The Northern New Mexico College Biology and Environmental Sciences Training (BEST) project will provide annual scholarships to 25 full-time academically talented and underrepresented students with demonstrated financial need majoring in Biology or Environmental Science (ES). The BEST project will implement best practice supportive curricular activities, including Peer-led Team Learning study groups, Biology seminar series, faculty-mentored undergraduate research experiences (URE), and conference participation; and a suite of non-curricular activities including monthly cohort building activities, all known to foster retention. BEST will also support the entry of participants into the STEM workforce and graduate programs by providing paid summer workforce internships and URE. This program is important for the advancement of scientific knowledge and understanding of those practices and services that most effectively recruit, retain and graduate underrepresented students in STEM, thereby increasing the number of underrepresented students entering the STEM workforce and diversifying the field.
The project objectives include: 1) increasing the number of students in Biology and ES programs by enhancing recruitment and retention; 2) increasing degree progress by increasing student credit hours taken per semester; 3) increasing graduation rates; and 4) implementing a longitudinal study that will generate a 'Risk of Leaving STEM' scale; analyze math anxiety among STEM and non-STEM majors; analyze student services that correlate with increases in a student's self-identity and sense of belonging in a STEM program; and analyze correlations between summer research/workforce internships and STEM career entry. The research will assess whether the support services and activities impact retention/graduation using a longitudinal cohort design. The measures employed are derived from the NSF Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development and involve qualitative and quantitative components. Early attrition points are heavily targeted in the first four semesters to gain comparative samples and establish baselines. Tracking will occur at key points to collect additional measures to establish individual changes over time. Analyses will determine the effect of faculty and peer mentoring, summer internships, and engagement in professional activities as triggers for STEM leaving or enhanced STEM self-identification. External evaluation will provide formative information to ensure continuous improvement of support services to ensure they foster retention and degree completion. Summative evaluation will gauge the project's effectiveness in meeting its goals and inform long range planning.
