The project is implementing a comprehensive, integrated, multi-layered approach for increasing the number of STEM majors across the State of Washington by coordinating articulation and matriculation between the Washington MESA Community College Program, the University of Washington, and Washington State University. The comprehensive approach is being achieved through established synergy and strong institutional support at the partner colleges and universities. The project, a follow-on to a prior STEP award, is (1) expanding its focus from engineering to all STEM disciplines while strongly emphasizing the inclusion of underrepresented students, (2) increasing the number of community colleges active in the consortium, (3) standardizing the retention and transfer services and activities by migrating towards the successful MESA Community College STEM transfer model, (4) institutionalizing the MESA academic support model for STEM transfers at participating community colleges, and (5) replicating the successful components and services of the MESA K-20 Pathway across Washington. They are disseminating the project's findings and best practices at professional technical society meetings and through organizations such as the National Action Council of Minority Engineering Program Administrators (NAMEPA), Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS), and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). A workforce development center at the University of Washington is monitoring progress towards the project goals by collecting and analyzing data on the number of students and their grades, retention and transfer rates, self confidence levels, and impressions of program effectiveness. Broader impacts include a major focus on increasing the participation of underrepresented minority students and the dissemination of the projects' approaches and evaluation results.
