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Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: What Works and What Doesn’t

Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: What Works and What Doesn’t. a presentation by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Metropolitan Community College. STEM Communities in Conversation University of Illinois at Chicago Friday, September 28, 2007. UNO and MCC STEPping Together.

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Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: What Works and What Doesn’t

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  1. Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: What Works and What Doesn’t a presentation by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Metropolitan Community College STEM Communities in Conversation University of Illinois at Chicago Friday, September 28, 2007

  2. UNO and MCC STEPping Together • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination NSF STEP Grant awarded August, 2003 effective May, 2004 Hesham Ali, UNO Dean, Information Science and Technology Jack Heidel, UNO Math Chair Bradley Morrison, MCC Math/Science Dean Michele O’Connor, (former) MCC Math/Science Dean Dana Richter-Egger, UNO Assistant Professor of Chemistry Carey Ryan, UNO Professor of Psychology

  3. The Setting • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Omaha • The largest city in Nebraska (population ~825,000) • The largest metropolitan center within 150 miles • The University of Nebraska at Omaha • A metropolitan university • Fall 2007 undergraduate enrollment – 12,127 • (~10.241 FTE) • Metropolitan Community College • Fall 2007 enrollment – 14,889 • ~9,366 FTE

  4. Main Grant Activities • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • MCC STEP Outreach and Bridge Scholarships • Full time Outreach Coordinator • Six new associate degrees created • pre-Biology, pre-Biotechnology, pre-Chemistry,Computer Science, pre-Mathematics and pre-Physics • $500 per quarter scholarships for STEM majors within 50 hours of degree completion

  5. Main Grant Activities • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Walk-in Tutoring for Math/Physics and (separately) Chemistry • UNO STEP Scholarships • $1000 per semester • 20 awarded each year to entering STEM majors • Early Undergraduate Research (EUR) • $4500 summer stipends paid to faculty • 3 credit hour tuition waivers given to students

  6. Bottom Line Results • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination UNO STEM graduates by academic year Discipline 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Biology, Biotech 66 81 97 85 122 107 Chemistry 6 3 4 7 8 5 CSI, Bioinformatics 56 63 67 63 61 50 Geology 0 4 3 1 4 3 Mathematics 18 20 18 27 19 29 Physics 5 2 1 0 4 4 Total STEM 151 173 190 186 216 198

  7. UNO STEM Graduates • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination

  8. MCC Successes • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination MCC declared STEM majors by academic year Disciplines 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Biology, Biotech 23 42 50 Chemistry 5 6 12 Computer Science 69 75 96 Engineering 59 80 69 Mathematics 5 7 10 Physics 3 6 4 MCC STEM Totals 164 217 243

  9. MCC Successes • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination MCC STEP Bridge Scholarships by Academic Year 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Scholarships Awarded 4 15 22 ACT test scores submitted to MCC by high school students with STEM interests Graduation Year 2005 2006 2007 Number of students 40 138 172

  10. MCC Successes • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination Spring 2007 UNO STEM majors transferred from MCC (with 25+ MCC hours) Biology, Biotech 49 Chemistry 6 Computer Science, Bioinf 24 Engineering 50 Environmental Science 7 Geology 1 MIS 25 Mathematics 9 Physics 5 Total 175

  11. Another Success • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Walk-in Tutoring has now been institutionalized with the establishment of the Math-Science Learning Center • $88,000 in permanent funding from the University • activities: • assessment of math, science education • walk-in tutoring • supplemental instruction • study group facilitation • academic consultation • peer-to-peer mentoring

  12. Early Undergraduate Research • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Faculty recruit qualified early undergraduates into a motivational research activity and then to supervise the students involved for one or more semesters. • Focus on 1st and 2nd year students • Encourages these students to consider a STEM major • Funding provides for • Faculty stipend (summer) • Tuition waivers for students, up to 3 credits/student • Limited funds for materials/supplies

  13. Does EUR Work? • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Results: • 26 projects over four summers • 16 different faculty • 151 students • 136 still STEM majors or graduates • therefore 90% success (retention)

  14. Does EUR Work? • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • The Problem: success has been uneven • 12 projects and 86 students in Biology • 5 projects, 30 students in Math • fragmentary participation otherwise • 5 projects, 45 students with one biologist • (he’s now in charge of EUR reorganization!) • Conclusion: • works for faculty buy-in to STEP • less valuable for recruiting/retention because most students are upperclassmen

  15. STEP Scholarships Don’t Work • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Goal: • 20 scholarships ($1000 per semester) for entering STEM majors, renewable for three years • 2004 class dwindled from 18 to 6 after three years • 2005 class dwindled from 18 to 10 after two years • Reality: • many of these students transfer into such areas as pre-med, pre-pharm, pre-nursing, pre-therapy

  16. Adult Learner Access Scholarships • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • age 24 and older • declared STEM major • full-time or part-time, no need requirement • 3.0 or higher GPA • offered $400 tuition waiver • (resident tuition for three credit hours) • renewable for a second semester • we send email to eligible students • Spring 2007: 153 eligible, 50 recipients • Fall 2007: 189 eligible, 51 recipients

  17. What Works? • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • UNO/MCC Collaboration (NSF loves this!) • Adult Learner Access Scholarships • Mentoring in Context • employment as a tutor • year round “grooming” EUR • Undergraduate Research for Faculty Buy-in

  18. What Doesn’t Work? • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • STEP Scholarships for Entering Students • Early Undergraduate Research for Recruiting

  19. Bottom Line Results (again) • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination UNO STEM graduates by academic year Discipline 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Biology, Biotech 66 81 97 85 122 107 Chemistry 6 3 4 7 8 5 CSI, Bioinformatics 56 63 67 63 61 50 Geology 0 4 3 1 4 3 Mathematics 18 20 18 27 19 29 Physics 5 2 1 0 4 4 Total STEM 151 173 190 186 216 198

  20. A New STEP Proposal • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination UNO and MCC and the High Schools STEPping Together STEP renewal proposal submitted Sept 18, 2007

  21. Recruiting Initiatives • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Continue and Expand Outreach at MCC • Saturday Science at MCC • Taking Science for a Test Drive • two week summer workshops for high school juniors and seniors, ten students each • UNO and MCC faculty paid $2500 to teach • faculty from biology, chemistry, geology, MIS are committed • New motivational courses in entry level MIS • Small group learning in entry level chemistry • Help launch neuroscience at UNO

  22. Retention Initiatives • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • Reorganize EUR into year-round “grooming” projects • Replace STEP scholarships by broadened ALAS • Send UNO math students to tutor in Omaha Public Schools

  23. Dissemination • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination Innovative Models for Effective Collaboration between Universities and Community Colleges, Hesham Ali, Jack Heidel, Michele O’Connor and Dana Richter-Egger, 110th annual meeting of the higher learning commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), in a Collection of Papers in Self-Study and Institutional Improvement, Volume 1, pp. 73-75, Chicago, April 8-12, 2005. http://avalon.unomaha.edu/step/

  24. Acknowledgements • Introduction • Setting • Activities • # of Grads • MCC Success • MSLC • EUR • Scholarships • Summary • A New Proposal • Dissemination • The National Science Foundation • NSF-DUE STEP Grant #336462 • The University of Nebraska at Omaha • College and departmental support • Metropolitan Community College • College and division support

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