FL/GA Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

Florida A&M University proposes to serve as the institutional host-site for the Florida - Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) during Phase IV program operations. FGLSAMP is designed to promote and facilitate the programmatic goals of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) LSAMP program under the HRD Directorate. In accordance with the goals, objectives and effort of NSF to address the low participation and degree production within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by those ethnic groups identified as underrepresented in STEM disciplines, FGLSAMP will address this problem through its programmatic structure which promotes enhancement of academic performance, undergraduate research experiences, professional development, and preparation for pursuing STEM graduate degrees. The standard of success will be measured by our student participants': progression (to attain the B.S. degree); retention (within STEM disciplines); graduation (timely attainment); and STEM graduate enrollment (increasing STEM Minority enrollment). FGLSAMP will continue to employ a holistic approach to reform undergraduate education in the STEM disciplines along with identified "beast practices" as determined through it Steering Committee, while determining means to enhance and provide new program activities. FGLSAMP is designed to include a firm commitment of institutional administrators, faculty, staff, external partners, as well as parents and students. The goals of FGLSAMP are to significantly increase both the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing undergraduate degrees in STEM disciplines and the number of STEM B.S. degree recipients pursuing STEM graduate degrees. FGLSAMP will provide training opportunities to students in STEM disciplines while also providing an array of academic performance enhancement and support that will yield greater STEM retention and graduations rates among underrepresented STEM minorities. Additionally, to address the numbers of STEM B.S. recipients pursuing STEM graduate degrees, FGLSAMP has developed a formalize program component to prepare its undergraduate participants to pursue graduate degrees. This will be accomplished through an intensive programmatic design that has been accepted and adopted by the FGLSAMP Steering Committee. FGLSAMP will continue provide assistance for undergraduate research experiences that will include the introduction of international research opportunities for student participants. FGLSAMP will also continue to build and strengthen ties and inclusion of community colleges by the inclusion of 2 new associate level partners within the alliance. Community Colleges are a valuable source of human capital to enter the STEM academic pipeline. FGLSAMP program operations will be met through annual financial support from the National Science Foundation, a special appropriation from the State of Florida. Through the addition of two additional community colleges, FGLSAMP will be able to: 1) stimulate and increase student awareness of academic and professional opportunities in STEM areas and 2) create a larger network/pipeline between the community college students and FGLSAMP undergraduate institutions with which these two community colleges are affiliated. FGLSAMP will also capitalize and capture greater numbers of potential STEM majors prior to graduation and transfer to the upper division.