Faculty-Mentored Experiences for Improving Undergraduate Biology Student Outcomes

Utah Valley University, Orem UT

Investigators

Abstract

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program will support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Utah Valley University. Over a five-year period, this project will fund full-tuition scholarships to 37 students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, biotechnology, or botany. This project aims to improve the retention and graduation rates of these students by addressing several attrition factors, including lengthy time to completion, excessive part-time work, and feelings of isolation. The project will address these factors by creating an undergraduate research program that supports faculty-mentored research for scholarship students. This project aims to prepare low-income, academically talented students for the workforce and graduate school. The project seeks to advance knowledge about the impact of evidence-based practices on student self-efficacy, interest, and persistence. The primary goals of the project are to: 1) promote student success and degree completion in STEM at an open-enrollment teaching institution with traditionally low STEM enrollments; 2) provide faculty-mentored research and other experiences that enrich students' education and increase their preparation for the workforce and graduate school; and 3) advance knowledge about the roles of self-efficacy, teacher immediacy, and faculty mentoring in supporting student success. This project will help cultivate a sense of community among the biology students and faculty. A key component of the project is an orientation course where first-semester scholarship recipients will learn about research conducted by faculty/student teams. An important aspect of the project is the training and evaluation of mentoring provided to faculty research mentors. The scholarship recipients will participate in two-week rotations among research laboratories that interest them. Subsequently, the students will work with their choice of faculty-mentored research team. In lieu of research, students will be able to participate in other types of faculty-mentored projects, teaching assistantships, and internships. Enrichment activities for all scholarship recipients include twice-monthly meetings, a multi-level mentoring network, and professional development opportunities that include conference attendance and presentation. This project will contribute to a professional cooperative spirit among the scholarship students that can support their preparation for graduate school and careers in the biological sciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.