Bridging Arizona Native American Students to Bachelor's Degrees

项目总结/文摘

Project Summary/Abstract The objective of the proposed project is to increase the transfer of Native American students from accredited 2-year degree-granting institutions with historically high Native American student enrollments to baccalaureate degree programs in biomedical and behavioral sciences with the ultimate goal to assist these students in attaining their baccalaureate degrees. The program resides at Northern Arizona University (NAU), located in Flagstaff, AZ and is centered on a summer research experience for Native American students from Diné College (DC, the first established and one of the largest tribal college in the United States) and Coconino Community College (CCC, a community college located in Flagstaff). During the past five years, the program has supported 42 Native American students; of these 15 students have transferred to NAU or other 4-year institutions with four students earning or 36% of the 42 Bridges students. Our goal in the next funding cycle is to improve this percentage to 75% transfer rates of the students participating in the program. Programmatic modifications are proposed for the next funding cycle guided by the evaluation from the previous cycle. The program combines a summer program for the students to participate in a faculty mentored research experience as well as enrolling in HS299, a three-credit course focused on science communication. Additionally, the program offers workshops throughout the summer on topics ranging from transferring to NAU to resume development to research training grants at NAU. During the academic year, research and professional development is provided to Bridges alumni at CCC and DC. In 2008, NAU and CCC began a transfer program called CCC2NAU which provides a seamless transition for students at CCC to NAU by matriculating in both institutions with shared resources for the students. In February 2016, a memorandum of understanding was signed between NAU and DC to establish the DC2NAU program; the NAU Bridges program played a significant role in the DC2NAU program. Part of NAU’s strategic plan, is to provide a university climate and culture that enhance the academic experiences of Native American students, staff, and faculty including improving the recruitment, retention, and progress of Native American students with the goal of graduating these students with baccalaureate and graduate degrees. An important part of the NAU strategic plan is to expand partnerships with tribal colleges to enhance opportunities for Native American students to continue their education. NAU’s geographic location is ideal for this mission since Flagstaff is considered a border town for the Navajo and Hopi Nations and near the White River Apache and Hualapai Nations. With such a strong commitment to Native American students and an excellent geographic location with respect to a number of tribal lands, the NAU Bridges to Baccalaureate program plays a key role in Arizona in partnering with 2-year institutions with large Native American enrollments.