The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of well-prepared students highly-qualified and motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM. The need for cultivating STEM talent has been well established. For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. American students from diverse ethnic groups are underrepresented in STEM fields, and represent an untapped resource for the STEM workforce in the U.S. The Indiana STEM LSAMP (IN STEM LSAMP), which consists of three research institutions: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (lead institution), Indiana University Bloomington and Ball State University; two four-year regional universities: Indiana University Northwest and Indiana University South Bend; and Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, will address the critical need of increasing the participation and advancement of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines through its comprehensive and holistic plan that is built upon the elements of the LSAMP Model (academic integration, social integration and professionalization).
IN STEM LSAMP activities will result in significant increases of STEM degree holders among historically underrepresented racial/ethnic populations in Indiana and the nation by providing these students access to faculty research mentoring, academic support, and STEM-related professionalization. To achieve alliance goals, all IN STEM LSAMP partners will implement the following cohesive high-impact practices to increase the retention rate of first-year full-time students and to strengthen students' disciplinary engagement: a) mathematical placement and online review support, b) summer bridge programs, c) freshman learning communities, d) peer mentoring programs, e) degree mapping, f) faculty-mentored research, and g) annual research conference. Additionally, the alliance will facilitate seamless transitions into STEM undergraduate and graduate degree programs by i) increasing program activities for community college transfers and ii) improving undergraduate disciplinary connections and preparation for STEM graduate programs. The project will generate new knowledge regarding the relative contributions of the selected high-impact practices to the academic success of underrepresented students. Additional new knowledge will be gained regarding the efficacy of pre-transfer programming at community colleges and STEM degree program collaborations for success in the retention and graduation of underrepresented students in STEM fields at the four-year college level. The alliance's accomplishments will have widespread effects beyond the region as its talented STEM graduates enter national research and development enterprises and thus, will diversify the STEM workforce of the U.S.
