PS 9-80
A mid-project report of a program that promotes student success in the field-based environmental and marine science programs at Kutztown University
Two interdisciplinary, field-based science programs at Kutztown University, one in Environmental Science and one in Marine Science were judged to be under-enrolled for several years. A commitment to promote greater enrollment, academic success, and retention of students in these field-based programs, as well as the desire to attract more high ability students led to creation of a plan to achieve these goals. An additional objective of our plan was to create greater awareness among our students of post-graduation options including graduate study and pursuit of work in science upon graduation. With support from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S-STEM) program, we developed a multi-faceted Teaching, Research, and Careers, at Kutztown in Science (TRACKS) program. Through this program, incoming freshmen apply for and are awarded scholarship funding based on academic potential and family financial need. These KU-STEM scholars then participate in the diverse learning opportunities that we offer through the TRACKS program.
Results/Conclusions
In the first two years of the interdisciplinary KU-STEM TRACKS program, we’ve offered scholarship support to eighteen students. Importantly, the TRACKS program offers academic support for incoming Freshmen during their first semester in the form of regular meetings that include a focus on academic success including presentations by faculty members who teach introductory courses. Other academic support activities have included providing supplemental instructors for students in core marine or environmental science courses and tutors who work with both KU-STEM and other students. For all KU-STEM students, weekly meetings were devoted to promoting awareness of career development resources on campus and of future research opportunities at Kutztown University or other universities, e.g., NSF-REU programs. A KU-STEM Seminar series open to all science students provides them a chance to learn about the work of science professionals from academe or public agencies or private firms. This presentation is focused on describing the design of the KU-STEM TRACKS program to promote student academic success, and on program assessment to date including evaluation of KU-STEM student participation in diverse TRACKS activities, their opinions about the value of activities, their academic performance, and the levels of service to science students beyond KU-STEM scholars.