The Implementation Project entitled "Moving Forward - Steps to Graduate School" at Le Moyne-Owen College builds on a very successful previous project and has the overall goal to prepare minority undergraduate students with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in graduate school, with the aim to have them pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The objectives of the project are: increased research and publications by students and faculty; faculty development; enhancement of the curriculum through honors courses; and methods designed to motivate students to matriculate in STEM majors. Activities focus on improvement of recruitment and retention rates; enrichment of the academic preparation of students; broadening and strengthening the undergraduate research program by improving the partnerships and collaborations in research with other academic institutions; industry and federal labs; and strengthening the faculty expertise as mentors and researchers by encouraging collaborative research and publications.
Le Moyne-Owen College enrolls mostly African American students, over sixty percent of whom are women. Most students come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The outcomes of this project will serve as a model for other minority-serving private institutions seeking to enhance STEM undergraduate instruction and research programs leading to increased participation of students in graduate school and subsequently the STEM workforce.
