Mcmurry University

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

PARTNERING FOR STEM SUCCESS

BUILDING STEM SUCCESS

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

MULTI-TIERED PEER MENTORING AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STEM STUDENTS -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT MCMURRY UNIVERSITY. MCMURRY UNIVERSITY, A FOUR-YEAR HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION, PROVIDES A SMALL CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS WHO COME PRIMARILY FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS OF RURAL WEST TEXAS. OVER ITS 6-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT TO 15 STUDENTS PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, OR COMPUTER SCIENCE. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF ACADEMIC ADVISING, PEER ASSISTED LEARNING SUPPORT, ACADEMIC COACHING, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, CAREER PREPARATION, AND ACCESS TO OTHER HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES. THIS SET OF SUPPORTS IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE STUDENTS' RETENTION, SENSE OF BELONGING, PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY, AND COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS. A CORNERSTONE OF THE PROJECT WILL BE AN INNOVATIVE ?NEAR PEER? MENTORING PROGRAM PAIRING STUDENTS IN THEIR FIRST TWO YEARS OF STUDY WITH PEER MENTORS IN THEIR THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS OF STUDY, AND THOSE IN THEIR THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS WITH PEER MENTORS WHO ARE RECENT MCMURRY UNIVERSITY ALUMNI. ANOTHER KEY FACET IS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SERVICE PROJECTS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. THIS PROJECT LEVERAGES AN ARRAY OF STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ?NEAR PEER? MENTORING; PEER ASSISTED LEARNING FOR ATTRITION HOT SPOTS; ENGAGEMENT IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH RESEARCH AND/OR PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS; A FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR FOCUSED ON STEM IDENTITY AND CAREER EXPLORATION; AND STEM FUN DAYS AND SERVICE PROJECTS. COLLECTIVELY, THESE SUPPORT PROGRAMS ARE INTENDED TO FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY THAT IN TURN WILL INCREASE RESILIENCE AND PERSISTENCE. PREDICTED OUTCOMES ARE AN INCREASE IN FRESHMAN TO SOPHOMORE RETENTION TO 75%, AN INCREASE IN 4-YEAR GRADUATION RATES TO 60%, AND A MINIMUM OF 90% OF GRADUATING SENIORS SECURING EMPLOYMENT IN A STEM CAREER OR ADMISSION INTO GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF GRADUATION. BROADER IMPACTS INCLUDE: POTENTIAL EXPANSION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE ?NEAR PEER? MENTORING PROGRAM FOR ALL MCMURRY STEM STUDENTS; ENHANCEMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCIES OF MCMURRY STEM FACULTY AIMED AT BETTER SUPPORTING FIRST-GENERATION AND OTHER HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED STUDENTS; AND EXPANSION OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND STEM ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE MCMURRY CAMPUS. FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE EVALUATION WILL INCLUDE COLLECTING DATA RELATED TO RETENTION RATES, GRADUATION RATES, AND POST-GRADUATION BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS SURVEYS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACTIVITIES ON SENSE OF IDENTITY AND BELONGING. SUCCESSFUL AND PROMISING ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED AT STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES, SUCH AS MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (CUR) OR THE ALLIANCE OF HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION EDUCATORS (AHSIE). THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

MCMURRY HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FOR FUND MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

MCMURRY STEM TEACHER EDUCATION PREPARATION PROGRAM (M-STEPP) -BUILDING CAPACITY FOR STEM TEACHER PREPARATION IN RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIGH-QUALITY STEM TEACHERS IN RURAL AREAS. THE PROJECT?S GOALS ARE TO 1) ASSESS INSTITUTIONAL AND LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT AND AREAS OF STEM TEACHER SHORTAGES WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS; 2) CREATE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES TO SPOTLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF STEM CAREERS AND STRENGTHEN THE POOL OF STEM TEACHER CANDIDATES; AND 3) STREAMLINE THE STEM CERTIFICATION CURRICULUM TO EMPHASIZE INSTRUCTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND OPTIMALLY PREPARE PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS TO SUCCESSFULLY TEACH SECONDARY STEM CURRICULUM IN TEXAS. COLLECTIVELY, THESE EFFORTS SEEK TO INCREASE THE POOL OF WELL-PREPARED TEACHERS WITH A BACKGROUND IN STEM DISCIPLINES IN WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, MCMURRY UNIVERSITY WILL COLLABORATE WITH CISCO COLLEGE TO SURVEY SEVERAL RURAL LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF STEM TEACHER SHORTAGES IN RURAL WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS. MCMURRY UNIVERSITY AND CISCO COLLEGE WILL THEN USE THE RESULTS OF THESE SURVEYS TO CREATE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND IDENTIFY PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO PURSUE STEM TEACHING CAREERS. THE SURVEYS WILL ALSO INFORM CURRICULAR MODIFICATIONS TO EXPAND CERTIFICATION AREAS AND IMPROVE TEACHER PREPARATION AT THESE INSTITUTIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL USE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA PROVIDED BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION (TEA) FOR EACH LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCY AND USE BOTH SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT CENTERED ON THE FOLLOWING: 1) THE EXTENT OF THE STEM TEACHER SHORTAGE, 2) THE PERCEIVED ADEQUACY OF THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM AS DELIVERED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND 3) THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO STUDENTS SELECTING STEM MAJORS. SINCE A FIRST STEP IN BECOMING A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STEM TEACHER IS THE SELECTION OF A STEM MAJOR, THE PROJECT WILL CREATE NEW RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR STEM MAJORS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE PERCEIVED BARRIERS UNCOVERED IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THIS CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K-12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE RETENTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.