: The long-term goal of the Mercy College Lower Hudson Valley Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program (LHVBBP) is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students entering the behavioral, health and natural sciences at local two-year colleges and increase the number of students who go on to earn bachelor's degrees in these fields. In collaboration with Westchester Community College (WCC) and the Cochran School of Nursing (CSN), Mercy College seeks to continue to ease the transition of community college students to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions by: 1) increasing knowledge of educational opportunities and careers in the behavioral, health, and natural sciences by: a) providing coursework and b) hands-on research experiences at Mercy College, 2) increasing the availability of coordinated support services and special enhancement programs, and 3) developing and increasing faculty connections between the three partner colleges. The project objectives will continue to be met through a series of activities coordinated by Mercy College, WCC, and CSN and focused on both student and faculty enhancement. The first set of activities will focus on faculty enhancement. Increasing faculty involvement in collaborative research provides a good model for collaboration for participating students. Faculty participating in the LHVBBP will be exposed to a number of faculty development programs, including seminars, co-teaching of courses, visiting lectureships, and collaborative research projects. Student activities will be designed to teach students about careers and research opportunities in the sciences. During the first summer of participation, students will take part in a six-week summer critical inquiry/research development course where students will be exposed to research and provided with the information and tools they need to begin to understand the scientific research process. After completion of this course, students will be matched with their research mentor and begin work on a yearlong hands-on research project. While participating in the program, students will receive academic support and advice from their faculty research mentor. Along with the Project Director, the mentors will ensure that students receive the support services (i.e. tutoring, seminars, development workshops, career counseling, personal counseling) they need to succeed in completing their associate's degree and go on to pursue their baccalaureate degree. The Mercy College LHVBBP looks to build upon the success achieved through our previously funded Bridges Program, where participating students graduated from the associate degree-granting institution, and transferred to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions at a greater rate than non-Bridges students. The proposed project will build upon these successes by adding a support for third-year Bridges students who need additional time and support to complete their associate's degree program and transfer to a baccalaureate degree program. Support for third-year students will focus on strong one-on-one transitional counseling, mandatory tutoring, and assistance with exploring opportunities for scholarship and aid opportunities to complete the baccalaureate degree.
