The goals of this S-STEM Science Scholars Program at Canisius College are 1) to recruit additional students to the biology, environmental science, and animal science, ecology and conservation majors; 2) to create a learning community for the students during their course of study; and 3) to provide students with skills and experiences to prepare them for science careers or continuing to graduate school. The program is providing 2- or 3-year scholarships that allow 2 cohorts of nine sophomores or junior community college transfer students, at critical juncture points for academic success, to join the Science Scholars learning community. Scholars are being recruited at local high schools (in economically depressed areas) and at local community colleges in conjunction with the college admissions office, and through presentations and announcements to freshmen students. Scholarship applications are selected on the basis of criteria related to a combination of financial need, demonstrated academic achievement, and quality of application materials. The program's goals are being met in part through use of existing courses and co-curricular activities, including enrollment in laboratory courses that incorporate multiple opportunities for students to practice doing science and communicating about it, mentored research experiences and internships, and seminar courses that feature development of professional skills and exploration of career paths in addition to research methods. New program components are also being designed to meet project objectives, including 1) development of a learning community model that includes course sections that accommodate the entire cohort of students, social activities that foster both student cohesiveness and faculty-student interactions outside of class, and academic and career advice; 2) expansion of the college's supplemental instruction program; 3) establishment of a new monthly journal club/lunch bunch to review student and faculty research as well as read common scientific articles; 4) student-sponsored seminars in the Biology Department's seminar series; and 5) student travel to scientific conferences, either to present research results or to explore scientific fields of individual interest. In addition to formative assessment of the program components, the project's evaluation effort includes tracking of retention and placement of students in discipline-specific jobs or graduate programs. Program outcomes are being reported through presentations at discipline-specific conferences and in publications in science and higher education journals.
