9453676 Blumstein Nationally, many fewer women than men study science as undergraduates and ultimately pursue careers as scientists. This disparity is not the result of any inherent difference in ability between men and women, but instead grows out of the culture of undergraduate science: the climate of science classrooms, and the way in which science classes tends to be taught, are often such that women who have an initial interest in science choose to leave in favor of academic fields that they find more congenial. The first year of college is an especially critical time, as it is during this period that students are first exposed to college-level science and form their opinions about whether or not they wish to become scientists. With previous support from the National Science Foundation, Brown University initiated the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, which was designed to enhance the environment experienced by all undergraduate women science students. While successful, it did not focus specifically on the concerns of first-year students, an area which student researchers from the program itself have identified as a particularly crucial area. Thus, the development and inauguration of a new program, to be called WISE Beginnings, is proposed. Building on the successes of the original WISE program, the goal of this new initiative will be to increase the participation and retention of women in Brown's undergraduate science programs by focusing on and enhancing the experience of first- year women in introductory science courses, the first major challenge that these students face. The program will develop a new paradigm for introductory science courses which brings together many recently developed approaches which have been shown to make science education more inclusive. WISE Beginnings will feature three components: 1) an academic program centered on study groups, facilitated by upperclass women science students, that will be attached to each of the introductory science classes at Brown, will provide a feedback mechanism to faculty about the nature of the problems and challenges the students face, and are anticipated to result in permanent changes in introductory science courses and curricula; 2) an informational and advising program to run during Brown's Orientation Week; and 3) a co-curricular program of academic, advising, and other support activities that will complement students' in class experience. ***
