Peers Organized by Discipline for Success

Florida State College At Jacksonville, Jacksonville FL

Investigators

Abstract

Pell Institute data indicates that financially needy students persist and graduate at a lower rate than college peers. The Florida Department of Education data shows that over half of the Duval County School District's 125,022 students are on the free and reduced school lunch program, and U.S. Census statistics reveal that less than 25% of Jacksonville's age 25 and over population has earned a baccalaureate degree. This project at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) will address these needs through scholarships for financially needy science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students with additional student support for academic, transfer and career success. The project will include intensive mentoring for at least 56 academically talented, financially needy students in the sciences, mathematics, and aerospace engineering technology programs at the college. The college will collaborate with multiple STEM industry partners that will provide hands on work experiences for students, networking opportunities with STEM professionals, and job placement assistance. Since 45 percent of all undergraduates nationwide attend community college, information gained through this project will help improve academic success and graduation and job placement for students beginning higher education at community colleges, institutions rapidly becoming one of the pipelines for STEM majors. The project will strengthen: 1) outreach to students in information technology and engineering technology; 2) recruitment of first year students; and 3) awareness of the STEM-related baccalaureate degrees offered by the college. Participants will be expected to significantly outpace peers with regards to retention, completion, academic success, and progression to STEM baccalaureate degrees and occupations. Supporting this dynamic effort will be several key organizations including CareerSource (the Regional Workforce Board) and Duval County Public Schools. This project will have internal support from the Office of Student Success, the Pre-College Outreach Department, Career Development Center, Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, Library and Learning Commons, and the Scholarship Office. This program will promote academic success, retention and completion through an enhanced academic support and peer-mentoring system called PODS (Peers Organized by Discipline for Success); small groups of 3-5 students supported by a faculty mentor and peer tutors to form a triangle for success. Recipients will participate in "Ready, Set, STEM!" two day orientations, the College's STEM Club, how to study science seminars, and will receive assistance from science and mathematics tutors. Activities will include field experiences, site visits to STEM-related businesses and institutions, transfer workshops, "Speaking of STEM" lectures, development of career education plans with each student, and scientific internships and symposia. Extensive evaluation and broad dissemination of the PODS model and Orientation Tool Kit will support implementation of successful project elements in other settings and within other disciplines. Open access to raw project data (guarded for student confidentiality) will support further research into processes, populations, and generalizable settings.