The Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez (SUAGM) is comprised of three institutions: Universidad Metropolitana (UMET); Universidad del Turabo (UT); and the Colegio Universitario del Este (CUE). SUAGM presently enrolls 19,600 students and is the second largest private university on the Island. SUAGM serves principally economically and educationally disadvantaged students. In October 1995, UMET competed and won an NSF Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) Program Award. To date UMET has used the MIE program to dramatically improve its educational infrastructure in science and mathematics (S&M) and to increase the quantity and quality of minority students who earn SEM baccalaureate degrees. This proposal sets forth a plan for Phase II that will improve upon Phase I accomplishments, raise UMET to the next level of capability, and begin the process of disseminating its model to other institutions including UT and CUE.
The four "cornerstones" of the Phase I MIE are: (1) curriculum, instruction and assessment; (2) faculty development; (3) student recruitment, retention, and graduation; and (4) physical and administrative infrastructure. Phase II will further improve each "cornerstone" of the MIE framework established during 1995-1999 and build synergy across the "cornerstones" to ensure an integrated and systemic improvement effort. During Phase II, UMET will concentrate to a greater degree on bringing its increased SEM student body through graduation and onto graduate school.
To improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment, UMET will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its 10 SEM academic programs and disseminate the MIE curriculum development process to UT and CUE science departments and other UMET departments, using institutional resources.
UMET will develop faculty by hiring additional faculty with advanced degrees in selected areas; enhancing existing faculty
To improve student recruitment, retention, and graduation, UMET will develop a highly effective program for accelerating student learning, critical thinking skills, and content knowledge; provide pre-college students with a greater appreciation of the benefits of careers in S&M and the skills needed to pursue S&M studies; and conduct a coordinated set of activities to attract better prepared students and provide sufficient academic support services to retain them through graduation. These objectives will be achieved through a comprehensive Science Support Center (SSC).
UMET will improve its physical infrastructure by better equipping the UMET Science building; building a new science laboratory building with institutional funds; and enhancing the computer networking capability of all SEM faculty in SUAGM. To further improve the administrative infrastructure, UMET will build on the policy changes that were developed during the initial MIE period, continue the development of UMET and initiate a transformation at both the UT and CUE campuses by extending the UMET MIE administrative policy changes across the System.
The project is managed under the direction of Dr. Juan F. Arratia who reports to the Chancellor of UMET. support to faculty completing doctoral degrees.
To improve student recruitment, retention, and graduation, UMET will develop a highly effective program for accelerating student learning, critical thinking skills, and content knowledge; provide pre-college students with a greater appreciation of the benefits of careers in S&M and the skills needed to pursue S&M studies; and conduct a coordinated set of activities to attract better prepared students and provide sufficient academic support services to retain them through graduation. These objectives will be achieved through a comprehensive Science Support Center (SSC).
UMET will improve its physical infrastructure by better equipping the UMET Science building; building a new science laboratory building with institutional funds; and enhancing the computer networking capability of all SEM faculty in SUAGM. To further improve the administrative infrastructure, UMET will build on the policy changes that were developed during the initial MIE period, continue the development of UMET and initiate a transformation at both the UT and CUE campuses by extending the UMET MIE administrative policy changes across the System.
The project is managed under the direction of Dr. Juan F. Arratia who reports to the Chancellor of UMET.
