Student-Centered Strategies, Scholarships, and Support Services for Student Success in Sciences

Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville NC

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 documented financial need. Fayetteville State University (FSU), a Historically Black College and University, partners with Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) to foster undergraduate student success and respond to career opportunities in chemistry and materials science in the region. Over its six-year duration, this Track 2 project will award scholarships to 40 unique full-time students, who are pursuing associate and/or baccalaureate degrees in these fields. First-year and transfer students will receive scholarships of up to $15,000 per year for four to six years. In addition to scholarships, the project will leverage existing student services and opportunities to expand and enhance this comprehensive academic and co-curricular ecosystem. The focus on chemistry and materials science is designed to meet the growing need for professionals with credentials in these disciplines and to provide opportunities for graduates to impact the economic and social diversity of this region of the country. The overarching project goal is to increase (a) the number of students in chemistry and materials science and who graduate from FSU and (b) the number of FTCC students earning associate degrees and transferring to FSU in those fields. Fostering clear pathways from high school recruitment to degree attainment in chemistry and materials science, the specific goals of the project are to (1) identify, retain, and graduate students pursuing degrees in chemistry and materials science; (2) provide scholars with academic and personal and professional development opportunities to support student success; and (3) prepare scholars for the workforce and/or post-baccalaureate studies. Building upon lessons learned from prior NSF support and the literature on the effectiveness of evidence-based instruction and co-curricular activities, the effort will institute a set of integrated interventions that include faculty and peer mentoring; a summer bridge program; fostering computational thinking, technical skills-building, and student professional development; cohort course scheduling; active learning, inquiry-based labs and tutoring; on and off campus undergraduate research experiences and summer internships; field trips to graduate schools and chemical industries; participation in student clubs; and attendance at scientific conferences. In concert with the evaluation that is designed to assess the effectiveness of project activities, the project will advance knowledge about the importance of undergraduate education in two specific areas. The project will investigate the impact of the technical skill-building workshops and computational thinking activities on students' academic performance, retention, and graduation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The mixed methods research investigation aims to examine the extent to which these two specific strategies can benefit students and can be efficiently implemented in STEM programs at other colleges and universities, especially Minority Serving Institutions. Results from this project will be disseminated to local, regional, and national audiences through informal discussions, presentations, and publications. The 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.