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