Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program

描述（由申请人提供）：德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（UTEP）和埃尔帕索社区学院（EPCC）提议更新他们的合作伙伴关系，以促进对生物医学/行为科学感兴趣的少数民族（主要是墨西哥裔美国人）学生从社区学院成功过渡到大学，并提高他们完成学士学位。这将扩大目前这两个机构之间非常成功的学士学位课程的桥梁。具体目标1：提高少数民族学生（主要是墨西哥裔美国人）对生物医学/行为科学作为职业的兴趣，并将桥梁项目的申请人数增加50%。我们建议在建议的资助期内（5年），将申请人数由现时四年（2005-2008年）平均每年82人增加至平均每年123人。具体目标#2：将桥梁参与者转移到生物医学/行为科学学士学位的比率提高50%。我们建议在提议的资助期内（5年），将桥梁项目参与者转入生物医学/行为科学专业的比率从目前的四年（2005-2008年）平均63%提高到平均95%。具体目标#3：传递专业技能，并全面描述生物医学/行为科学的职业选择。根据我们的经验，EPCC的学生通常不知道除了护理、物理治疗和医学之外，生物医学/行为科学相关领域的职业机会。这些学生很少或根本没有接触过其他生物医学/行为专业人员和研究人员，也不知道他们应该掌握什么技能。以往成功举办的每周座谈会，包括研讨会和工作坊系列，指导学生掌握关键的专业技能和潜在的机会。具体目标#4：显著提高完成生物医学/行为科学学士学位的转学参与者的百分比。我们建议在提议的资助期内（5年）将获得生物医学/行为科学学士学位的桥梁参与者比例从历史（17年）平均60%提高到平均80%。我们提案的最终目标是增加未被充分代表的少数民族（主要是西班牙裔）进入生物医学/行为科学职业，并鼓励他们攻读研究生（博士）研究项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC) propose to renew their partnership to promote the successful transition of minority (primarily Mexican-American) students with interests in biomedical/behavioral sciences from the community college to the university and to improve their completion of a baccalaureate degree. This will expand the current highly successful Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program between these two institutions. The specific aims of this proposal are the following: SPECIFIC AIM #1: To increase interest among minority students (primarily Mexican-Americans) in biomedical/behavioral sciences as a career and increase by 50% the applicant pool to the Bridges program. We propose to increase the pool of applicants from the current four-year (2005-2008) average of 82 per year to an average of 123 applicants per year over the proposed grant period (5 years). SPECIFIC AIM #2: To increase by 50% the transfer rate of Bridges participants to baccalaureate degrees in biomedical/behavioral sciences. We propose to increase transfer rate of Bridges participants to biomedical/behavioral science majors from the current four-year (2005-2008) 63% average to a 95% average over the proposed grant period (5 years). SPECIFIC AIM #3: To transfer professional skills and fully describe career options in the biomedical/behavioral sciences to Bridges participants. In our experience, the students from EPCC are typically unaware of career opportunities in biomedical/behavioral science- related fields beyond that of nursing, physiotherapy, and medicine. These students have little or no exposure to other biomedical/behavioral professionals and researchers, and do not know what skills are expected from them. The previous successful weekly colloquia with seminar and workshop series to instruct students on key professional skills and potential opportunities will be maintained. SPECIFIC AIM #4: To significantly increase the percentage of transferred participants who complete a baccalaureate degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences. We propose to increase the percentage of Bridges participants who attain the baccalaureate degree in biomedical/behavioral sciences from our historical (17-year) average of 60% to an average of 80% over the proposed grant period (5 years). The ultimate goal of our proposal is to increase the influx of underrepresented minorities (mainly Hispanics) into biomedical/behavioral science careers and encourage them toward a graduate (Ph.D.) research program.