Pathways to Academic Student Success for Biology Majors

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention, transfer, and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Potomac State College, a public, open-door admission, primarily two-year college in rural West Virginia. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships for 30 full-time students pursuing associate’s degrees in biology. The project aims to increase student persistence in biology by linking scholarships with effective supporting activities, such as a biology-focused freshman orientation course and faculty mentoring. Scholars will also be given the opportunity for early research experiences through a novel online collaboration with faculty and graduate students at West Virginia University. The project will also study improvements in the retention, transfer, and graduation of this student population. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The project will increase the participation of low-income rural students in biology-related careers in rural Appalachia. To reach this goal, the project is implementing evidence-based supports. These supports include providing scholarships, intrusive advising, a biology orientation course, and out-of-class faculty/student interactions that continue through graduation/transfer. Scholars will also have access to career advising, seminars, college visits and field trips, faculty mentoring, and targeted tutoring. Each scholar will have a biology faculty member as their academic advisor. Research evidence shows that lack of information about scheduling often results in deferred transfer, so scholars will also receive intrusive advising; advising sessions will address course scheduling, career information, transfer assistance, and referrals to appropriate departments such as the Academic Success Center for tutoring, Counseling Services, and Diversity Services. While several studies have examined the impact of financial aid information and scholarships on low-income students’ degree completion, much less is known about how rural and rural minority students and families navigate the scholarship and financial aid process, or even if they can do so due to work or family commitments. Therefore, this project will evaluate how providing scholars with financial aid information and scholarships increases academic success in biology at Potomac State College. Formative and summative evaluation will advance understanding of the role of providing these supports on increasing participation and success of rural and rural minority students in biology majors. Results will be disseminated to the Potomac State College Retention Advisory Board, President's Leadership Team, and Faculty Senate, as well as to guidance counselors, high school students, and parents to create awareness of STEM education pathways. Results will also be shared via Potomac State College faculty development programs and with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Nationally, results will be disseminated via conferences and STEM education journals to reach the broadest possible audience. 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.