The Utica Campus of the Hinds Community College District's project entitled: The Utica Campus Community College Transformation HBCU-UP Initiative, seeks to develop educational bridges that provide greater opportunities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce for their students. The overarching goal of the UC3T initiative is to more than double the number of students who complete work at HCC prepared to pursue B.S. degrees at four-year institutions by strengthening bridges that support students' matriculation from high school to community college and from community college to degree-granting institutions in pursuit of a B.S. degree in STEM. Jackson State University is forming an alliance to support students from the HCC district matriculating to JSU to pursue degrees STEM fields.
The UC3T Initiative addresses a number of aspects of student and faculty development in STEM. Seven components comprise the UC3T initiative: (1) pedagogical transformations involving process education strategies, (2) faculty preparedness bridges, (3) cyber-institutional renewal, (4) seamless articulation, (5) joint academic bridges, (6) research experiences for undergraduates, and (7) the creation of a STEM community college science diversity center ? all designed to increase the enrollment, retention, and graduation and transfer rate of Utica Campus STEM students. These components were selected based on a comprehensive needs assessment including faculty and student surveys.
This project can serve as a national model to encourage student matriculation from community colleges to degree granting institutions.
