9550504 Diaz The Universidad Metropolitana (UMET), one of the three institutions of the Ana G. M ndez University System (AGMUS), will implement the first phase of a ten-year model comprehensive institutional development program to substantially increase the number of quantity of minority science, mathematics and engineering (SEM) BS degree graduates. The goal of the program is to: a) increase the number of SEM majors and the number of students going on to graduate school and science teaching; b) develop the capacity to institutionalize and sustain this growth and to continue to expand and improve well beyond NSF support; and c) develop a well-documented, replicable model for similar Hispanic institutions. UMET will attract talented students from its highly successful pre-college programs, but it will focus on increased recruitment, retention and advancement of low-income, disadvantaged students who are traditionally excluded from SEM careers. UMET's vision is to create an environment of high standards and high expectations for all SEM students in which the entire university is involved in offering an array of rigorous, varied and exciting state-of-the-art SEM academic programs, that places quality instruction and learning at the center of its activities, and that provide the nurturing, extensive academic and personal support, enrichment, and resources students need to be highly prepared for graduate work. The program will include a comprehensive revision and restructuring of the entire current SEM curriculum, new baccalaureate programs in physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics, and a pre-engineering transfer program. It will also include: increases in the number and quality of SEM faculty; a pre-freshman summer bridge program; student scholarships; significant increases and strengthening of undergraduate research; systematic academic performance assessment and monitoring; enhancement of SEM facilities and equipment; an undergraduate-t o-graduate transition program and formal collaborations with graduate schools to provide transition experiences and secure admission to graduate school. A Science Support Center (SSC) will be developed as a hub for a host of student supports and faculty development. A monitoring, evaluation and student tracking system will be developed, along with extensive documentation of the model program for dissemination. The program will be developed in collaboration with DOE National Laboratories, other universities and industry. This initiative will require fundamental institutional changes in academic and administrative policies and structure to overcome traditional barriers to SEM development, as well as a considerable investment of UMET's own resources. As a private institution, UMET and AGMUS have the institutional flexibility and the commitment to SEM to produce the types of institutional changes required as well as the demonstrated commitment to investing considerable amounts of its own resources to SEM. 6Universidad Metropolitana
