COMPASS Program 2014-2015

1. COMPASS Program 2014-2015 C MPASS Maria S. Santisteban, PI Rebecca Bullard-Dillard, co-PI

2. Goals • Goal 1: Recruit 27 motivated, academically talented, financially needy students, including underrepresented minorities (URM) and first generation students, as Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science, and Chemistry majors and provide them financial assistance. • Goal 2:Improve the STEM education experience of the 27 students and prepare them for the STEM workforce or graduate/professional programs through intense mentoring and tutoring, research experience opportunities, internships, professional development, and career advising. • Goal 3: Increase student retention to degree achievement. Our goal is that 100% of the 27 scholars will graduate with a STEM degree under six years. • Goal 4: Build a learning community of STEM scholars, which will considerably strength the institutional culture for other students to want to excel and be part of this community.

4. Program activities: Financial support • Scholarships: Each S-STEM scholar will receive an annual scholarship (average of $6,000/academic year) for their financial support while they are completing their STEM degree. Depending on each family’s ability to pay, the actual scholarship may vary, but the average will be $6,000/student, which is in line with UNCP’s average student financial need (for in-state students). In order to retain a full 3 years of scholarship support, each scholar must maintain a GPA of 3.0 and participate adequately in program activities.

5. Program activities: Academic support • Math-readiness summer mini-course: • 2-week mini-course the summer before they enter the COMPASS program. • The goal of this course is to cement students’ math knowledge and to increase their math fluency to the level where they feel well equipped and confident for their next courses. • Seminars: • Seminars, 6/year • The goal of having students attend these guest seminars is for them to learn other viewpoints within a discipline, and to hear about current research and practical applications of what they learn in their courses. • The number of seminars attended and degree of participation in the pre- and the post-seminar discussions will be recorded. Performance will be measured by number of seminars, number of attendees, and survey responses from the scholars.

6. Program activities: Academic support • Tutoring and supplemental instruction: All COMPASS scholars will be encouraged to attend one or two sessions of tutoring or supplemental instruction weekly while taking Cell Biology and Genetics for the biology majors and General ChemistyII and Organic Chemistry for the chemistry majors. Students should register for sections labeled as SI when available • Attendance reports for the tutoring and SI sessions will be provided to the PI from the CAE twice a semester. Performance will be measured by number of sessions attended for each of the scholars, and performance in courses as determined by grades.

7. Program activities: career support • Career planning and placement through professional development workshops, invited speakers, internships, and travel: • Workshops, 6/year Career center • Site visits, 2/year • From their junior year, scholarship recipients will be encouraged to do at least one internship at an industry, state or federal agency, which will open their eyes to possibilities beyond academia. • Attendance to talks and visits will be tracked. Performance will be measured by number of events attended, number of attendees, and survey responses. • Optional summer research/internship: • Research either, at a REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates, NSF funded) site, at another university offering summer research programs, or at UNCP. • Internship at a local or regional industry or agency. • Funds in the amount of $2,100 will be provided for up to 4 students working with faculty at UNCP, or to supplement any unpaid portions of their summer research experience at other institutions/agencies or in a STEM industry internship.

8. Program activities: career support • Attendance at professional/academic meetings and conferences • All students doing research will be required to present at the PURC symposium. All students will be able to attend the NC Academy of Science meeting, even if they do not have a project to present. The S-STEM program will pay for them to attend this meeting.

9. Program activities: Community building and support (Community of Scholars) • Mentoring: Students will be mentored throughout the entire program and mentors will meet with students on an individual basis at least once a month. • Performance will be measured through results of pre- and post-tests (control vs. mini-course), and student self-reported gains. • COMPASS social and learning community: COMPASS scholars will come together for as many activities as possible, including: i) SI sections and STEM courses, ii) seminars and workshops (12/year) and lunch with speakers they invite, iii) off-campus visits to labs and industrial sites (2/year), iv) tutoring for Genetics, Cell Biology, Chemistry II, and Organic Chemistry I, and vi) peer teaching during study groups in the student lounge and within tutoring and SI sessions (ongoing). Some of these activities will also be attended by RISE scholars.

10. Questions?