9450505 England The Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) for the Greater Philadelphia Region is a five-year collaborative effort of the Philadelphia Consortium/Partnership which is dedicated to doubling the number of underrepresented minority students (African American, Hispanic, and Native American) receiving baccalaureate degrees in science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) and entering into graduate degree programs in SEM disciplines. The Consortium consists of sixteen colleges/universities, metropolitan school districts, corporate partners, SEM professional organizations, community groups, and educational support organizations established through the implementation of the current Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities (CRCM) funded by the National Science Foundation. Temple University will serve as fiscal agent for the Consortium. The AMP will not only focus its efforts on retention in SEM at the undergraduate levels, but it will also place a strong emphasis on the recruitment of students through early intervention mechanisms tied to pre-college initiatives in the region. Retention efforts will focus on improving the quality of the learning environment and the academic performance of minority students using community-building principles which will emphasize collaborative learning approaches, including group study and support, and positive and sustained interaction with faculty. Eight institutions will lead the Consortium efforts: Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, University of Delaware, Cheyney University, Lincoln University, Community College of Philadelphia, and PATHS/PRISM. These institutions will strengthen and expand their own minority recruitment and retention efforts, and use the knowledge gained from their experiences to expand effective practices to other Consortium institutions and beyond. This will be accomplished through the integration of three areas of concentration: 1) Academic Enrichment which i ncludes pre-freshman bridge and minority undergraduate support programs, curriculum review and development, and undergraduate research activities. 2) Outreach/Transition Activities which includes an early identification mechanism, articulation programs and graduate programs to promote the development of minority faculty, and scholarships. 3) Industry Involvement which includes: pre-professional employment programs, and career awareness activities. Lead institutions will participate in all project areas, exchange ideas and information, set specific group and institutional objectives, and assist each other with program planning and delivery. In addition to the assessment of all programmatic activities through the use of a database monitoring system all institutions will be evaluated on their recruitment effectiveness and retention of minority students in SEM. At present, the SEM retention rates at consortium institutions range from 50% to 80%. Regularly scheduled regional meetings, research conferences, newsletters, and electronic media and a resource center will be used to facilitate networking and dissemination of information. Through institutional cost sharing (one-to-one match), dedicated staff and SEM faculty support, and in-kind contributions by Consortium institutions, the proposed activities will lead to improvements in the quality of the learning environment for minority SEM students at Consortium institutions, and the development and implementation of effective SEM recruitment and retention models. The project will impact approximately 3,500 minority students per year.
