Implementation Grant Academic Enhancement of the STEM College at Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

Johnson C. Smith University is a private historically-black college located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The university enrolls 1500 full-time students, of which approximately 300 are declared science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors. Within the newly established STEM College, the university awards Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology, Chemistry, General Science, Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Computer Science/Information Systems, Computer Engineering, and Information Systems Engineering. Johnson C. Smith University proposes to build on the successes of the previous HBCU-UP project. This project entitled "Academic Enhancement of the STEM College at Johnson C. Smith University" adds the promise of sustainable impacts from new and exciting activities arising from "lessons learned" during the initial implementation project. These activities include establishing a Faculty/Student Undergraduate Research Community designed to revise, enrich and create transformative STEM courses and programs; establishing and developing faculty/student collaborations and partnerships with STEM related industries, research centers, laboratories and other higher education institutions; providing STEM faculty "Market-Driven Re-Tooling" opportunities in pedagogy and discipline specific development; and enhancing STEM student retention, graduation and critical transitioning to graduate studies and/or the STEM workplace.