EPCC's RISE to the Challenge Option 1

描述(由申请人提供)：埃尔帕索社区学院(EPCC)拥有超过39,000名学生，是位于美墨边境的最大的拉美裔服务机构(HSI)，也是美国增长最快的社区学院，也是全国最大的拉美裔学生副学士学位授权者。2011学年，共有29,901名学生参加了EPCC五个校区的RISE相关课程。这些学生群体(88%的代表不足)已经对影响美墨边境地区的健康问题感兴趣，那里的健康差距非常严重。EPCC一直是让学生对生物医学研究感兴趣并进入博士研究生队伍的先行者。EPCC是2000年由MBRS-Rise计划资助的第一所社区学院。一直以来，参加RISE活动的学生在留存、毕业和升入下一个教育水平方面都比没有参加活动的学生表现得更好。最终目标是将EPCC发展成为在引导少数族裔和弱势学生进入博士生渠道方面排名第一的社区学院。EPCC崛起挑战计划的目标是：1)继续为EPCC有才华的学生提供在一年级和二年级水平的数学和科学课程上取得成功和脱颖而出的工具；2)继续加强学生和教职员工的研究知识和技能，特别是生物医学和行为研究；以及3)增加转到四年制院校的少数族裔和弱势学生的数量，这些学生拥有在大学取得成功并完成博士学位所需的技能。目标是：1)通过创新的教学策略加强和丰富生物、化学和数学课程，包括补充教学(SI)和同辈主导的团队学习(PLTL)，采用调查性、多学科的方法来提高学生的表现和发展学生的高等教育技能；2)继续为大二学生提供全年有意义的研究经验，并挑选有才华的大一新生；3)保持我们在学生参与和在全国专业会议上发言的良好记录；4)通过增加学生参与者的数量来增加研究出版物的数量；5)继续为学生提供密集的辅导和建议；以及6)加强先前建立的生物医学科学学习社区和支持网络。由于其庞大的少数族裔入学人数、对学生成功的关注以及其研究基础设施，EPCC处于独特的地位，并致力于通过在教育的最早阶段培养代表不足的学生来缩小完成博士学位的学生数量的差距。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With a student population exceeding 39,000, El Paso Community College (EPCC) is the largest Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located on the US-Mexico border, the fastest growing community college in the U.S, and the largest grantor of Associate degrees to Hispanic students in the Nation. In the 2011 academic year, 29,901 students enrolled in RISE-relevant courses across EPCC's five campuses. This student population (88% underrepresented) is already interested in health issues that affect the US-Mexico border region where health disparities are extreme. EPCC has been a pioneer in getting students interested in biomedical research and in entering the Ph.D. pipeline. EPCC was the first community college to be funded by the MBRS-RISE Program in 2000. It has been consistently shown that students participating in RISE activities outperform non participants in retention, graduation and progression to the next educational level. The ultimate goal is to develop EPCC to become the Number-One community college in terms of guiding minority and disadvantaged students into the Ph.D pipeline. The goals of EPCC's RISE to the Challenge Program are: 1) to continue providing talented EPCC students with the tools to succeed and excel in their freshman and sophomore-level math and science courses, 2) to continue strengthening the research knowledge and skills of the students and faculty with special emphasis in biomedical and behavioral research, and 3) to increase the number of minority and disadvantaged students that transfer to a four-year institution with the skills necessary to succeed in college and to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. The objectives are: 1) to enhance and enrich the Biology, Chemistry and Math curriculum with innovative instructional strategies, including Supplemental Instruction (SI) and Peer-led team learning (PLTL) using an investigative, multidisciplinary approach to improve student performance and develop student's higher learning skills, 2) to continue providing year-round meaningful research experiences for sophomores and select talented freshman, 3) to maintain our excellent track record of students participating and presenting at national professional meetings, 4) to increase the number of research publications by RISE student participants, 5) to continue providing students with intensive tutoring and advising, and 6) to strengthen the biomedical science learning community and support networks established previously. Because of its large minority enrollment, its focus on student success, and its research infrastructure, EPCC is in a unique position and is committed to reducing the gap in the number of students that complete the PhD degrees by feeding the pipeline of underrepresented students at the earliest stages in their education.