STEM Scholars: Persistence and Achievement in STEM for Community College transfer students

为学业优秀的STEM学生提供奖学金，否则他们可能负担不起上大学的费用，这对准备帮助地区和当地公司在全球经济中竞争和创新的STEM毕业生的数量产生了影响。该项目将增加在桑福德大学完成生物和化学学士学位的有学术天赋、经济困难的STEM转学学生的数量，以发展阿拉巴马州中部的STEM劳动力。大约40名学者将参加一个为期两年的项目，旨在最大限度地获得学术成功、社会支持和职业发展。该项目将建立在前一次NSF-REU奖项期间与附近两所两年制学院(劳森和杰斐逊州立社区学院)发起的伙伴关系基础上。这些机构将举办联合研究研讨会、研讨会、专业学会会议和STEM招聘活动，并建立教师交流。认识到提供过渡性支持结构对于促进学术成功和留住转学学生至关重要，项目组将利用各种高影响力的做法，包括学习社区、学术跟踪和密切建议。此外，这些学者将参加一个为期四天的成功转学研讨会，以引导他们适应四年制院校的学术生活，并在队列中培养群体认同感。项目评估的结果将有助于提供证据，提高我们对支持STEM社区大学转学到毕业的最佳实践的理解。形成性评估将解决学生对科学家的满意度和认同感(SALG)和教师对学生进步的评估(Rubrics)。总结性评价将包括分析项目构成部分与成功实现保留目标的协调程度。此外，还将对实习雇主进行调查。将通过网站、全国会议(新墨西哥大学辅导研究所辅导会议、美国生态学会、美国化学学会和化学教育双年度会议)以及相关期刊(《科学教学研究杂志》和《化学教育杂志》)传播评价结果。

Scholarships for academically strong STEM students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, have an impact on the number of STEM graduates prepared to help regional and local companies compete and innovate in the global economy. This project will increase the number of academically talented, economically disadvantaged STEM transfer students who complete baccalaureate degrees in biology and chemistry at Samford University in order to develop the STEM workforce in Central Alabama. Approximately 40 scholars will participate in a two-year program, designed to maximize academic success, social support, and career development. The project will build on partnerships that were initiated with two nearby 2-year colleges (Lawson and Jefferson State Community Colleges) during a prior NSF-REU award. The institutions will conduct joint research symposia, seminars, professional society meetings, and STEM recruitment events and establish faculty exchanges. Recognizing that providing transitional support structures is critical in promoting academic success and retaining transfer students, the project team will utilize a variety of high- impact practices including learning communities, academic tracking, and close advising. Moreover, the scholars will participate in a four-day Transfer Success Seminar to orient them to academic life at a 4-year institution and cultivate a group identity within the cohort. The findings from the project evaluation will help to contribute evidence that will improve our understanding of best practices for supporting STEM community college transfer students through to graduation. Formative evaluation will address the student's satisfaction and identification as scientists (SALG) and faculty assessment of the students' progress (rubrics). Summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of the retention targets. In addition, internship employers will be surveyed. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will be done through websites, national meetings (the University of New Mexico Mentoring Institute Mentoring Conference, the Ecological Society of America, the American Chemical Society and the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, and relevant journals (the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and the Journal of Chemical Education).