University System of Maryland Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Phase III

University Of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION, PHASE III The proposed funding will support the continuation of a comprehensive program connecting students with the research base at three USM institutions that began an Alliance in 1995 to extend and increase the impact of initiatives to increase substantially the quantity and quality of underrepresented minority (URM) students receiving baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields. With Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) continuing as Principal Investigator, UMBC, the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) will implement the proposed USM LSAMP, Phase III which is designed to serve undergraduate students, particularly those who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups. Building on lessons learned from the successes in Phase I and II and best practices from other LSAMP Programs and other initiatives with similar goals, the following measurable objectives have been established for the proposed LSAMP, Phase III. To increase the enrollment of URM students in STEM fields annualy; To increase the retention to second year rate of URM students in STEM fields annualy; To improve the academic performance of URM students in STEM courses and majors annually; To increase the percentage of URM STEM students earning cumulative GPAs at or above 3.0 annually; To increase the six-year graduation rates of URM students in STEM majors; To increase the number of URM students who go on to graduate programs in STEM fields. NSF and other funds will provide support for the five major Alliance components: The Summer Component: Includes a Summer Bridge Program to facilitate new students' transition to the university through academic support and summer research opportunities for continuing students The Academic Year Component: Includes undergraduate research fellowships, graduate school preparation, intrusive academic advising, mentoring tutoring, monitoring, and other academic support; The Collaboration Component: Is designed to enhance and provide a formal structure for colaborations among and between programs and initiatives on and off the USM LSAMP campuses with goals similar to those of LSAMP. The Curriculum Review and Revision Component: The ongoing review and, as needed, revisions of the curricula for .filter" STEM courses will facilitate the success and retention in STEM majors of URM and other students. The Tracking and Follow-up Component: The academic and career accomplishments of Program alumni will be tracked, and folow-up contacts will be made with them to encourage their persistence in STEM graduate programs and consideration of STEM careers, particularly in the professoriate. Throughout their undergraduate years, students will be actively involved in research projects with faculty and other mentors, at the partnering institutions and off campus (including national laboratories), and will be encouraged to present their research findings in appropriate settings. Also, in Phase III, the USM Alliance will collaborate with established programs operating on the campuses, including the NSF-funded Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and the McNair Scholars and Upward Bound programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, among others that provide a pipeline with targeted services to support URM students from grade nine through the Ph.D.