Creating Opportunities for Student Retention and Degree Attainment in Engineering and Science

West Hills Community College, Coalinga CA

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 West Hills Community College (WHCC), a Hispanic Serving Institution. Over its 5-year duration, this project will fund 200 scholarships to at least 50 students who are pursuing associate's degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology, Mathematics or Physics. Each student will receive up to four semesters of scholarship support. The project aims to increase student enrollment and persistence in STEM fields by supplementing scholarships with comprehensive support services, including mentoring, supplemental instruction, enhanced academic and career counseling, and enrichment opportunities. The project will implement a comprehensive data collection mechanism to document and disseminate best practices. Because WHCC has a high population of underrepresented students, this project has the potential to broaden participation in STEM fields and advance knowledge of the relationship between student support services and retention and graduation of students underrepresented in STEM degree programs. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income high achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Three objectives guide this project. First, to increase the recruitment, retention, student success, and graduation (or transfer to four year programs) of eligible students pursuing associate degrees. Second, to adapt, develop, implement, and study evidence-based practices that support student success. Third, to contribute to the documentation and dissemination of evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities for students underrepresented in STEM fields of study. This project will use qualitative and quantitative data analysis to study STEM identify formation and the impact of the program on student success by ethnicity, race, gender and disability status. An external evaluator will provide formative and summative feedback, and the project team will disseminate results at national conferences. 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.