Susquehanna University's program "Broadening Intensive Opportunities for Scholarship (BIOS)" provides scholarship support for academically qualified, financially needy incoming undergraduates to persist to earn a Biology degree. Recruitment targets students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM majors, part of an ongoing priority in the university to increase the diversity of the student body. Each year a cohort of ten entering students is placed in common courses, including a pre-matriculation Bridge program and a first-semester seminar that addresses issues arising during the transition to college. Structured mentoring, alternative pathways through the major requirements, and opportunities for undergraduate research and internships all play important roles in enhancing students' experiences both in and out of the classroom. Susquehanna's commitment to the program is underscored by its willingness to provide continuing scholarship support after the first two years from university resources and by its support of faculty involvement in mentoring and special instruction. Faculty development is offered through a Center for Teaching and Learning, which focuses its programming on topics of interest to faculty, in this case the instruction of students from hitherto underrepresented groups.
