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With college advisory boards and potential employers consistently voicing their desire for engineers and scientists who can communicate well, work effectively in teams, and independently problem-solve, the Colleges of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS) and Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) at Sacramento State University, a large, public, primarily undergraduate institution, have deployed two programs to explicitly address these skills for undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. The goals of the NSF-funded Achieving STEM Persistence through Peer-Assisted Learning and Leadership Development (ASPIRE) project are to increase retention and decrease time to graduation for STEM students, as well as increase retention of women and underrepresented minorities (URM) in the STEM workforce by implementing evidence-based practices to promote student success during two critical transitions: 1) from lower-division to upper-division coursework in engineering; and 2) from upper-division coursework to an entry-level STEM career. ASPIRE aims to achieve these goals by: 1) adapting and implementing the NSM Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program in gateway engineering courses; and 2) developing the Hornet Leadership Program which includes scaffolded opportunities for students to explore their leadership capacity and develop leadership skills. The main research questions for this study include: (1) Will the ECS PAL model and Hornet Leadership Program result in increased persistence and workforce readiness in STEM majors at a large, diverse university? (2) What attitude changes will this project have on students and faculty and the relationships between them? The first question is addressed through pre- and post-implementation student surveys and student course/GPA data. The second question is addressed through faculty surveys, faculty focus groups/interviews, and pre- and post-data from a faculty professional development workshop. In general, preliminary results from this study indicate the new ECS PAL program successfully attracts URM students and thus has the potential to support their persistence and STEM workforce readiness. Additionally, undergraduate students across both Colleges who participated in the inaugural Hornet Leadership Program gained non-technical skills and experiences directly linked to competitiveness and preparation for workforce entry and graduate programs. Finally, faculty surveys and the faculty professional development workshop indicate that faculty value student leadership development, but identify barriers to accomplishing this work.
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GIFTS: Retention Improvement Efforts in the Undergraduate Living and Learning Community at the University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina Engineering and Computing Living and Learning Community is focused on helping students succeed in their academic careers. For many years, program activities include a one-hour professional development course, linked coursework for mathematics and chemistry courses, and residence hall tutoring availability. Recent new supports for student retention will be discussed. These efforts include: 1. Early Move-In Boot camp - A short optional course helps students adjust to campus and form social networks while providing mathematics review and professional development information. 2. More linked courses - In addition to mathematics and chemistry, the living and learning community now has implemented linked humanities coursework in the spring so that students living together can take more courses with other residents. 3. Spring activities - Traditionally, most retention efforts have focused on acclimation in the Fall semester. New efforts help support students throughout their entire first year so that they have help in taking corrective actions. https://peer.asee.org/gifts-retention-improvement-efforts-in-the-undergraduate-living-and-learning-community-at-the-university-of-south-carolina
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- Award ID(s):
- 1930492
- PAR ID:
- 10504082
- Publisher / Repository:
- ASEE
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ASEE FYE
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Lansing, MI
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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