MAX Scholarships: Interdisciplinary Mentored Academic EXperience for STEM Success

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato MN

Investigators

Abstract

The MAX (Mentored Academic Experience) Scholarship Program builds on prior, highly successful scholarship programs at Minnesota State University (MSU), Mankato. The current scholarship program is providing 104 scholarships to at least 60 students over four years to enhance opportunities for academically-talented, financially-challenged students enrolled in the following majors in the MSU College of Science, Engineering and Technology: Mathematics; Computer Science; Information Technology; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, and Computer Engineering; and Electronic, Manufacturing, Automotive and Computer Engineering Technology. Scholarships are available for 26 students per year, starting in their sophomore years at MSU, and are renewable for up to three years. Of the 26, approximately 4 scholars per year are from the Iron Range Engineering program, an upper-division engineering program that draws students from community colleges, which grants MSU degrees to students who will serve the technical needs of companies in the northeast corner of Minnesota where mining is the primary industry. The scholarship program is creating and maintaining a diverse, interdisciplinary cohort each year starting with scholar selection and recruitment. The selection process is guided by the program goals of 1) increasing the number of underrepresented students in the targeted STEM majors, 2) improving student retention and 3) facilitating professional development of student scholars. Additional recruitment activities involve seeking ways to attract non-traditional students, and partnering with community colleges, specifically Itasca Community College and Mesabi Range College, to promote and provide educational opportunities over a wider geographic area. The MAX Scholarship Program provides mentoring, financial support, community building, and opportunities to participate in undergraduate research and/or internships. An essential feature of the program is the building of strong interdisciplinary mentoring cohorts that foster academic engagement among the participants. As such, scholarship recipients participate in an active mentoring program focusing on interdisciplinary interactions, academic support and professional development. This interdisciplinary peer-mentoring model was established during the initial implementation of the MAX Scholarship Program, and now includes students studying at a remote campus as well as in a broader range of science majors. All of this work builds upon a STEM integrated network developed at MSU that seeks to understand and address the significant challenges facing students in order to eliminate retention problems and to guide students through their STEM majors, as well as the need for connection and community for STEM majors across disciplines. Additional efforts to develop community and a sense of belonging for the scholars include a weekly seminar, field trips, interdisciplinary projects, interaction with industry partners and alumni, and opportunities to apply theory in research or industry settings.