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The LINK scholarship program at the University of South Alabama is funded by an NSF S-STEM grant, awarding scholarships to low-income students transferring from community colleges in the Gulf Coast region to complete degrees in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The program provides financial support and academic mentoring to foster student success and optimize time to degree completion after transfer. Part of that effort includes providing pre-transfer advice through interactions with faculty and advisors at the regional community colleges. A further objective is to promote transfer student integration into the college, as this is expected to enhance academic achievement and professional development. This engagement is encouraged through faculty mentorship with frequent meetings, a cohort-building academic success seminar, and expected participation in engineering-focused student organizations. Our project includes a mixed-methods study to improve our understanding of what support mechanisms effectively integrate transfer students in our college, and how students perceive that integration to enhance their academic and professional development. Early data analysis is presented here. Student surveys indicate that they believe that peers in their classes and their assigned faculty advisors have the greatest impact on their integration and academic success. For professional development, the transfer students find that internships the most importance, followed by participation in student organizations.
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The Disproportionate Impact of Fear of Negative Evaluation on First-Generation College Students, LGBTQ+ Students, and Students with Disabilities in College Science Courses
Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is the primary factor causing student anxiety in active learning. This study of 566 undergraduates establishes that LGBTQ+, first-generation, and disabled students disproportionately experience FNE, which causes students to overthink their responses and reduces their participation in class.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2111833
- PAR ID:
- 10483898
- Editor(s):
- Gardner, Stephanie
- Publisher / Repository:
- CBE LSE
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- CBE—Life Sciences Education
- Volume:
- 22
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 1931-7913
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-10-0195
