Retention of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a significant concern in higher education. Identity has been identified as an important correlate of academic success that may be important in a robust model of STEM retention. The engineering identity of “early career” university engineering students and its relation to GPA, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging was examined. Self-efficacy and belonging were demonstrated to be domain dependent. A sense of belonging was much more strongly related to identity than either GPA or self-efficacy. A strong sense of belonging, specifically in the domain of the department of their major, was critical to a strong engineering identity.
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This content will become publicly available on June 25, 2025
Empowering STEM students: A university‐wide mentorship program fostering retention and belonging
In the face of a challenging climate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) higher education that is resistant to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts aimed to increase and retain students from historically excluded groups (HEGs), there is a critical need for a support structure to ensure students from HEGs continue to be recruited retained. The Biology Undergraduate and Master's Mentorship Program (BUMMP) embodies this commitment to fostering scientific identity, efficacy, and a sense of belonging for first‐generation and historically underserved undergraduate and master's students at UC San Diego. The mission of BUMMP is to cultivate a sense of belonging, instill confidence, and nurture a strong scientific identity amongst all its participants. At its core, the three pillars of BUMMP are (1) mentorship, (2) professional development, and (3) research. Quality mentorship is provided where students receive personal guidance from faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and industry leaders in navigating their career pathways. Complementing mentorship, BUMMP provides paid research opportunities and prioritizes professional development by offering workshops designed to enhance students' professional skills. These three pillars form the backbone of BUMMP, empowering students from all backgrounds and ensuring their retention and persistence in STEM. So far, we've served over 1350 mentees, collaborated with 809 mentors, and had over 180 mentees actively engaged in BUMMP‐sponsored research activities. The primary focus of this paper is to provide a programmatic guideline for the three pillars of BUMMP: mentorship, professional development, and research. This will offer a blueprint for other institutions to establish similar mentorship programs. Additionally, the paper highlights the impact of the BUMMP program and surveyed mentees who have participated in the mentorship and research component of BUMMP. We showed that mentorship and research experience enhance students' sense of belonging, science identity, and science efficacy, which are key predictors of retention and persistence in pursuing a STEM career. Overall, BUMMP's expansive efforts have made a tremendous impact at UC San Diego and will continue to foster a community of future leaders who will be prepared to make meaningful contributions to the scientific community and beyond.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10517338
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Cellular Physiology
- Volume:
- 239
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0021-9541
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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