Increasing Accessibility to the Sciences through Mentoring Networks, Research Experiences, and Scholarships

Saint Lawrence University, Canton NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at St. Lawrence University. Over its five-year duration, this project will provide four-year scholarships to 24 students who are pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, statistics, physics, and/or a non-clinical track of biology. Project activities include a network of faculty and alumni mentors, cohort courses that span the first two college years, and a guaranteed summer research experience. Project recruitment will encourage applications from first-generation college students, and the project activities will emphasize the importance of participating in research early in the academic career. Nationally, low-income and first-generation college students have lower retention and graduation rates than those of their better-resourced peers and their peers with family members who are college graduates. This project has the potential to broaden participation in STEM and to generate knowledge on the effectiveness of early undergraduate research experiences for low-income and first-generation college students. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The project intends to emphasize participation of low-income students who are also first-generation college students. Specific project goals are to 1) Implement student support activities that span the first two college years; 2) Improve recruitment, retention, and degree attainment for academically talented, low-income students; 3) Ensure faculty and staff are able to address the needs of academically students from low-income and first generation in college backgrounds; and 4) Conduct research on initiatives to improve belonging, academic success, and persistence among low-income students. Typical causes of student attrition from STEM fields can be broadly classified as lacking a sense of belonging, lack of interest, and capacity gaps. Authentic undergraduate research experiences can combat these barriers for students from diverse backgrounds. This project will investigate the effects of early, authentic, mentored undergraduate research experiences on the sense of belonging, persistence, retention, and academic success of low-income and first-generation college students. The project has the potential to identify which characteristics of research experiences are most impactful and for whom. Existing instruments such as the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience, Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences, and Persistence in the Sciences surveys will be used to relate research experiences to persistence and belonging. Project results will be disseminated through conference presentations and publications in open-access journals. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students. 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.