The Scots Science Scholars (S^3) program is a four-year program designed to increase retention and graduation rates of underrepresented and first generation students in STEM majors at Maryville College in Tennessee. The program includes three vital components designed to retain students in STEM fields to graduation. (1) The summer bridge program coordinates lab work with mathematical content and emphasizes discovery learning to prepare students for college-level STEM work. (2) The specialized first-year curriculum is designed to build community and provide academic support for the students through common coursework in STEM disciplines. In particular, the orientation course includes strategies for success in college level STEM courses, field trips and guest speakers related to STEM disciplines. (3) The research/leadership experience begins in the first year and is integrated with the Maryville College core curriculum through experiential education and the capstone senior study project. Student participants build leadership skills by acting as mentors, spokespersons and role models for incoming S^3 students.
This program reveals the impact of such efforts on retention of students from underrepresented groups in STEM majors at a small, liberal arts college with a majority white population. It also clarifies the significant effects of a bridge program and undergraduate research separate from the extra attention and mentoring student participants receive in similar programs at large universities, since these are part of the Maryville College experience for all students. S^3 informs the implementation of similar programs at other small liberal arts colleges.
