The Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation: Mid-level LSAMP

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Virginia - North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (VA-NC Alliance) will broaden the participation of underrepresented minority populations (UREP) in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The VA-NC Alliance consists of eight colleges and universities in Virginia and North Carolina: four historically black colleges and universities including Bennett College for Women, Elizabeth City State University, Johnson C. Smith University, and Saint Augustine?s College; and four doctorate-granting/research-extensive universities including George Mason University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which will continue to lead the consortium. The Alliance will be expanded with the addition of Piedmont Virginia Community College. The VA-NC Alliance integrates students into their academic institutions and provides disciplinary socialization opportunities; in addition, partner schools collaborate to retain students across the critical junctures between secondary schools, two-year institutions, four-year colleges or universities, and graduate programs. The VA-NC Alliance?s goal is to substantially increase the number of STEM baccalaureate degrees earned annually by UREP students. Alliance students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to transition successfully to graduate school. As a secondary goal, the Alliance will increase the number of UREP STEM students entering graduate school. The Alliance offers a broad array of activities including research experiences, symposia, workshops, and graduate school preparation retreats which are open to all students and faculty at partner schools. The synergy created by sharing resources across institutional lines in order to achieve a common goal is exemplified by the VA-NC Alliance Summer Research Program, which brings select students from partner schools to one campus to engage research projects with faculty. Intellectual Merit The VA-NC Alliance project will create new knowledge, innovations and models for broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines and the STEM workforce. Results of these efforts will be disseminated. Project evaluation and monitoring activities will yield evidence-based knowledge concerning the effectiveness of the various broadening participation models and innovations. Broader Impacts The VA-NC Alliance will yield broader impacts by increasing the quantity and quality of UREP STEM graduates well prepared to succeed at the graduate level, and contribute to the STEM workforce. In order to address the challenges of the 21st century, particularly in the science and technology sectors, the increased diversification of the United States labor force is critical to enhancing the nation?s competitiveness. By tapping into a workforce underrepresented in the STEM fields, the VA-NC Alliance will ensure that diverse perspectives are applied to complex and global problems, benefitting its geographic region and the nation as a whole.