S-STEM SUCCESS: Supporting Undergraduates through Curricular and Co-Curricula Engagement and Student Scholarships

Louisiana Tech University, Ruston LA

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 Louisiana Tech University. Over its five-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 40 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in one of eight engineering disciplines: biomedical, civil, chemical, cyber, electrical, industrial, mechanical, and nanosystems engineering. First-year students will receive up to four years of scholarship support. This project aims to increase retention rates of undergraduate engineering students while also decreasing debt upon graduation by pairing scholarship funds with academic and career readiness experiences. Discipline-specific faculty mentors will play a critical role in encouraging and empowering the scholars to success by leading professional development seminars as they serve as official academic advisors for the students. This project will increase a sense of community among both scholars and faculty. Because the College of Engineering and Science at Louisiana Tech University offers very few needs-based scholarships to first-year engineering students, this project has the potential to greatly broaden participation in STEM fields. The combined significance of directed academic support, career readiness activities, deeper community, and faculty mentorship will inform the University and the greater STEM education community on effective practices to increase retention. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. There are four direct outcomes for the participants in the study: (1) reduction in financial stress, (2) improved academic progress, (3) perseverance to graduation, and (4) a path to enter the workforce or a graduate school program in a STEM field. Additionally, there are two indirect outcomes: (1) increased confidence in chosen career field and (2) increased confidence in academic ability. Student scholars selected to participate in the project will be identified prior to the Fall Quarter of their first year of studies. Enrichment activities will be strategically sequenced to meet the evolving needs of the scholars as they move toward graduation. The first year will focus on community building, academic excellence, professional development, and career applications. The sophomore year will continue providing academic support activities while incorporating more discussion on internships and summer research programs. Junior year activities will shift towards career preparation while maintaining resources for community building and academic excellence. Finally, career preparation and life skills will be the focus of the senior year as students complete their degrees. The scope of this project will include studying the effect of ongoing, discipline-specific faculty mentorship on academic progress as well as exploring the impact of academic community on student confidence and retention. Results of this project will be made available to the STEM education community through conference presentations, peer-reviewed conference publications, journal articles, and workshops. 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.