Implementation Project: PERSIST - Pathways to Enhance Retention of Students in Science to Transition

Morgan State University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program provide support to design, implement, study and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Morgan State University provides a multilayered approach to broaden opportunities for African-American students to succeed in STEM majors. The focus of the project is on retaining students during the critical freshman year, preparing them for graduate school or the workforce in STEM fields and graduating them. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation, as well as by internal and external advisory committees. The project has the goals to: 1) develop a six-week pre-college transition program to enhance retention and persistence of a select number of incoming freshmen; 2) increase student persistence through the freshmen year by a deeper engagement in course material and through role modeling; 3) increase the number of students who are engaged in academic research; and 4) integrate critical thinking activities and assessment into the curricula of all science majors. The program is divided into the pre-freshmen phase, a freshmen phase, and a post-freshmen phase that contains activities to foster transition and persistence to degree completion. The activities in the post-freshmen phase serve as a link to many of the established undergraduate research programs at the university. Campus-wide professional development activities for faculty that focus on critical thinking applications in the classroom will also be provided. This project will serve as a model for enhancing student success and increasing persistence to degree completion. 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.