The University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College Southwest Indiana are partners in the Southwestern Indiana STEM (SwISTEM) initiative. The SwISTEM Initiative consists of four components: 1) development and implementation of an Early Undergraduate Research Program; 2) formation of the Pathways Leading to Undergraduate Success in the Sciences (PLUSS) Program which offers developmental courses in mathematics and the sciences; 3) an Outreach Program targeting high school students; and, 4) a Professional Development program for pre-college and college faculty. SwISTEM is increasing the number and quality of students selecting STEM majors; providing opportunities to engage students early in hands-on research opportunities; developing a more nurturing and team oriented approach to STEM education; providing enhanced academic and career advising for students majoring in the STEM areas; improving the retention and graduation rates for STEM students; improving the success rates in key introductory mathematics and science courses; providing professional development for regional faculty; and, developing community partnerships to generate additional interest in STEM careers.
This award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) provided support to the University of Southern Indiana (USI) and Ivy Tech Community College - Southwest Indiana for a collaborative project that developed the Southwestern Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SwISTEM) Initiative. The goals of the SwISTEM Initiative included: increasing the number and quality of students from southwest Indiana that become STEM majors; providing research opportunities for regional college students in the first two or three years of their university studies; developing a more nurturing and team oriented approach to STEM education; providing enhanced academic and career advising for students majoring in the STEM areas; improving the retention and graduation rates for STEM students; improving the success rates in key introductory mathematics and science courses; providing professional development for regional high school and college STEM faculty; and, developing community partnerships to generate additional interest in STEM careers. The SwISTEM Initiative addressed these goals through the development of three major programs that were organized through the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education at USI. These programs included: the Early Undergraduate Research Program (EURP), the Pathways Leading to Undergraduate Success in the Sciences (PLUSS) program, and the Outreach and Professional Development (OPD) program. The implementation of an Early Undergraduate Research Program - EURP This program created eight week summer research experiences for STEM students completing their first two years of higher education. The program provided stipends for students & faculty, funding for equipment & supplies, and support for student travel to research conferences. USI provided summer housing for these students. The program provided summer research opportunities for more than 100 students since 2008. Students participating in EURP show significantly better retention rates and graduation rates than their peers. The establishment of the Pathways Leading to Undergraduate Success in the Sciences (PLUSS) Program. The PLUSS program provided developmental coursework in mathematics and the sciences for underprepared college students. The program also featured programming that provided early intervention for students who were struggling academically. The retention rate for students in the college and the university increased after the introduction of the PLUSS program. The PLUSS program remained in place until a college wide advising and resource center was put in place in 2012. The Pott College Advising & Resource Center continues to use many of the practices introduced through the PLUSS program. The development of an Outreach and Professional Development program (OPD) The OPD program provided regional high school students with better access to scientific equipment and provided both precollege & college faculty with more access to professional development. Of the three components, OPD activities received the smallest amount of funding, but the Pott College administration has been able to leverage these funds to support other projects. These projects have provided increased access to scientific equipment for high school students in southwestern Indiana. More than 1300 teachers have been involved in USI sponsored workshops, though participation dropped when funding by the Indiana STEM (I STEM) Resource Network was cut in 2012.
