1. Increasing the Number of Homegrown STEM Majors: What Works and What Doesn’t a presentation by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Metropolitan Community College STEM Communities in Conversation University of Illinois at Chicago Friday, September 28, 2007

2. UNO and MCC STEPping Together NSF STEP Grant awarded August, 2003 effective May, 2004 Hesham Ali, UNO Dean, Information Science and Technology Jack Heidel, UNO Math Chair Bradley Morrison, MCC Math/Science Dean Michele O’Connor, (former) MCC Math/Science Dean Dana Richter-Egger, UNO Assistant Professor of Chemistry Carey Ryan, UNO Professor of Psychology Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

3. The Setting Omaha  The largest city in Nebraska (population ~825,000)  The largest metropolitan center within 150 miles The University of Nebraska at Omaha  A metropolitan university  Fall 2007 undergraduate enrollment – 12,127 (~10.241 FTE) Metropolitan Community College  Fall 2007 enrollment – 14,889 ~9,366 FTE Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

4. Main Grant Activities MCC STEP Outreach and Bridge Scholarships  Full time Outreach Coordinator  Six new associate degrees created pre-Biology, pre-Biotechnology, pre-Chemistry, Computer Science, pre-Mathematics and pre-Physics  $500 per quarter scholarships for STEM majors within 50 hours of degree completion Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

5. Main Grant Activities Walk-in Tutoring for Math/Physics and (separately) Chemistry UNO STEP Scholarships  $1000 per semester  20 awarded each year to entering STEM majors Early Undergraduate Research (EUR)  $4500 summer stipends paid to faculty  3 credit hour tuition waivers given to students Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

6. Bottom Line Results UNO STEM graduates by academic year Discipline2001-022002-032003-042004-052005-062006-07 Biology, Biotech66819785122107 Chemistry634785 CSI, Bioinformatics566367636150 Geology043143 Mathematics182018271929 Physics521044 Total STEM151173190186216198 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

7. UNO STEM Graduates Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

8. MCC Successes MCC declared STEM majors by academic year Disciplines2004-052005-062006-07 Biology, Biotech234250 Chemistry5612 Computer Science697596 Engineering598069 Mathematics5710 Physics364 MCC STEM Totals164217243 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

9. MCC Successes MCC STEP Bridge Scholarships by Academic Year 2004-052005-062006-07 Scholarships Awarded41522 ACT test scores submitted to MCC by high school students with STEM interests Graduation Year200520062007 Number of students40138172 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

10. MCC Successes Spring 2007 UNO STEM majors transferred from MCC (with 25+ MCC hours) Biology, Biotech49 Chemistry6 Computer Science, Bioinf24 Engineering50 Environmental Science7 Geology1 MIS25 Mathematics9 Physics5 Total175 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

11. Another Success Walk-in Tutoring has now been institutionalized with the establishment of the Math-Science Learning Center  $88,000 in permanent funding from the University  activities: assessment of math, science education walk-in tutoring supplemental instruction study group facilitation academic consultation peer-to-peer mentoring Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

12. Early Undergraduate Research Faculty recruit qualified early undergraduates into a motivational research activity and then to supervise the students involved for one or more semesters.  Focus on 1 st and 2 nd year students  Encourages these students to consider a STEM major  Funding provides for Faculty stipend (summer) Tuition waivers for students, up to 3 credits/student Limited funds for materials/supplies Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

13. Does EUR Work? Results:  26 projects over four summers  16 different faculty  151 students  136 still STEM majors or graduates  therefore 90% success (retention) Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

14. Does EUR Work? The Problem: success has been uneven  12 projects and 86 students in Biology  5 projects, 30 students in Math  fragmentary participation otherwise  5 projects, 45 students with one biologist (he’s now in charge of EUR reorganization!) Conclusion:  works for faculty buy-in to STEP  less valuable for recruiting/retention because most students are upperclassmen Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

15. STEP Scholarships Don’t Work Goal:  20 scholarships ($1000 per semester) for entering STEM majors, renewable for three years 2004 class dwindled from 18 to 6 after three years 2005 class dwindled from 18 to 10 after two years Reality:  many of these students transfer into such areas as pre- med, pre-pharm, pre-nursing, pre-therapy Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

16. Adult Learner Access Scholarships age 24 and older declared STEM major full-time or part-time, no need requirement 3.0 or higher GPA offered $400 tuition waiver (resident tuition for three credit hours) renewable for a second semester we send email to eligible students  Spring 2007: 153 eligible, 50 recipients  Fall 2007: 189 eligible, 51 recipients Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

17. What Works? UNO/MCC Collaboration (NSF loves this!) Adult Learner Access Scholarships Mentoring in Context  employment as a tutor  year round “grooming” EUR Undergraduate Research for Faculty Buy-in Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

18. What Doesn’t Work? STEP Scholarships for Entering Students Early Undergraduate Research for Recruiting Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

19. Bottom Line Results (again) UNO STEM graduates by academic year Discipline2001-022002-032003-042004-052005-062006-07 Biology, Biotech66819785122107 Chemistry634785 CSI, Bioinformatics566367636150 Geology043143 Mathematics182018271929 Physics521044 Total STEM151173190186216198 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

20. A New STEP Proposal UNO and MCC and the High Schools STEPping Together STEP renewal proposal submitted Sept 18, 2007 Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

21. Recruiting Initiatives Continue and Expand Outreach at MCC Saturday Science at MCC Taking Science for a Test Drive  two week summer workshops for high school juniors and seniors, ten students each  UNO and MCC faculty paid $2500 to teach  faculty from biology, chemistry, geology, MIS are committed New motivational courses in entry level MIS Small group learning in entry level chemistry Help launch neuroscience at UNO Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

22. Retention Initiatives Reorganize EUR into year-round “grooming” projects Replace STEP scholarships by broadened ALAS Send UNO math students to tutor in Omaha Public Schools Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

23. Innovative Models for Effective Collaboration between Universities and Community Colleges, Hesham Ali, Jack Heidel, Michele O’Connor and Dana Richter-Egger, 110th annual meeting of the higher learning commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), in a Collection of Papers in Self-Study and Institutional Improvement, Volume 1, pp. 73-75, Chicago, April 8-12, 2005. http://avalon.unomaha.edu/step/ Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination

25. Acknowledgements The National Science Foundation  NSF-DUE STEP Grant #336462 The University of Nebraska at Omaha  College and departmental support Metropolitan Community College  College and division support Introduction Setting Activities # of Grads MCC Success MSLC EUR Scholarships Summary A New Proposal Dissemination