Scholarships and Support Services to Increase Student Success in STEM

College Of Southern Maryland, La Plata MD

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 the College of Southern Maryland. This project aims to award a total of 96 scholarships to at least 52 academically talented STEM students with financial need. The project plans to implement and study practices shown by research to be effective. In this way, the project will contribute to understanding about recruitment, retention, student success, academic/career pathways, transfer, and degree attainment in STEM fields. The project aims to: 1) implement undergraduate research experiences in the community college and studying whether these experiences increase student satisfaction with the program and retention; 2) measure students' perspectives about persistence, and its relationship to campus climate and students? sense of belonging; and 3) contribute to the growing body of knowledge about community college students' experiences and success in STEM fields. In addition to scholarships, the project will provide students with a continuum of support services aimed at increasing retention and assisting graduates in transitioning to further education or employment at one of the regions? private sector companies, military installations, and government agencies. Targeted programs include Applied Sciences and Technology, Biological Technology, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Information Services Technology, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, and Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Project objectives include: 1) increasing enrollment by capitalizing on extensive K-16 STEM activity in the region; 2) improving student registration through advising and program pathways to encourage retention; 3) increasing student retention through community-building, biweekly cohort contact, mentoring, tutoring, undergraduate research, a summer bridge program, and enrichment experiences; 4) expanding and streamlining articulation to facilitate transfer to four-year institutions; and 5) engaging employers in recruiting, mentoring, and providing work-based enrichment experiences. 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.