The current representation of minorities in higher education and the biomedical sciences is well below their representation in the US population. Recently, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents formed a Task Force to study mechanism for improving recruitment and retention of minority students in the Life Sciences and to develop methods to expand the horizons of minority students beyond the traditional professional fields into careers in biotechnology, teaching and research. The task force recommended the establishment of collaborative programs between two-year and four-year institutions, as well as, increasing research opportunities for minority undergraduate students. Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) is an open access, two year, state-sponsored institution. The majority of the students at BCCC are Baltimore City residents (85 percent), African-American (82 percent), and female (75 percent). Towson University (TU) is a four-year comprehensive university with a minority student population of 16 percent; the Biology Department has 18.1 percent minority students. TU Receives a large percentage of students from community colleges in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
The specific aims of this program are to (i) facilitate transfer of minority students from BCCC to TU through tutoring and faculty and peer mentoring (ii) involve these students in summer research prior to enrollment at TU (iii) establish a BCCC and TU faculty team for academic and career counseling (iv) guarantee admission to TU for successful program participants and (v) provide students with skills required to successfully compete in post- graduate education and careers. This program, which will train seven students each year, will be a natural extension of the current TU effort to increase the number of minority science students by facilitating their transfer from BCCC. The first group of students will be chosen in the middle of their freshman year at BCCC and will participate in a summer research project at TU. They will enroll in courses at BCCC that will allow them to enter TU with true junior status by completing the Biology core courses and some of the General Education requirements. The second group of participants will be selected in the following Spring semester. During the second summer, both groups of students will participate in the summer research program. Students will be assigned both faculty and peer mentors to help ease the transition between BCCC and TU and to provide academic support and career counseling. Regular meetings and frequent interactions between the BCCC faculty, TU Faculty and will ensure the success of this program. The long-term goal is to establish a formal program between TU and BCCC that will enhance the transfer and retention of minority science students who will be trained for careers in the biomedical sciences.
