Barriers and Opportunities to 2 and 4 Year STEM Degrees: An HSI Perspective Benjamin C. Flores UTEP Dean of the Graduate School UT System LSAMP Director Irvine, CA January 21-22, 2014 1
2 University of Texas at El Paso: Student Profile Emerging research institution $80M in research 20 doctoral programs (11 in STEM disciplines) Celebrating 1 st Centennial National model for social mobility (Washington Monthly) Hispanic (Mexican-American) majority student population (78% of 23,000) Mirrors population demographic of the region Binational, bilingual community (2.5 million inhabitants) Historically underserved First generation college student: Works off campus Commutes daily Dually enrolled at community college Part time (38%) low income ($18k per capita)
Challenges Effectively advising to increase number of credit hours attempted Creating areas to study and socialize on campus Providing role models for at-risk students Stimulating classroom learning Providing quality co-curricular activities Creating on-campus jobs 3
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Approach Fist Year Learning Communities Freshman Seminar Peer Led Team Learning Workshops Intrusive Advising Student Academic Support Middle Years Curriculum Enhancement Student Validation through Mentoring Enrichment Experiences Peer Leadership Undergraduate Research Outreach Ambassadors Senior Year Capstone Experiences Transition to STEM Workforce Transition to Graduate School 5 Effective Teaching and Learning
Anticipated Outcomes Increased number of hours completed Full time enrollment (30 credits per academic year) Improved cumulative GPA Freshman cohort average GPA (2.8/4.0) Financial aid Enhanced STEM curricula and learning experience Additional enrichment experiences Increased number of STEM degrees awarded Reduced time to degree (6 to 5 to 4 years) 6
Model Institutions for Excellence 12 year NSF funded effort (1995 2006) Comprehensive national MIE model for socio-academic integration HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges and Universities At UTEP: two-college effort to increase the number of URMs earning undergraduate STEM degrees 50% increase over a decade Components First year learning communities (CirCLES) University Seminar (UNIV) Academic student support (ACES) Faculty teaching enhancement (CETaL) Undergraduate research mentoring (REU) Women support and outreach (WiSE) 7
STEM Talent Expansion Improving retention rates in the first and middle years Focus on curriculum reform (less lecturing, more active learning) Math, Chemistry, Physics Peer Led Team Learning Workshops (Proven Strategy) Peer leader training Definition of learning outcomes Weekly coordinating meetings Workshop evaluation rubrics Assessment Concept inventories Teamwork in class (PIGS face-to-face) Learning outcomes course content Leadership skills 8
UT System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary effort to increase number of URMs who earn STEM associate and bachelor s degrees across Texas Focus on summer undergraduate research experiences On campus DoE national laboratories Research abroad Dual enrollment at community/junior colleges and universities Affordability CC to University student transition Reverse credit transfer (to earn Associate s degree) 9
STEM Student Success How do you create an environment that promotes student success? What activities are critical at your institution for student success? Provide examples of curricular activities Provide examples of co-curricular activities How do you measure student success beyond the Graduation Rate? 10
Positive Impact Improved first-year retention rate (75%) Improved first-year cumulative GPA (2.8/4.0) Increased number of earned degrees (50%) Reduced time to degree (5 years) Improved passing rates in gateway courses (80%) Increased number of completed freshman hours (13 hours/semester) High graduation rates for REU and WiSE participants (90%) 11
Contact Information Benjamin C. Flores The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso, TX 79968 915 747-6961 bflores@utep.edu 12