NSF STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Grant #06-53260

1. Lessons learned from San Jose State University: How nurturing an “Ecosystem” of students and faculty engagement leads to STEP student success NSF STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Grant #06-53260 Maureen Scharberg, Associate Vice President,Student Academic Success Services and Professor of Chemistry, Maureen.Scharberg@sjsu.edu

2. * College of Science had issues with student success and retention, especially in “gateway” courses—needed mandatory academic advising—started with Chemistry* Involvement with NSF Initiative for Systemic Changes of Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum—very student focused, active learning, group learning, problem-solving* POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning)* ACS Chemistry textbook project* Professional Development of Faculty, Graduate Students and Teachers (focus on student engagement)

3. STEM Student SuccessSTEP by STEP* Academic/Social/Personal—Changes with time * Help students build their STEM student “toolbox”* Transform STEM student “novice” to STEM student “leader”, wherever their entry point to the STEM degree is.* Lessons learned and programs developed from this STEP grant applied throughout SJSU

4. Bottom Line Outcome from this Grant:* Transformed SJSU by creating a Student Success Ecosystem * Complex set of relationships * Many resources, including students, faculty, staff, student leaders, student support network(s) * Interactive * Dynamic * Variable environment (within and outside SJSU) * Function as a unit

5. STEP Objective 1: Expand and enhance academic & career advising to entering students* Created College of Science Advising Center (COSAC): * Opened April 2008—over 11,409 student visits to date * “One-Stop Shop” for academic advising, career services, tutoring, time management, study strategies * Intrusive, mandatory academic advising every semester. * Probation and disqualification in the major, not the university (Colleges of Science and Engineering)

6. STEM Probation Students:* Modified our existing transfer First Year Experience course in Spring 2009* Started with College of Science, now expanded to include probation students from Colleges of Engineering, Social Science, Business, Applied Sciences & Arts as well as undeclared students on probation

7. STEM MAJORS RETAINED THROUGH INTERVENTION SP09,FA09,SP10,FA10 (Sci 90T or Advising/Peer Mentoring)

8. * Strong partnership with Career Center—more STEM students visit the Career Center now than at the beginning of the grant* Outreach to 2-year colleges by COSAC staff (professional academic advisor and intern); increased awareness of transfer STEM student needs by faculty * Transforming SJSU—six out of the seven colleges now have advising/success centers!!! * Five are based on the COSAC model and have opened during the grant period! (professional advisers, peer advisers/tutors, liaison with Academic Advising & Retention Services)

9. STEP Objective 2: Provide Professional Development Opportunities for faculty who teach STEM “Gateway” courses* Release time for small groups of faculty to study literature, attend professional conferences, develop/implement curriculum.* Math (supplemental instruction)—started with pre-calculus, expanded to calculus, algebra, business calculus throughout grant period.* Computer Science – (stopped traditional lectures; active learning labs with short lectures)

10. Precalculus and Calculus Passing Rates

11. STEP Objective 3: Immerse STEM majors into comprehensive learning communities* Frosh First-Year Experience – Sci 2 class (600 students this semester; expand to include non-STEM majors)* Supplemental instruction (Chemistry, Math, Physics)* STEM student leadership development (peer advisers, tutors, mentors) * 7,768 student questions answered during grant period * 11,636 hours of tutoring

13. First Time Frosh First Year Retention Rates

14. Bottom Line:* Created a college-wide social environment where science students feel a sense of belonging and identify with their college, fields of study, faculty, advisers and peers * Expanded student success culture throughout the campus, catalyzed by this grant

15. Data Analysis:* Beginning of grant period—pulling transcripts…too slow..* Worked with our campus-wide programmers to create queries that gives associate deans major GPA, grades in key “gateway” courses—helps identify students for probation in the major* Worked with our Office of Institutional Research to create our Student Success Milestone Dashboard for frosh and transfers (http://www.oir.sjsu.edu/reports/ssm/)

16. SJSU Student Success Milestones (frosh/transfer) “In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Orphanage in war-torn Nepal. But what began as a lark became a passionate commitment that would transform the young American and the lives of countless others.” -Taken from www.conorgrennan.com

17. Sustainability:* Student Academic Success Services (new Academic Affairs Unit as of June 2010---hub of student success operations, interacting with Student Affairs, departments, colleges, outreach)* Funding: Special Sessions revenues, new Student Success, Excellence, Technology fee for Fall 2012; majority of student success operations, especially success centers, peer advising are not State of California dollars.

18. Questions for discussion:* How does your STEP program define STEM student success?* What STEM student support services do you provide?* What data do you have to track STEM student success?* What support do you provide STEM transfer students?* How do you motivate your faculty to focus on integrating best practices for STEM student learning into their curriculum?

19. NSF STEP Grant: 06-53260, Susan Hixson, our Program Officer • Dr. Dan Walker, PI • Dr. Gerry Selter, Provost Emeritus • and my mentor • Ann Baldwin, Program Manager • Michael Randle, Sci 2 and Sci 90T instructor • Student Academic Success Services • My colleagues at SJSU – students, faculty, administrators, and staff Thanks!