Implementation Grant: Securing Success by Scaffolding Undergraduate STEM Researcher Development through Collaborative Institutional Reforms for Students and Faculty of TSU

Tennessee State University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

Tennessee State University is a culturally and racially diverse HBCU, located in Nashville. Through the HBCU-UP funding, Tennessee State will embark on a comprehensive reform of faculty teaching practices, curriculum and programmatic elements. The goal is to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rate of STEM majors through a developmental process that implements research-based teaching and learning techniques and practices, integrates student research based experiences into the STEM curriculum, and develops a mentoring embedded tutoring program. The activities that will be implemented as Tennessee State works toward their goal are: (i) Rising Freshman STEM Summer Institute to address the critical high school to college transition; (ii) Tutoring/mentoring program; (iii) STEM faculty development aimed at strengthening the pedagogical knowledge and research-based reform techniques in mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science and engineering; (iv) Reform of Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Statics, Dynamics, Circuits and Thermodynamics, traditionally gate-keeping courses; (v) Rising Sophomore Research Skills Institute, giving integrated undergraduate research practica; and (vi) Providing for STEM Faculty Undergraduate Research Mentors.