Facilitating Seamless Transition to Towson University

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的长期目标是在陶森大学（TU）和巴尔的摩城市社区学院（BCCC）以及巴尔的摩县社区学院-卡顿斯维尔（CCBC）之间建立一个正式的项目，这将加强少数民族学生的转移和保留，以完成他们的学士学位，这将使他们能够从事生物医学科学的职业。BCCC是一个开放的，两年制，国家资助的机构，大多数学生是巴尔的摩市居民（85%），非裔美国人（82%）和女性（75%）。CCBC也是一所开放获取的两年制国家资助机构。从性别角度（CCBC 42%为男性）、少数民族角度（CCBC包括非裔美国人和西班牙裔学生）和地理角度（包括巴尔的摩县）来看，纳入CCBC可以使项目更加多样化。TU是一所四年制综合性国立大学，少数民族学生占16%。该计划的具体目标是(i)提高BCCC的计划意识，以确保合格的学生被引导到该计划；（ii）与CCBC一起启动一项计划，以增加巴尔的摩地区少数民族学生参与该计划的多样性和数量；（iii）提高TU的课程意识，以改变对学生和课程的刻板期望；（iv）为学生提供积极和支持性的学术项目（包括辅导、同伴指导、暑期研究体验、每位学生的教师指导团队，以及由外部项目评估人员对项目进行年度评估）；（五）为学生提供在工业大学和研究生教育及职业生涯中取得成功所需的技能和能力。每一届学生都将在学术上得到仔细的建议，以便他们通过完成许多生物学核心课程和大多数通识教育要求，以真正的大三学生身份进入TU。在此赠款的头两年取得的经验导致了此次续期的以下变化：纳入了更正式的评估方案；包括CCBC以增加多样性和申请人数量；并且在课程的第一学期加入通识教育课程，学生将接触到准备口头和书面科学报告（获得的学分将在转学到TU时计入学士学位）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The long-term goal of this proposal is to establish a formal program between Towson University (TU) and both Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) and the Community College of Baltimore County- Catonsville (CCBC) that will enhance transfer and retention of minority students to the completion of their B.S. degree in an area that will allow them to pursue careers in the biomedical sciences. BCCC is an open access, two-year, state-sponsored institution with a majority of students who are Baltimore City residents (85%), African-American (82%), and female (75%). CCBC is also an open access, two-year, state sponsored institution. The inclusion of CCBC allows for more diversity in the program from a gender perspective (CCBC 42% male), a minority perspective (CCBC includes both African American and Hispanic students) and from a geographic perspective (to include Baltimore County). TU is a four-year comprehensive state-sponsored university with a minority student population of 16%. The specific aims of this program are to (i) Increase program awareness at BCCC in order to ensure that qualified students are directed to the program; (ii) Initiate a program with CCBC to increase the diversity and number of Baltimore area minority students involved in the program; (iii) Increase program awareness at TU to change stereotypical expectations of students and the program; (iv) Provide for an active and supportive academic program for students (including tutoring, peer mentoring, summer research experiences, faculty mentoring teams for each students, and annual evaluations of the program by an outside program evaluator); and, (v) Provide students with the skills and capacity required to succeed at TU and post-graduate education and careers. Each cohort of students will be carefully advised academically so that they enter TU with true junior status by completing many of the Biology core courses and most of the General Education requirements. Experience gained through the first two years of this grant have led to the following changes in this renewal: the inclusion of a more formalized assessment program; the inclusion of CCBC to increase diversity and applicant pool; and the incorporation of a general education course in the first semester of the program where students will be exposed to preparing oral and written scientific presentations (credit earned will count toward B.S. degree upon transfer to TU).