Truman State University (TSU) and three community college partners, Metropolitan Community Colleges in Kansas City, St. Charles Community College near St. Louis, and Moberly Area Community College in north-central Missouri, are carrying out a program that integrates transfer students from the community colleges into the STEM community at Truman, integrates research into STEM curricula, and integrates curricula among all STEM disciplines. The project is working toward increasing the number of STEM students who transfer to Truman from Metropolitan, St. Charles, and Moberly Area Community Colleges to 20 STEM transfer students each year. It is also designed to improve the retention of STEM transfer students through graduation from the current 57% to at least 66%. The ultimate goal of the program is an increase in the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded in STEM disciplines by 20%, from the 1998-2003 average of 204 students to 245.
Several project features create incentives for students to transfer to TSU. These include forgivable loans, undergraduate research support, and a support network that begins with a bridge week. The project has established formal inter-institutional linkages between STEM faculty through collaborative research and curriculum development opportunities and through a reciprocal speaker and field trip series. It has also engaged STEM students in high-quality, mentored undergraduate research and professional development experiences through a coordinated summer and academic year program, as well as directly involving them in a cohesive and comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum within all STEM disciplines.
