The S-STEM project in the College of Natural Science and Mathematics at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) is to provide approximately sixteen need-based scholarships per year for five years to declared BS-track undergraduate students from four departments; Chemistry & Biochemistry, Geological Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, and Mathematics & Statistics. The PI and Co-PIs represent each participating department. The objectives of the Physical Science and Mathematics Scholarship (PSMS) program are to (1) provide a supportive environment that immerses participants in the academic community enabling them to reach their scholastic potential; (2) improve the retention/graduation rate and reduce the time to graduation of participants; and (3) prepare participants to enter the STEM workforce or graduate study. Qualified students are to be recruited through strategic advertisement during freshmen and transfer student orientations, in pre-requisite classes, via advising, and through a web-link. To maximize impact and reduce replication and cost, the PSMS program is to capitalize on existing student support structures and partner with other sponsored programs. In addition to the student scholarships, the PSMS program is to offer a supplementary instruction course, program specific mentoring and advising, study groups and tutoring.
