Improved Support for Undergraduates at Community College Engaged in STEM Studies

Suffolk Community College, Selden NY

Investigators

Abstract

Improved Support for Undergraduates at Community College Engaged in STEM Studies 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 Suffolk County Community College. Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in New York State’s SUNY system, and recently designated a Hispanic-serving institution. Over its six-year duration, the project will fund scholarships to 90 unique full- and part-time students pursuing associate degrees in biology, physical science, computer science, cyber security, engineering, and mathematics. First-year entering students, as well as continuing sophomores, will receive scholarships for up to two years. The project will develop college-wide and campus-based cohorts of interdisciplinary STEM students to foster the development of peer networks and increase the persistence and success of high-achieving, low-income students while also increasing career awareness. Studies have shown that learning communities, academic coaching, and opportunities for students to engage meaningfully within their discipline have direct positive impacts on student success, retention, and completion among under-represented, first- generation, and low-income college students. This project will also implement intrusive advising techniques to better identify and address the obstacles faced by students as they proceed through their chosen degree path. A new career and internship coordinator will connect individual students with local and regional employers and internship opportunities. Ancillary offerings provided by the project and open to the college community will increase awareness of STEM careers and regional workforce needs while ensuring participating students have the opportunity and resources to meet or exceed those regional needs and support the vitality and growth of the nation’s critical STEM industries. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion among low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. In addition to scholarships, awardees will benefit from 1) Professional educational and career advising, academic mentoring, and tutoring; 2) Improved peer and professional networks; and 3) Authentic research, presentation, and publication opportunities. The project will reduce the academic isolation that exists within the commuter student population and which influences student persistence, success, and completion. The program will provide up to 18 new and 16 continuing awards annually resulting in up to 90 unique students supported. It is expected that 85% of scholarship recipients will be retained and 75% will graduate and/or transfer within 150% of their degree time, which would exceed their non-participating counterparts by more than 30%. I-SUCCESS will advance understanding of the factors and activities associated with retention, transfer, academic and career pathways, and degree attainment. 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.