This proposal seeks to establish a bridges program between San Jose State University and two nearby community colleges, Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College. SJCC has 35% under-represented minority students and 238 biology or chemistry majors. EVC has 37% under-represented minority students and a similar number of science students. SJSU has over 60% graduates who start college elsewhere, and currently has 290 under-represented minority students majoring in science. The reasons for developing this program are to respond to the need for the early identification, education, and mentoring of EVC and SJCC students interested in science and for appropriately advising and mentoring them as they make the transfer to SJSU. The proposed plan has three phases, or cycles, each corresponding to an academic year. In the fall of the first cycle, five students at each school (and 3 to 5 alternates at each) will be selected by a detailed series of steps which involve both the community college and the SJSU faculty. Students will meet weekly on campus, monthly at SJSU, and will form regularly meeting study groups which are expected to continue intact during the duration of the program. Individual advising and mentoring will be provided. These activities will continue in the spring, and a weekly math and studies skills workshop taught by community college faculty and a seminar series at SJSU will be added. In the summer of cycle I, students will continue the seminar series and take a pre-calculus and computer and a biomedical techniques course with SJSU faculty. Students who are doing well will be able to start in a paid research position at SJSU which will continue during the second year. In the fall of the second cycle, ten new students will be selected and will participate as for cycle I along with the continuing students, who will also continue their study groups. Continuing students will serve as paid tutors and peer mentors for the entering students and, if not already done, will find research mentors at SJSU by the end of the spring. Advanced students will conduct research during the summer and give an oral presentation of it. They will meet with MARC and MBRS faculty from SJSU to work on post-transfer placements, and will transfer. During cycle III (after this proposal ends), there will be a study skills course for transferring students. It is expected that the peer workshops and study groups will continue, and that the advanced students will continue to mentor and tutor incoming cycle I students. There are plans for students to attend national minority student conferences to help them realize that they are part of a group. The realities of tracking frequently moving students are addressed in the follow-up plan. The faculty at EVC who will have supervisory and mentoring responsibilities are Mr Dorado and Mr. Sul, who have master's degrees in biology and statistics, respectively. Mr. Dorado has been active in developing science classes for the ENLACE program, and Mr. Sul participates in its math component. The SJCC faculty participants are Ms. Burnham (math) and Ms. Lopez (biology). They also have experience in programs for minority students. All four community college faculty will participate at 5 or 6% release time for 9 months. They will be responsible for the initial selection of students, weekly meetings with students on their campus, and monthly meeting at SJSU with all program participants.
