Enabling Student Success through a Four-Year Seminar Series and S-STEM Scholars

这个NSF科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）项目将把一个非常成功的化学专业毕业和保留计划扩展到西佛罗里达大学的所有STEM专业，并培养一个由28名学术天赋好的低收入学生组成的小群体。该项目将侧重于学生在以下方面的参与：（a）学术和社会融合;（B）知识和技能发展;（c）支持和激励;（d）监测和咨询。该项目的一个主要特点是新的STEM for Life系列研讨会，旨在为学生的学术成功和未来职业做好准备。将使用作为项目评估的一部分收集的数据，对影响STEM学生在这所通勤学生比例较高的区域综合性机构中保留的因素进行系统检查。该机构位于一个平均收入较低的县，只有26%的人口拥有学士学位或更高学位，这为减少当地大学成绩差距提供了机会，同时解决了增加美国科学家数量的国家需求。使用大学优势清单，项目团队将创建个人支持和干预计划，这些计划将在每个学生的大学生涯中根据需要实施和修订。STEM for Life研讨会将作为技能培养和职业准备的平台，也将用于管理个人计划咨询讨论和目标设定。成果评价将涉及项目保留和毕业目标的实现程度。过程评估将确定项目提供高质量学术和社会支持的程度。研究将侧重于了解哪些S-STEM活动对学生保留最有影响力，重点是研讨会系列的有效性。研究结果将告知该机构的努力，以协调使用早期识别和积极干预的学生发展计划。这些数据将在PKAL和戈登会议上传播，以弥合为中等选择性的区域综合性州立机构设计的最佳实践中的差距，这些机构的通勤和工作STEM学生比例很高。

This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project will expand a highly successful graduation and retention program for chemistry majors to all STEM majors at the University of West Florida and develop a smaller cohort of 28 academically talented, low income students. The project will focus on student engagement in the context of (a) academic and social integration, (b) knowledge and skill development, (c) support and motivation, and (d) monitoring and advising. A key feature of the project is the new STEM for Life seminar series designed to prepare students for academic success and future careers. A systematic examination of the factors influencing STEM student retention at this regional, comprehensive institution, with a high percentage of commuter students, will be conducted using data collected as part of the project evaluation. The location of the institution in a county of low average income where only 26% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher provides an opportunity to decrease the local college attainment gap while at the same time addressing the national need to increase the number of American scientists. Using the College Strengths Inventory, the project team will create individual support and intervention plans that will be implemented and revised as needed throughout each student's college career. The STEM for Life seminar, which will serve as a platform for skill building and career readiness, will also be used to manage individual plan advisory discussions and goal setting. Outcomes evaluation will address the extent to which the project retention and graduation goals are met. Process evaluation will determine the extent to which the project is delivering high quality academic and social supports. Research will focus on understanding which set of S-STEM activities are most influential for student retention with an emphasis on the effectiveness of the seminar series. The research results will inform the institution's efforts to coordinate student development programs that use early identifiers and proactive interventions. The data will be disseminated at PKAL and Gordon conferences to bridge gaps in best practices designed for moderately selective, regional comprehensive state institutions with a high percentage of commuter and working STEM students.