The Michigan AGEP Alliance

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

As an AGEP program participant since 1998, the University of Michigan (UM) proposes to build upon its successes and achievements by forming the Michigan AGEP Alliance (MAA). Our partnership will comprise four leading Ph.D. granting institutions in the State of Michigan, all of which have long- standing traditions of academic excellence in doctoral education and research in science and engineering (STEM) disciplines, as well as a firm commitment to achieving diversity in higher education. The MAA will feature the UM as the lead school, and include Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University as primary partners. The UM will share the many successes of its previous AGEP activities with the new partner schools and, in turn, learn from the different experiences and insights that each partner brings to the Alliance. The institutionalization successfully carried out at the UM with AGEP funding, as well as the considerable achievements of our partner institutions, will provide a solid foundation on which to develop new avenues of programming for the proposed MAA. Our Alliance will be a full partnership of the four institutions, built upon our collective wisdom, the sharing of best practices, and the assessment of outcomes and use of this knowledge to implement continuous improvement. Through the development of joint programs and ventures, the MAA will achieve (1) sustained, organized cooperation between MAA institutions; (2) increased efficiency by aligning the resources and operations of MAA partners; and (3) increased opportunities for under-represented students. The primary objectives of the proposed AGEP program are: To sustain and expand upon gains made in the recruitment of under-represented students in the STEM fields, by sharing lessons of UM successes with alliance institutions and by adapting successful programs from the alliance to UM.s institutional culture. To develop and implement new initiatives to expand the student pipeline, to retain and graduate enrolled students, and to prepare students effectively for entering careers in academia. To ensure that students are prepared to become leaders and innovators in the academic world. To ensure long-term sustainability of gains made by institutionalizing successes. The proposed AGEP program will be centered on a set of programmatic activities that include: Recruiting and outreach: recruiting fairs and outreach, coordinated summer research programs, coordinated visits of students to partner campus, outreach to potential students in industry. Retention: alleviating financial concerns, identifying and finding solutions for academic concerns, responding to social concerns, strengthening mentoring, improving programs that prepare students for entering graduate programs. Development of student leadership and innovation in STEM fields. Teaching preparation and career development: encouragement of academic careers. Intellectual Merit- Collectively the MAA partners have extensive experience in analyzing data, and we propose to develop an evaluation model that will enable us to capitalize on our success and remedy difficulties in a timely fashion. With this model we will measure and analyze in depth outcomes between different student groups, partner institutions, and other AGEP alliances. We will disseminate the knowledge gained in a variety of ways, including meetings, presentations, reports and journal publications. We intend to create an approach to evaluation that may be adopted in other AGEP alliances, producing a wider comparison of effort and success and perhaps setting the groundwork for a national analysis standard in graduate education. Broader Impact- Our efforts will lead to an increased number of under-represented students successfully completing a Ph.D., and entering academia. However, the aim of our AGEP program is not simply to increase numbers, but rather to provide an educational experience, adoptable by other graduate programs, that will enable our under-represented students to become part of the next generation of leaders and innovators in STEM fields. We will develop a series of programs that will help develop the skills and attitude students need to become creative researchers, educators and leaders, who will be ready to contribute to the knowledge, technology, security and quality of life of the nation.