Virginia-North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, 2017-2022

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Virginia-North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (VA-NC Alliance) project includes Bennett College, Elizabeth City State University, George Mason University, Johnson C. Smith University, Old Dominion University, Piedmont Virginia Community College, St. Augustine's University, Thomas Nelson Community College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, with the University of Virginia serving as the lead institution. The VA-NC Alliance's robust and innovative recruitment, retention, graduate school preparation activities, and data management practices support significantly increasing the following: the number of under-represented minority (URM) students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines; the number of URM STEM students transferring from community colleges into four-year institutions; the number of baccalaureate STEM degrees earned by URM students; and the number of URM STEM students entering graduate school. The Alliance facilitates research opportunities within many academic institutions, industries, government agencies, and other organizations to prepare students for graduate school. The Alliance-wide longitudinal research project will examine the impact of STEM intervention programs on students' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, science identity, and post-graduate decision-making, and will share best practices. The research team will utilize mixed methods including surveys and interviews with undergraduates. With a 156% increase in URM STEM degrees over the previous two phases, the Alliance exceeded its goal related to broadening participation of students. By tapping into a workforce previously underrepresented, the Alliance will ensure diverse perspectives are applied to complex and global problems, benefitting the region and the nation.