The Northeast LSAMP (NELSAMP) has significantly increased underrepresented minority (URM) enrollment in STEM baccalaureate disciplines and their graduation at five independent institutions located in three different states. The Alliance enables its institutions to implement best practices that ensure student success, such as research opportunities and formal Supplemental Instruction programs. It also provides opportunities for NELSAMP students from the five institutions to interact and find a larger identity group through Alliance-wide events. The proposed NELSAMP Senior Alliance aims to maintain and build upon its existing programs, develop intentional pathways for student progression from community college STEM associate degree programs into NELSAMP, and implement an NELSAMP-specific international research experience for upper level students. In addition, it will encourage other NELSAMP students to participate in existing international research activities by providing travel support funds. The intellectual merit of the NELSAMP Senior Alliance is reflected in several aspects of its work. NELSAMP will develop a cohort model to track and support URM community college students through their combined AS-BS sequence in STEM majors. Near-peer activities and participation in Alliance-wide events will improve student persistence during their community college years. The international research components will, similarly, add to STEM persistence in the third and fourth undergraduate years. The broader impacts of this proposed NELSAMP Senior Alliance include the increased pipeline of students from URM populations in three states who persist from high school ?directly or through community college -to degree completion in baccalaureate STEM disciplines. In addition to buttressing persistence in STEM for upper level NELSAMP students, the success of a dedicated international research experience program in South Africa ? a country with many institutions eager to partner with Alliances- should serve as a model to expand dramatically the number of international opportunities for other LSAMP students.
