This is a competing renewal application submitted by Georgia State University seeking three additional years of funding for a program to increase the number of minority students, primarily African-Americans, from Atlanta-area two year colleges who complete degrees at Georgia State University in biology and chemistry. The goal is to enroll at least ten such majors in each year of the program. The major element of the current program is to provide a """"""""bridging"""""""" summer research and course experience at GSU for 10 students in the summer prior to their enrollment at GSU. This element is supplemented by tutoring and advising during the spring semester of the second year at the two-year colleges, orientation sessions at GSU, summer research at GSU for two faculty members from each of the two-year colleges, guaranteed acceptance at GSU for students who successfully complete the two-year curriculum and the 'bridging' summer program. GSU has an African-American student enrollment of 20 percent, or close to 6,000 people, and the two participating two-year schools, Atlanta Metropolitan and Dekalb College, are predominantly African-American, with about 5,300 and 3,800 students, respectively. Large numbers of students from these schools transfer to GSU, however, few of the minority students who transfer major in biology or chemistry. The three schools involved in this application are already involved in collaborative efforts to facilitate the transfer of students to baccalaureate programs at four-year colleges, including this one. In the proposal under consideration, the current project will be continued, and the number of students participating in the summer program will be increased to 20. Tuition remission at GSU is also sought for 20 students per year. In addition, there are plans to supplement the activities already present with counseling and advertisement services available at GSU including aid in selecting graduate programs. GRE preparatory classes are proposed to provide opportunities to attend professional conferences, opportunities to participate in programs such as the McNair, and meeting with parents to update them on the progress of their children, to familiarize them with the program, and to make science- related activities available for younger children. This year 36 students (as opposed to 12 students last year) have already been selected for the preliminary phase of the program.
