Proposal Abstract SUNY LS AMP Alliance is a coalition of sixteen institutions within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, one of the largest public college-university systems in the nation. This coalition works in collaboration with federal, state, local government agencies, funded programs and professional and community based organizations. The Alliance is broken up into five regions located throughout New York State: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hudson Valley and Long Island. Other participating campuses are: Broome, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Tompkins Cortland, Schenectady, Nassau, Suffolk community colleges, Buffalo State, Old Westbury, and Farmingdale four year colleges. Other alliance partners are SUNY Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Building on our successes in Phase I and II, in Phase III we plan to continue to develop the processes and infrastructures that will build student achievement and advancement from undergraduate to graduate study. We plan on accomplishing this by focusing on lessons learned and charting the future. We have learned that advancement happens through interventions at critical transition points, provision of comprehensive longitudinal services, and support of activities that lead to academic excellence such as achieving excellence in introductory gatekeeper courses and a developmental series of research experiences. SUNY LSAMP students are academically strong students who receive a comprehensive network of support services and who are majoring in STEM disciplines with a future goal of engineering or scientific research. Students are receiving financial support for participation in key program components with a priority for students that are engaged in research and internship placements. Each campus also has many outreach and educational activities that are open to all STEM students. The goals of SUNY LSAMP Phase III are: 1. To continue to build and improve the processes that increase student achievement and advancement in order to significantly increase the completion of underrepresented minority (UREP) science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM )bachelors degrees and progression to graduate study by: Continuing to improve retention and performance of UREP students in STEM majors by providing comprehensive academic and support services to between 400-500 students a year. Providing support at critical transition points: high school to college, lower division to upper division, 2 year to 4 year, bachelors to graduate school and graduation to workforce. Building on existing efforts to put together a comprehensive series of interventions that increase aggregate student progression of UREP students into graduate school in STEM disciplines. 2. To take a leadership role in the infrastructure changes that will institutionalize LSAMP goals on the local, state and national level by: Continuing to increase direct financial support for SUNY LSAMP to reach program self-sufficiency. Building capacity in STEM research through local and national efforts to increase research and scholarship about UREP STEM issues and export the results of research to promote national best practices. Working as an agent of change in STEM curriculum and pedagogy. Intellectual Merit In Phase III, SUNY LSAMP will undertake a major project that will build research capacity in STEM with a research project that will have two main foci: 1.It will examine the barriers and support needed to implement key support activities in order to provide a model for the delivery and administration of support services and 2. It will identify the various factors, attitudes and experiences that lead UREP STEM students to graduate school and on to the professoriate in order to integrate those practices that help increase the number of students entering the pathway to graduate school Broader Impact The projects mission is to disseminate best practices from the program evaluation and the research project on the state and national level through the National Center for Inclusive Education housed at Stony Brook, the program web site and through the production of scholarly articles and presentations at relevant conferences about UREP STEM recruitment and retention issues. The emphasis on the success of under-represented groups will help to produce an inclusive high technology workforce crucial to this country.
SUNY LSAMP PHASE III PROJECT OUTCOME REPORT The State University of New York Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (SUNY LSAMP) has been helping to change the basic shape of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and forging new opportunities for underrepresented minority (UREP) students in New York State. Phase III of the project started in 2006 and was completed in 2011. Enrollment and Degree Production In Phase III, and since its inception in 1996, SUNY LSAMP has made great strides in enrollment and degree production. UREP STEM undergraduate enrollment increased 87.5% from the baseline in Phase III and 451% from project inception. UREP STEM bachelor’s degrees have increased 42.2 % from the Phase III baseline and 138% since project inception. Since 1997, 5468 UREP STEM students have received Bachelor’s Degrees, with 2170 received during Phase III. Since 1997, 745 UREP STEM students have received Master’s Degree. Since 1997, 183 UREP STEM students have received Doctoral Degrees Program Components SUNY LSAMP has developed a comprehensive program to recruit, retain and prepare SUNY LSAMP students for graduate school by providing academic, social and professional support and helping students make effective transitions from high school to college, two year to four year college and undergraduate to graduate school. Some key examples of these services include Bridge Summer Programs for pre-freshmen and transfer students, peer and professional mentoring and tutoring, workshops in STEM gatekeeper courses, preparation for and placement in cutting edge research and assistance helping students gain admission to STEM graduate programs. Research on the Effectiveness of Student Support Services NSF awarded SUNY LSAMP a grant to undergo research about the effectiveness of student support services and issues that affect student choice of graduate study. Project results have been disseminated through scholarly articles and presentations at conferences. The project has worked towards creating models of best practices in UREP STEM education in these areas: - Organizational structures that promote program efficiency and effectiveness; - The importance of undergraduate research; - Analysis of factors that create effective tutoring and course-related workshops; - The importance of process workshops and freshman success courses; - The role of community building, advising and social support; - Key factors that build interest in and future success in Graduate School Continuation to STEM Graduate School During Phase III, 35.3% of graduating SUNY LSAMP Level 1 students continued on to STEM graduate study and twenty six SUNY LSAMP graduates have received doctorates. Bridge to the Doctorate Activity During Phase III, SUNY LSAMP has received five grants for the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Activity. The programs have been fully enrolled with 136 applicants for 60 spots. The programs had a 96.6% retention rate and students had an average GPA of 3.25. Seven students ** have completed STEM doctorates. Thirty students have completed masters, a completion rate of 89.2% (with the balance scheduled to complete in 2012). Thirty one students are currently in or have completed doctoral programs (53.3%) (** Since the first BD cohorts started in 2006, students are just beginning to complete doctorates). Economic Impact SUNY LSAMP has gained support from state, corporate, and federal sources. These funds have provided funding for program staff, space and materials to run programs and for student stipends. In Phase III for example we have received campus funding of over $ 7 million, funding from collaborative grants that work directly with SUNY LSAMP of over $ 4 million and corporate funding of over $50 thousand. Societal Impact SUNY LSAMP graduates have been leaders in STEM education, research and in the high technology workplace- setting policy, performing cutting edge research, inventing new products and processes and participating in efforts to increase diversity. Fighting causes and costs of disease Examples are: Research on causes and cures for epilepsy and statistical analysis of epidemiology of autism Helping promote energy sources and the environment Examples are: studying the effects of fluorocarbons on the environment and developing the Smart Grid Cutting edge engineering and technology including new inventions and processes Examples are: Using nanotechnology to bioengineer a model for glaucoma screening and developing safety procedures for astronauts Some Examples of Innovative Courses and Pedagogy Developed by SUNY LSAMP The Success Course was designed to deal with academic, social and personal issues that are seen as key to success for entering students Fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry directly link concept mapping and tutoring to the lectures and content of STEM gatekeeper courses Research Methods Course gives students all the skills necessary to be successful in research Math Enrichment Modules and Math Boot Camps were developed to help with math and science gatekeeper courses using both intensive workshops and summer immersion models
