Maximizing Recruitment, Persistence and Success of Undergraduate Women in Science

Barnard College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Barnard College is providing scholarships to 25 women majoring in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Five cohorts of students are developing into a supportive team by attending 6 community-building workshops designed to address student concerns that develop at specific times during the academic year and by attending a mandatory seminar each year. Scholars' success is being maximized by the educational advantages of a small liberal arts college -- Barnard is a college for women affiliated with Columbia University -- with access to the advantages of a major university. Targeted mentoring and workshops encourage students to flourish in the classroom and beyond. Broader impacts are both immediate and long-term. In the short term, students are gaining valuable time to pursue the course-heavy science majors during which an added burden of work-study drives attrition. Further, students graduate without the heavy burden of debt that can derail a commitment to their chosen scientific discipline. In the long term, the student-support structures at Barnard foster the students' innate curiosity in the sciences and encourage a responsibility for mentoring future cohorts themselves. The Barnard College Scholars Program is contributing to national efforts to build the science and research infrastructure, especially for women. With an excellent grounding in the liberal arts, scholars graduate with a broad worldview as well as an intense background in STEM disciplines.