Breaking Down Barriers: a Cohort Model for Broadening Participation in STEM

• Activity Number: 49 - Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Field One Student at a Time
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, July 28, 2019 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistics and Data Science Education
• Author(s): Jessica Chapman*
• Companies: St. Lawrence University
• Keywords: NSF S-STEM; Undergraduate STEM majors; Interventions

Abstract

In their 2012 report, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) proposed strategies to produce enough undergraduate STEM majors to meet the needs of the nation’s growing STEM workforce. They describe the “underrepresented majority” – women and members of minority groups – as a large potential source of STEM professionals. The interventions necessary to help this group fulfill their STEM potential go beyond any single course or department. In this talk, we describe some of the common barriers that can prevent students, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, from succeeding in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). We also describe the Liberal Arts Science Scholars program at St. Lawrence University. This project, funded through the NSF’s Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) program provides students from historically underrepresented backgrounds with supports that cut across disciplinary boundaries and facilitate success in the mathematical, physical, and biological sciences. We present data on the project’s successes and discuss strategies for implementing these supports at other institutions.