Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) is awarding Mentored Academic EXperience for Success (MAX) Scholarships to four annual cohorts of 23 students enrolled in one of the following majors: Mathematics; Computer Science; Biology; Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, and Computer Engineering; and Electronic, Manufacturing, Automotive and Computer Engineering Technology. Scholars can renew their $5000 scholarships for up to three years. The project's primary objectives are to (1) increase the number of underrepresented students in these departments; (2) increase the number of women in the programs; (3) improve student retention; (4) seek ways to attract non-traditional students; and (5) partner with community colleges to promote and provide educational opportunities over a wider geographic area.
Featured components of the program include the integration of research and academic experiences, a broadened participation of underrepresented groups, and an improved infrastructure for meeting student needs. MSU offers a comprehensive program for MAX Scholars that includes support areas such as career planning workshops, seminars by industry partners, opportunities to apply theory in industry settings, and personal professional development opportunities. Along with their cohort, Scholars attend regular seminars introducing university support services and addressing broad academic and career issues. Cohorts consist of 10 seniors, 8 juniors and 5 sophomores, providing "stepping stone mentoring." Scholars engage with faculty and industry mentors on projects that apply their discipline to real-world problems and are encouraged to present their results and experiences to regional high schools and community colleges, as well as at appropriate conferences. The project management team includes faculty members, university support staff and industry advisors. In conjunction with university support, the STEM network developed by this project seeks to understand and address the significant challenges facing students in order to reduce retention problems and to guide students through their academic programs. Program evaluation includes quantitative and qualitative methods and findings are being disseminated at related education and technical conferences.
