Overcoming the Challenges to the Science Education of a Liberal Arts College for Economically Disadvantaged Students

斯通希尔学院的国家科学基金会STEM奖学金（S-STEM）项目的意义在于，它为更多、更多样化的STEM学生群体的成功做出了贡献，从而支持了更有效的STEM劳动力，特别是在马萨诸塞州东南部。这项努力的目标是那些在完成STEM学位方面面临经济和学术障碍的有学术天赋的学生。这个S-STEM项目支持来自两个群体的30名学生：1)生物、化学、物理、神经科学、环境科学和生物化学专业的一年级学生进入大二，2)社区学院的学生进入斯通希尔大学的相同STEM专业。工作范围涉及六个关键的招聘和保留策略：1)奖学金支持；2)改善STEM社区大学生的入学和转学流程；3)早期的研究经历，在关键的本科阶段提供接触教师导师和实践研究技巧的机会；4)加强指导、辅导和建议，特别是使用“实践社区”模式，使学生在校园期间保持密切联系；5)早期接触具有相似背景和职业准备的科学专业人士；6)通过教师学习社区对教师进行培训，重点关注成功的教学和对弱势学生的指导。该项目是一个范例，说明了私立文理学院如何与社区学院合作，以改善转学机会，并说明了财政支持、研究机会、队列建设、职业指导和个人指导如何确保代表性不足的学生毕业时获得STEM学位。最佳实践将通过地方和国家专业会议、教育期刊、研讨会和网络研讨会进行分享。

The significance of this NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) project at Stonehill College is its contribution to the success of a larger and more diverse population of STEM students which thereby supports a more effective STEM workforce, particularly in southeastern Massachusetts. The effort targets academically-talented students who face economic and academic barriers to completing their STEM degrees. This S-STEM project is supporting 30 students from two populations: 1) first-year Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Neuroscience, Environmental Science and Biochemistry majors entering their sophomore year and 2) Community College students entering Stonehill as juniors in the same STEM majors.The scope of the work involves six key recruitment and retention strategies: 1) scholarship support; 2) improved admissions and transfer processes for STEM community college students; 3) early research experiences that provide access to faculty mentors and hands-on research techniques at critical undergraduate moments; 4) enhanced mentoring, tutoring and advising, in particular using a "community of practice" model that allows students to maintain close connections during their time on campus; 5) early exposure to science professionals from similar backgrounds and career preparation; and 6) faculty training through a faculty learning community focused on successful teaching and mentoring of underrepresented students. This project is serving as a model illustrating how private liberal arts colleges can collaborate with community colleges to improve transfer access and illustrating how financial support, research opportunities, cohort building, career guidance and personal mentoring can assure that underrepresented students graduate with STEM degrees. Best practices will be shared through local and national professional conferences, publication in educational journals, a workshop and a webinar.