的教育。特兰西瓦尼亚最近入学的学生中，超过三分之一是第一代大学生。因此，TU STEM学者计划正在扩大参与范围，让那些本来可能没有机会成为STEM专业人员的个人参与进来。

The Transylvania University (TU) STEM Scholars Program provides four years of support to two cohorts of freshmen entering in successive years, with up to 15 students comprising each cohort. Participants in the TU STEM Scholars Program are recruited from students who are intended majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, neuroscience or environmental science. In addition to the financial support from the S-STEM scholarships, program activities to recruit and retain students include personalized mentoring and advising by STEM faculty members, workshops on quantitative reasoning and learning habits, scientific lectures, a science and math journal club, summer research experiences, and presentations on STEM career opportunities.Intellectual Merit: Through the various cohort-building activities and other support mechanisms provided the students selected to participate in the TU STEM Scholars Program, this project contributes to the knowledge base of effective recruitment and retention strategies for undergraduate STEM students. The fusion of existing TU student services with those developed through this project provides a model for other similar institutions.Broader Impacts: The S-STEM scholarships allow students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue an education as a major in a STEM discipline at a private liberal arts university. More than one-third of recent incoming students to Transylvania are first generation college students. Thus, the TU STEM Scholars Program is broadening participation to individuals who otherwise may not have had opportunities to become STEM professionals.