LSAMP Inspire Scholars Program

Madison Area Technical College, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce through their efforts at significantly increasing the numbers of students from historically underrepresented minority populations (African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders) to successfully complete high quality degree programs in STEM. Over the next two years, Madison Area Technical College (MATC) will increase the number of students transferring from its applied science programs to four-year baccalaureate institutions with majors in STEM disciplines. The overall goal of the pilot project is to improve on the goal of broadening participation in STEM degree career pathways by: increasing the STEM transfer readiness of all LSAMP Inspire Scholars Program participants; increasing the number of students that successfully transition from remedial math coursework into the STEM transfer track; and, increasing the number of participants who transfer into four-year STEM programs and graduate with a STEM baccalaureate degree. MATC, through the LSAMP Inspire Scholars Program and other NSF-funded projects such as the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) and Wisconsin Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participaton (WiscAMP) and its participation in a NSF-funded Science of Learning Center will provide students with academic support and guidance to improve academic performance and completion rates in STEM courses; 2) enhance and expand existing connections with transfer institutions; 3) relieve financial stress by providing stipends tied to scholar commitment and level of involvement; and 4) develop a learning community through shared experiences. Throughout this project, the program will track scholar quality points as a key potential predictor of student success. In addition, this project furthers the work on STEM Momentum, on-going research conducted by Dr. Xueli Wang, by considering the impact of the interventions on underserved students that are unable to attain STEM transfer credits within their first semester or year due to math remediation requirements. By increasing the number of URM transfer students in STEM, this program will make a significant contribution to diversifying the state?s STEM workforce. The program will also identify barriers and appropriate levels of support that impact student success in STEM. Though this project focuses on URM students, the comprehensive programming and design is applicable to all STEM-interested student populations. It will therefore transform Madison College by improving the capacity of the college to support student success through math remediation and on into the STEM transfer track with the college?s new STEM Center operating as the central driver of these improvements. Project results will be disseminated broadly via the alliance and partner institution websites, STEM and STEM educational research journals and conferences.