1. Strategies for building community among students, and the impact of those strategies on STEM retention. Discussion topics include strategies aimed at critical transition points where attrition or low academic performance is known to be high for certain groups (e.g., entering freshman, community college transfers, transition to upper division core, underrepresented engineering students). NSF STEP Meeting 2014 Learning Communities & Cohort Building Breakout

2. Grant Vision and Mission Vision Increase and improve undergraduate student recruitment, engagement, and retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, with an emphasis on women and underrepresented students. Mission The STEP grant will leverage existing campus services, build capacity, and implement new high- impact practices in order to increase the number of women and underrepresented minority students in the College of EMS and to improve the yearly retention rates and graduation rates of these populations.

3. Focus Areas K-12 Entering Freshmen Existing Cohort Groups Women in STEM STEM Scholars WiSTEM LLC At Risk Students DRIVEN Scholars Collaborative Program students

4. STEP Grant Initiatives CenterPOINT Special Programs Manager & Student Assistants Career Advising Activities Undergraduate Research & Travel Grants WEMS Mentor Funding Outreach Coordination Success Skills class for incoming transfer students Articulation agreements/Transfer student Leverage and compliment existing cohorts and programs

5. Cohort Capacity Building Strategies College Student Success Programs Department Women in EMS Program College Supplemental Advising Office Menominee Nation Program Cohort Courses Mentor Training K-12 Outreach SWE Collegiate Section WEMS Mentor Center Women in STEM Banquet Academic Action Plans Cross-Campus Shared Capacity Building Women in STEM Class

6. Success CenterPOINT usage & popularity Women in College = 53% growth since 2010 Increased Departmental Infrastructure & Branding Institutionalization mechanisms Build industry relationships Campus collaboration Advisory Board Gap Analysis K-12 Relationships for underrepresented students Additional Grant applications

7. Swipe Statistics Swipes Unique Swipes Sign-Ins Unique Sign-Ins Total Visitors Total Unique Visitors – Combined swipe and sign-in Sept.124528473501318306 Oct.19374762151222150403 Nov.1689493172831861319 Dec. * 1131339136 77 1239356 Total6002568198 ‡ 6568634 § * Usage tracking for the month of December includes only December 1-20, due to the conclusion of the semester on December 20. ‡ Total Unique Sign-Ins were determined by combining the sign-in lists from September through December and removing duplicates. § Total Unique Visitors were determined by combining the swipe and sign-in lists from September through December and removing duplicates.

8. Obstacles Marginalize/Minimize Student Success Programs Faculty and Administrative buy-in Expanding promising/best practices Campus articulation processes Debate vs. Dialogue; managing collaboration processes; silos Engaging URM and developing trust Too many initiatives – managing priorities – value added activities Lack of understanding of institutionalization principles Gender and cultural competency Change agent burn out for personnel Assessment & IRB