| NSF Org: |
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | August 26, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 26, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2116810 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Sonja Montas-Hunter
smontash@nsf.gov (703)292-7404 EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $197,917.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $197,917.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1401 COLLEGE AVE LEVELLAND TX US 79336-6595 (806)894-9611 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
1401 College Ave Levelland TX US 79336-6503 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | HSI-Hispanic Serving Instituti |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1: PPP aims to improve retention for HSI community college students. South Plains College (SPC) has identified a lack of preparation and knowledge among high school students when it comes to STEM careers and educational pathways. Despite 81% of SPC students indicating a desire to transfer, the number that transfer to a 4-year institution (29.5%) remains low. Our goal is for more underrepresented minority (URM) students to be better prepared for STEM majors and to achieve greater retention, transfer, and completion of STEM-centered bachelor?s degrees. The project will use faculty professional development to improve STEM advising and help students successfully navigate and academically progress at the community college. There will be two summer experiences planned to help improve academic readiness and interest in STEM fields. These will include a STEM summer experience to help rural students increase interest and understanding of STEM fields, and an Academic Success Academy to allow first-time college students onto campus 5-weeks early. The goal is to increase retention in STEM by preemptively overcoming the barriers many students face.
The main objectives of this proposal which address retention and graduation rates of URM STEM students are to (1) improve STEM transfer rate by enhancing STEM advising and availability of resources for students to help break down barriers for URM students; (2) improve academic readiness and recruitment of K-12 students by planning an Academic success experience for high school dual credit students and first-year generation students to help improve college readiness; (3) survey students via success workshops to identify apparent and conceived barriers for URM students. Many URM students face more challenges and barriers upon enrolling and attending college than their majority counterparts. Improving advising will be accomplished by professional development for faculty advisors to increase knowledge and preparedness. In order to further the advancement of SPC?s URM students, this project will implement summer academies with tailored activities for these students. Through the summer academic experience, and improved required advisement (achieved through the professional development of advisors) plus study skills/student success workshops available to all students, the sense of belonging will be accelerated for STEM majors. The needs of students will be periodically accessed to tailor future plans during STEM-focused workshops. This project will help increase retention by increasing academic readiness before the students begin their college careers. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Overcoming Barriers in the South Plains: Improving Retention for HSI Community College Students With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1: PPP aimed to improve retention for HSI community college students. South Plains College (SPC) has identified a lack of preparation and knowledge among high school students when it comes to STEM careers and educational pathways. This project used resouces such as faculty advising professional development, student workshops, and a summer STEM Camp to improve retention and transfer rates.
The main objectives of this proposal which address retention and graduation rates of URM STEM students were to (1) improve STEM transfer rate by enhancing STEM advising and availability of resources for students to help break down barriers for URM students; (2) improve academic readiness and recruitment of K-12 students by planning an Academic success experience for high school dual credit students and first-year generation students to help improve college readiness; (3) survey students via success workshops to identify apparent and conceived barriers for URM students. Many URM students face more challenges and barriers upon enrolling and attending college than their majority counterparts.
Students found that faculty were better equipped for advising after they had undergone the SPC Advising institution. This transfered to better information getting to students, better schedules for success in each semester, and ultimately more timely and reliable transfer of credits to a 4-year institution. Faculty spent some time brainstorming ideas for an Academic Success Camp which will be implemented in future funding opportunities. This camp will allow first year generation or other high risk undergraduate students to live on campus and participate in a mentoring program during the summer before the start of thier first fall semester. This will increase the sense of belongingness and community among incoming students, current students, and faculty.
A group of 8-10 faculty also spent time throughout the school year planning a summer STEM Camp for area high school students. Throughout the two years that this camp was implemented the students enjoyed projects from STEM areas such as robotics, forensics science, biology, microbiology, physics, and geology. The students took field trips to national and state parks to learn more about geology in a hands on setting and experience places most of them had never been before. This was a successful camp that left the students excited about the opportunities at South Plains College. The ages of students attending this camp were 14 yrs - 17 yrs. Among these students the first year had two students who were seniors the upcoming year. Each of those students are now enrolled at SPC showing this camp can be used as a good recruitment tool for South Plains College STEM Programs.
Lastly, this project put together several series of students workshops. These included workshops on using microsoft 365 and all of the organizational tools avaiable to increase time management, microcourses on blackboard to increase study habits and get the students familar with a new updated learning platform and a virtual career fair to introduce students to different STEM career options from SPC alumni that have been in the same shoes as our current students. This was a student favorite. The students vocalized the excitment of seeing 'someone who looks like me and has been to the same schoolas me' being successful and reaching high level careers in a diverse career field and excelling all the way from their foundation they got at South Plains College.
Last Modified: 08/30/2024
Modified by: Laci Alexander
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
