HSI Planning Project: Increasing persistence, retention, and graduation rates among STEM students at Manhattanville University

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 project aims to learn who STEM students are, understand previously developed approaches to closing achievement gaps in STEM, and develop a program plan to implement selected strategies at Manhattanville College. With an increasing number of Latinx and other historically underserved students pursuing STEM degrees, there is an urgent need to understand approaches that work to improve student success and close achievement gaps for all STEM students, especially since there is 50% attrition amongst STEM majors (Ghazzawai, Pattison, & Horn. 2001).

This study will increase understanding of Latinx students and other marginalized groups, and allow faculty to identify evidence- based interventions to support future student success. This project will also contribute to literature on best educational STEM practices at HSIs. Methods employed in this planning grant will identify challenges students face in college and how these intersect with their identity, detect knowledge gaps faculty have for teaching marginalized students, and plan strategic approaches higher education institutions can take to improve student success.

Since this program intends to increase persistence, retention, graduation rates, and ultimately employment among historically underrepresented students, it has the potential to expand integration of these students into STEM careers, resulting in positive economic and social impact on a national scale.

This project will systematically collect and analyze data and develop evidence-based training and implementation plans to increase persistence, retention, and graduation rates among Latinx and other historically underserved STEM students. The objectives of this proposal are to (1) learn who Manhattanville College STEM students are, accounting for intersectionality, and assess the effectiveness of current strategies, as well as the state of STEM education experiences; (2) understand previously developed approaches to closing achievement gaps in STEM; and (3) develop a program plan and IUSE:HSI IEP proposal to implement select strategies.

To better understand who Manhattanville’s STEM students are, students in introductory STEM courses will be surveyed on their current learning experiences, as well as their coursework prior to college. In addition, a faculty survey will establish a comprehensive understanding of STEM faculty’s pedagogical practices, experiences, and cultural awareness pertaining to student teaching and engagement.

In addition, the project will identify contemporary approaches to closing achievement gaps in STEM by conducting an in-depth analysis of existing literature and completing site visits to other HSI institutions to discuss similar efforts in their own projects. Ultimately, the project is positioned to inform curriculum in Manhattanville’s School of Education’s STEM teacher tracks, informing not only post-secondary approaches but also how K-12 teachers and schools prepare their students for academic success in college.

The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.

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.