Crossing the Divide: Building Strong Two-Year/Four Year Partnerships

1. Crossing the Divide: Building Strong Two-Year/Four Year Partnerships

2. Overall Project Objectives (Project targets all STEM majors that require chemistry) Attract 37 more students per year to Stonehill’s target STEM majors. Reduce Stonehill’s attrition rate in the target STEM majors from 47% to 23%. Increase Liberal Arts Transfer Science (LATS) enrollments at Massasoit by 35 students. Increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in STEM degree programs at Stonehill by 24. Increase the number of graduates with targeted majors by 20 in year five with an ultimate goal of 49.

3. Strategies Theme-Based General Chemistry I Enhanced Mentoring, Tutoring and Advising Early Research Experience Career Exploration Summer Bridge Program (only Stonehill) Advanced Placement Chemistry and Biology Laboratories (only Stonehill)

4. Theme-Based General Chemistry I Stonehill: • Themes: Forensics (2007), Food and Nutrition (2007), Environmental (2009), Medical (2009), and Art (2009) • Format: Lecture/Lab combined (six hours a week) • Extent: All sections (8 sections, 24 students per section) Massasoit: • Themes: Food and Nutrition (2008) Environmental (2011) • Format: Three lectures and one laboratory each week • Extent: one out of nine total sections (24 students per section)

5. Enhanced Mentoring, Tutoring and Advising Stonehill: • Upper-class student mentors for all students in General Chemistry • Mentors also PLTL leaders Stonehill/Massasoit: • Articulation agreement that insures Massasoit students can transfer as science majors at junior level • Stonehill student serve as chemistry tutors at Massasoit Massasoit: • Faculty member assigned task of coordinating the advising and mentoring of LATS students • Science students all assigned science faculty as their advisors • Provides special information sessions and transfer days just for science students

6. Early Research Experience Stonehill: • Four first-year students each year join faculty research groups consisting principally of upper-class students • Faculty nominate students based on student’s interest and enthusiasm for science (GPA requirement of 2.0) • Particularly interested in students at risk of dropping out of sciences Massasoit: • Two to four Massasoit faculty do research each summer at Stonehill College • Two Massasoit students work with each faculty member • Massasoit groups work either as extensions of Stonehill research groups or completely independently

7. Career Exploration Stonehill: • Alumni return for career night dinners in both chemistry and biology • Career related seminars as part of departmental seminar series • Tours of local industries that require a scientifically trained workforce Massasoit: • Career related seminars during activity period • Possibilities beyond nursing and allied health • Pamphlets on science careers distributed to all LATS students

8. Intermediate Objectives

10. * biochemistry, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, environmental studies, physics ** psychology, math, computer science

12. Challenges Recruiting Students from Underrepresented Groups into the Sciences at Stonehill Retaining Students from Underrepresented Groups in the Sciences at Stonehill Affordability of Stonehill College for Massasoit Transfer Students Physical Space and Facilities for Conducting Research at Massasoit

13. Challenges Continued Campus Cultural Obstacles to Conducting Research (e.g. orders only can be placed once a month) Finding Massasoit Students Who are Qualified and Interested in Performing Chemical Research Time Required to Implement and Maintain Initiatives Particularly with Large Increase in Students Stonehill’s Culture as a Residential Campus Presents Additional Challenges to Commuter Students