Clark Atlanta University, through its HBCU-UP project, will implement activities to enhance the preparation of its graduates for post baccalaureate study in STEM disciplines. The institution will establish a Post-Freshman Academic Consolidation and Enhancement Program (PACE), an intensive 8 week study, for majors from all STEM disciplines. The institution will also implement curriculum revisions and enhancements in mathemaitcs, computer and information science, physice, chemistry, biology and psychology. Paralleling this curriculum reform will be faculty training, especially in student assessment techniques. Clark Atlanta will also institute summer undergraduate research experiences, seminars, workshops, enhanced student advisement as well as academic year undergraduate research experiences, all aimed at the overarching goal of increasing the depth and breadth of the academic preparation of the undergraduate Science, Engineering amd Mathematics students with an aim of motivating them to pursue doctoral studies.
, was designed and implemented to assist Clark Atlanta University, which is a historically black college and university, in its efforts to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research capacity as a means to broaden participation in the Nation’s STEM workforce. The primary goal was to increase the number of students of color that pursue graduate studies in STEM. This primary objective was to be carried out by putting in place activities such as a post freshman academic consolidation and enhancement program; curriculum revisions, development, and enhancements; undergraduate student support services and mentoring; and undergraduate research experiences. To meet this primary goal, Clark Atlanta University implemented activities such as a summer Post-freshman Academic Consolidation and Enhancement Program (PACE), undergraduate research experiences during the academic year, and a summer academic bridge program which was fully supported by the University for incoming first-year promising STEM majors. In addition, the project focused on curriculum revisions to better meet the academic needs of STEM majors. Students who met program requirements, along with a strong desire to be committed to research, academically and professionally, were chosen by faculty researchers to serve as laboratory research trainees. As documented in annual reports, many of our student successes were the result of their participation in tutoring sessions, attendance at monthly meetings, and presenting research at annual research conferences. An apparent motivation for students was the provision of financial assistance via a semi-monthly stipend and participant support for travel to conferences. Additionally, and more importantly, the availability of having faculty mentoring support and peer-to-peer tutoring played a significant role in helping students to overcome the challenges of remaining focused and prepared for academic coursework. We strongly believe that CAU will continue to produce positive results that will impact the overall number of STEM students who become successful in graduate school or a professional career in a research discipline. The post freshman academic consolidation and enhancement program (PACE) and the undergraduate research experiences program (academic year-REU) directly impacted over 100 students. Students that participated in the PACE and or the academic year REU were found to have a greater propensity for attending graduate students than our normal population. Of the students that directly participated in the PACE and REU program it was determined that ~ 90% completed their STEM degree at CAU. In addition, on average 36% of students participating in the academic REU entered graduate school. This finding continues to support the need for and the results of prior studies that show that the undergraduate research experience has an impact on the number of students pursuing a graduate degree in STEM. One item of great interest is that currently three of the participants are pursuing doctoral degrees in mathematics! The curriculum revisions, development and enhancements were designed to impact students at all levels in the STEM disciplines at CAU. Curriculum enhancements were completed in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and computer science. In addition, the Psychology Department, which was included in this program, developed and now has an approved Bachelor of Science degree program. The Department of Biology revamped its curricula and working with the Department of Mathematics developed a bioinformatics course. The primary enhancements in chemistry and physics were in the laboratory component. Computer Sciences updated their curricula in addition to designing a new course, Scientific Computing for Simulations and Analysis. This course was piloted in the PACE Program and now is being recommended for the adoption by biology and chemistry as the computer and information sciences required course. The outcomes during the early stages shows that the pass-fail rate in gatekeeper courses increased and will directly impact our graduation rates in the STEM disciplines. In addition to the HBCU-UP Program, supplemental funding was awarded to pilot the HBCU Rising Program, an outreach mentoring and curricula activity with a local middle school in Atlanta, Brown Middle School (BMS). Twenty CAU STEM majors took part in this program and received training and impacting directly 33 full time attendees (60 students began the program) in the 31 weeks program. The outcomes of the program show that the mentoring and curricula activities increased interest in STEM fields, increase in language art skills, increase in academic work ethics and overall attitude towards academics for the participants. Mentoring of BMS students by CAU impact was not solely academic, but psychological. The reported increase in self-confidence (67%), higher expectation of the students for themselves (66%) and an excitement for their future (70%) are outcomes that speak to the success of the program in impacting the targeted minority students in our inner city schools and their view to the future.
