The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is piloting a series of initiatives to increase the number of students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, pursuing and receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The primary objective of this pilot study is to identify the effectiveness of these initiatives. The following initiatives are being examined: 1. We are creating an increased interest in STEM fields among high school students through a pilot program in which 90 upper level UMBC mechanical and chemical engineering students, divided into teams, are visiting ten high schools to introduce students to physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, or technology concepts using engineering applications. (This is reaching approximately 540 students annually.) 2. We are identifying the relative effectiveness of a two-week summer bridge program, a scholarship program, and an internship program on student enrollment and retention in STEM programs compared to partial or no intervention. 3. We are enhancing the current informal consortium arrangement between UMBC and CCBC to increase STEM program articulation, student transfer, and the development of a formalized internship program at CCBC with science and technology-related companies. An evaluation of these activities should provide valuable insights into the importance of economic and academic support components in the long-term retention of all students in STEM areas, with a special emphasis on underrepresented students. The project involves 10 UMBC faculty and 7 CCBC faculty from each of its three campuses (Catonsville, Dundalk and Essex) The project is under the guidance of an advisory board composed of academic officers from the participating campuses and representatives from participating private firms: AT&T, FMC Corporation, Becton Dickinson, and Northrop Grumman. Upon completion of the pilot, the following elements will be in place to support sustainability: - Curriculum resources for a two-week STEM summer bridge program. - A collaborative experience involving 18 faculty and staff from CCBC and UMBC. - An internship program at CCBC where there had not been one before. - Additional knowledge to appreciate the value of academic and financial intervention and how they independently and interactively benefit non-exceptional students. - An increased enrollment, retention, and graduation of students, and particularly underrepresented women and minorities, in STEM areas at UMBC and CCBC.
