FACILITATING SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGE

目前，少数族裔在高等教育和生物医学科学领域的比例远远低于他们在美国人口中的比例。最近，马里兰大学系统校务委员会成立了一个特别工作组，研究如何提高生命科学专业少数族裔学生的招聘和保留机制，并研究如何将少数族裔学生的视野从传统的专业领域扩展到生物技术、教学和研究领域。工作组建议在两年制和四年制大学之间建立合作项目，并增加少数民族本科生的研究机会。巴尔的摩城市社区学院（BCCC）是一个开放的，两年制，国家资助的机构。BCCC的大多数学生是巴尔的摩市居民（85%），非裔美国人（82%）和女性（75%）。陶森大学是一所四年制综合性大学，少数民族学生占16%；生物系有18.1%的少数族裔学生。TU接收了很大比例的来自巴尔的摩大都市区社区学院的学生。该项目的具体目标是：(1)通过辅导、教师和同伴指导，促进少数民族学生从BCCC转到TU；(2)让这些学生在入读TU之前参与暑期研究；(3)建立BCCC和TU教师团队进行学术和职业咨询；(4)保证成功的项目参与者被TU录取；(5)为学生提供在研究生教育和职业竞争中成功竞争所需的技能。该项目每年将培养7名学生，将是目前TU努力的自然延伸，旨在通过促进少数民族科学学生从BCCC转学来增加他们的数量。第一批学生将在BCCC大一的中期被选中，并将参加TU的暑期研究项目。他们将在BCCC注册课程，通过完成生物学核心课程和一些通识教育要求，使他们能够以真正的大三学生身份进入TU。第二批参与者将在来年春季学期选出。在第二个夏天，两组学生将参加暑期研究项目。学生将被分配教师和同伴导师，以帮助缓解BCCC和TU之间的过渡，并提供学术支持和职业咨询。BCCC教师和TU教师之间的定期会议和频繁互动将确保该计划的成功。长期目标是在TU和BCCC之间建立一个正式计划，以加强少数民族理科生的转移和保留，这些学生将接受生物医学科学职业培训。

The current representation of minorities in higher education and the biomedical sciences is well below their representation in the US population. Recently, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents formed a Task Force to study mechanism for improving recruitment and retention of minority students in the Life Sciences and to develop methods to expand the horizons of minority students beyond the traditional professional fields into careers in biotechnology, teaching and research. The task force recommended the establishment of collaborative programs between two-year and four-year institutions, as well as, increasing research opportunities for minority undergraduate students. Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) is an open access, two year, state-sponsored institution. The majority of the students at BCCC are Baltimore City residents (85 percent), African-American (82 percent), and female (75 percent). Towson University (TU) is a four-year comprehensive university with a minority student population of 16 percent; the Biology Department has 18.1 percent minority students. TU Receives a large percentage of students from community colleges in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The specific aims of this program are to (i) facilitate transfer of minority students from BCCC to TU through tutoring and faculty and peer mentoring (ii) involve these students in summer research prior to enrollment at TU (iii) establish a BCCC and TU faculty team for academic and career counseling (iv) guarantee admission to TU for successful program participants and (v) provide students with skills required to successfully compete in post- graduate education and careers. This program, which will train seven students each year, will be a natural extension of the current TU effort to increase the number of minority science students by facilitating their transfer from BCCC. The first group of students will be chosen in the middle of their freshman year at BCCC and will participate in a summer research project at TU. They will enroll in courses at BCCC that will allow them to enter TU with true junior status by completing the Biology core courses and some of the General Education requirements. The second group of participants will be selected in the following Spring semester. During the second summer, both groups of students will participate in the summer research program. Students will be assigned both faculty and peer mentors to help ease the transition between BCCC and TU and to provide academic support and career counseling. Regular meetings and frequent interactions between the BCCC faculty, TU Faculty and will ensure the success of this program. The long-term goal is to establish a formal program between TU and BCCC that will enhance the transfer and retention of minority science students who will be trained for careers in the biomedical sciences.