Louis Stokes STEM Pathways Implementation-Only Alliance: Kansas Pathways to STEM

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of well-prepared students highly-qualified and motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM. For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. Kansas Pathways to STEM LSAMP program was established in 2013 in response to the need for a more diverse and skilled technical workforce. That need still exists and is particularly acute in the state of Kansas. The overall goal of the project is to double, during the five years of the project, the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students receiving STEM baccalaureate degrees at the two universities. The seven institutions that make up the Alliance are diverse and include five community colleges and two four-year institutions -- Barton County Community College, Dodge City Community College, Donnelly College, Garden City Community College, Seward County Community College, Wichita State University (WSU), and Kansas State University (KSU), the lead institution. The Kansas Pathways to STEM Alliance objectives include to: 1) further develop a successful STEM pathway to the baccalaureate degree through the partnership of KSU and WSU with five Kansas community colleges with 2-year transferable programs; 2) work together to develop innovative and culturally appropriate recruitment materials and activities for high schools and college STEM programs; 3) develop and evaluate systematic approaches to assuring successful transfer to KSU, WSU, or other Kansas 4-year institutions with high quality science and engineering programs; 4) develop or improve academic, curricular and co-curricular activities that impact persistence and retention of URM students at 2- and 4-year partner institutions and at KSU, including special focus on critical pathway junctures (e.g., advising, financial assistance, campus integration); and 5) provide formative evaluation to assure continuous project improvement and to conduct summative evaluation to describe the results and impact of the project on students and institutions. These objectives support the National Science Foundation's strategic goal to "cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens." To accomplish this, the alliance institutions will review and improve their current practices in recruiting URM students into STEM majors, evaluate efforts to improve student persistence in these majors, and conduct student enhancement programs demonstrated to increase STEM self-efficacy. Attention will be paid by all alliance partners to the critical junctures in post-secondary education such as transition from high school, institutional transfers, and career preparation. 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.