The University of Michigan STEM Academy Scholars

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

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Michigan STEM (M-STEM) Academy provides transitional academic support for first and second year engineering undergraduates in a concerted effort to increase the number and success of STEM students, with an emphasis on students from diverse backgrounds. The M-STEM Academy replicates well-documented success strategies, developed by the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore-County, for the retention and academic success of diverse students. It expands upon and tests the Meyerhoff model by transferring its components to a large university setting and working with students who, although-well qualified, have often struggled and not succeeded in this type of academic environment. M-STEM partners closely with other STEM education pipeline efforts at the University of Michigan, such as the Office of Engineering Outreach and Engagement, the Michigan Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, and the Michigan Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Program to provide a seamless continuum of STEM education and support services from grade school to graduate school and the workplace. Assessment of the M-STEM Academy by faculty in the Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education will provide continual feedback to determine needed program modifications. This M-STEM Academy creates a holistic student academic support system, including scholarship support, in STEM fields, increasing the number, success, and diversity of STEM graduates who will then contribute to the STEM workforce both within the State of Michigan and the nation.