Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: and Metropolitan Community College

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
NSF STEP Grant
awarded August, 2003
effective May, 2004
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
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
Omaha

# of Grads

MCC Success
The largest city in Nebraska (population ~825,000)
The largest metropolitan center within 150 miles
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships

The University of Nebraska at Omaha
Summary

A New Proposal

Dissemination
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

MCC STEP Outreach and Bridge Scholarships



MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
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
UNO STEM graduates by academic year
Activities
# of Grads
MCC Success
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
Discipline
Biology, Biotech
Chemistry
CSI, Bioinformatics
Geology
Mathematics
Physics
Total STEM
2001-02
66
6
56
0
18
5
151
2002-03
81
3
63
4
20
2
173
2003-04
97
4
67
3
18
1
190
2004-05
85
7
63
1
27
0
186
2005-06
122
8
61
4
19
4
216
2006-07
107
5
50
3
29
4
198
UNO STEM Graduates
Introduction
Setting
300
Projected
Activities
# of Grads
250
Actual
MCC Success
MSLC
200
EUR
Scholarships
150
Summary
A New Proposal
100
Dissemination
50
0
1
79
9
98
1
89
9
99
1
99
9
00
2
00
0
01
2
10
0
02
2
20
0
03
2
30
0
04
ar
e
Y
1
ar
e
Y
2
ar
e
Y
3
ar
e
Y
4
ar
e
Y
5
MCC Successes
Introduction
Setting
MCC declared STEM majors by academic year
Activities
# of Grads
MCC Success
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
Disciplines
Biology, Biotech
Chemistry
Computer Science
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
MCC STEM Totals
2004-05
23
5
69
59
5
3
164
2005-06
42
6
75
80
7
6
217
2006-07
50
12
96
69
10
4
243
MCC Successes
Introduction
Setting
Activities
# of Grads
MCC Success
MCC STEP Bridge Scholarships by Academic Year
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07
Scholarships Awarded
4
15
22
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
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

Walk-in Tutoring has now been institutionalized
with the establishment of the Math-Science
Learning Center
MSLC

EUR

Scholarships
Summary
$88,000 in permanent funding from the University
activities:

A New Proposal

Dissemination




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

Faculty recruit qualified early undergraduates
into a motivational research activity and then to
supervise the students involved for one or more
semesters.

Summary

A New Proposal

Dissemination
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

Results:

MCC Success

MSLC

EUR

Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination

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
The Problem: success has been uneven

# of Grads
MCC Success

MSLC

EUR

Scholarships
12 projects and 86 students in Biology
5 projects, 30 students in Math
fragmentary participation otherwise
5 projects, 45 students with one biologist

Summary
(he’s now in charge of EUR reorganization!)
A New Proposal
Dissemination

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
Goal:

# of Grads
MCC Success
20 scholarships ($1000 per semester) for entering
STEM majors, renewable for three years
MSLC

EUR

Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination

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 premed, 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
UNO STEM graduates by academic year
Activities
# of Grads
MCC Success
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
Discipline
Biology, Biotech
Chemistry
CSI, Bioinformatics
Geology
Mathematics
Physics
Total STEM
2001-02
66
6
56
0
18
5
151
2002-03
81
3
63
4
20
2
173
2003-04
97
4
67
3
18
1
190
2004-05
85
7
63
1
27
0
186
2005-06
122
8
61
4
19
4
216
2006-07
107
5
50
3
29
4
198
A New STEP Proposal
Introduction
Setting
Activities
# of Grads
UNO and MCC and the High Schools
STEPping Together
MCC Success
MSLC
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
STEP renewal proposal submitted Sept 18, 2007
Recruiting Initiatives
Introduction
Setting
Activities
# of Grads
MCC Success



MSLC
Continue and Expand Outreach at MCC
Saturday Science at MCC
Taking Science for a Test Drive

EUR
Scholarships
Summary

A New Proposal

Dissemination



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
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.
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination
http://avalon.unomaha.edu/step/
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Setting

Activities

# of Grads
MCC Success
The National Science Foundation

MSLC
NSF-DUE STEP Grant #336462
The University of Nebraska at Omaha

College and departmental support
EUR
Scholarships
Summary
A New Proposal
Dissemination

Metropolitan Community College

College and division support