BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM AT SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE

San Diego Mesa College, San Diego CA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): San Diego Mesa College, in partnership with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), is requesting continued support for a five-year Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. The long-term goal of the Bridges Program is to increase the pool of community college students from underrepresented (UR) groups in the biomedical and behavioral sciences who go on to pursue research careers in these fields. The short-term goal of the program is to increase the number of students who transition from a two-year institution to a four-year institution with subsequent baccalaureate degree completion. San Diego Mesa College is dedicated to supporting the ongoing increase in the transfer rate of UR students in the sciences through an established transfer admission relationship with UCSD. UCSD is strongly committed to the Bridges partnership by providing administrative guidance, faculty-mentored research laboratory facilities, peer mentoring during the Bridges Program, and focused post-transfer academic support designed to enhance student retention. The objective is to develop and implement an integrated plan of individual and institutional activities that will increase students' preparation and skills as they advance academically in the pursuit of baccalaureate and more advanced degrees in biomedical and behavioral sciences. The specific aims of the program over a ten- year period are: 1) to transfer at least 70 percent of the Bridges students to a four-year university, 2) to ensure that 75 percent of Bridges students will earn a baccalaureate degree in the biomedical or behavioral sciences, and 3) to increase the overall transfer admission rate of UR students majoring in the biomedical or behavioral sciences from San Diego Mesa College to UCSD and other baccalaureate degree-granting universities by 10 percent per year. The core component of the program is an eight-week, intensive summer internship at UCSD followed by ongoing mentored research experience in laboratories at UCSD. The developmental activities at San Diego Mesa College are based around curricula and workshops designed to enhance college success, basic skills, and research expertise. These developmental activities will prepare students to engage in productive learning during their summer internship at UCSD. The program goal is consistent with the national goals of the Bridges Program in that there will be a substantial increase in the number of students that transfer in the biomedical and behavioral sciences to UCSD and other four-year universities. The proposed program will be evaluated against the specific aims listed above.