"Unknown" Students on College Campuses: An Exploratory Analysis

Examines data from three campuses to identify college students falling into the "race/ethnicity unknown" category. Provides recommendations for increasing demographic accuracy, and measuring the success of underrepresented students in higher education

2017-18 Student Success and Service-Learning Report

Institutional data across multiple academic years were used to assess the impact of undergraduate service-learning class participation on three critical student success metrics: Inclusive excellence, Degree completion, and Quality of learning. Results indicate that traditionally underrepresented student groups participated in VCU service-learning classes at expected rates given their proportion in the overall student population. Thirty-seven percent of undergraduate service-learning students were from underrepresented minority groups and 30% were Pell grant recipients. The average three-year retention rate across four matriculating cohorts of first-time, full-time undergraduate students was 84% for service-learning students compared to 70% for non-service-learning students. Seventy-two percent of undergraduate service-learning students graduated in five years or less compared to 62% for non-service-learning students. Finally, on the 2017 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) VCU seniors who had passed at least one service-learning class during their undergraduate career reported significantly higher levels of faculty-student interaction and integrative learning than did VCU seniors who took no service-learning classes

Broadening the Benefits of Dual Enrollment: Reaching Underachieving and Underrepresented Students with Career-Focused Programs

A three-year study tracking outcomes for thousands of students across California shows that careerfocused dual enrollment programs can provide important benefits for those who are underachieving and underrepresented in higher education. Programs of this type, which allow high school students to take college courses and earn college credit, were once offered almost exclusively to high-achieving students seeking greater academic challenge

Innovation Skills for the Self-Transformation of Underrepresented Engineering Students

Underrepresented engineering students typically face multiple challenges, for example, the lack of role models and familiar guidance during their studies. Successful students have specific characteristics (i.e. skills) that allow them to thrive. In this paper the authors explore the necessary skills that may allow students to self-transform and innovate into successful engineering students.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Pathways to Higher Education

Presents case studies from Ford's initiative to support efforts to transform universities abroad to enable poor, minority, and otherwise underrepresented students to obtain a university degree. Outlines selected best practices from grantees

Persistence in Mathematics by Underrepresented Students: Experiences of a Math Excel Program

Success in mathematics by underrepresented and nontraditional college students is measured not only by academic performance (grades), but also by the continued participation and persistence of these students in mathematics coursework. The Math Excel program at Oregon State University attempts to build learning communities with a sharp academic focus in support of students concurrently taking introductory level mathematics courses. The Math Excel program is based heavily on Uri Treisman\u27s Emerging Scholars Workshop model of collaborative problem solving. In this article, we examine the experience of minority students in the Educational Opportunities Program participating in the Math Excel program. While the program had appeared successful in terms of improving academic performance in the concurrent mathematics course, the continued participation and persistence of these students in mathematics was disappointing. On a trial basis, structural changes were made to build a much stronger identification of the Math Excel learning community with a section of College Algebra. In the next term, there was a much higher incidence of participation in the subsequent Precalculus using the same Math Excel structure. While the collaborative problem solving activity provided in Math Excel was crucial to students\u27 successful academic performance, these results suggest that subtle issues related to students\u27 recognition of and identification with a learning community may be critically important to underrepresented and nontraditional students\u27 continued persistence in mathematics

The Experiences of LGBT Students in School Athletics

This research brief examines the experiences of LGBT student athletes between the ages of 13 and 20. Findings in this research brief uncover four key concerns:1. Physical Education classes were unsafe environments for many LGBT students. 2. LGBT students may be underrepresented on extracurricular sports teams. 3. Many LGBT students experienced discrimination and harassment in school sports. 4. LGBT student athletes may not be fully supported by school athletics staff and policies

NSF Pledges $586,500 to Underrepresented Students in STEM Programs at RWU

Grant will allow University to provide 15 four-year, $26,000/year scholarships to selected students in engineering, biology and marine biology

Pipeline Programs

Pipeline programs are designed to prepare and inspire students to pursue careers in medicine and medical research. SKMC is committed to providing experiences and education to middle school, high school, college, and graduate students from groups underrepresented in the health care fields to increase the pool of qualified candidates applying to careers related to medicine and medical research. Our programs: The Jefferson STEP-UP Medicine Program Future Health Professions Program (FHPP

Increasing persistence in undergraduate science majors: a model for institutional support of underrepresented students.

The 6-yr degree-completion rate of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors at U.S. colleges and universities is less than 40%. Persistence among women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), including African-American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Islander students, is even more troubling, as these students leave STEM majors at significantly higher rates than their non-URM peers. This study utilizes a matched comparison group design to examine the academic achievement and persistence of students enrolled in the Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS), an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles, for first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented backgrounds. Results indicate that PEERS students, on average, earned higher grades in most "gatekeeper" chemistry and math courses, had a higher cumulative grade point average, completed more science courses, and persisted in a science major at significantly higher rates than the comparison group. With its holistic approach focused on academics, counseling, creating a supportive community, and exposure to research, the PEERS program serves as an excellent model for universities interested in and committed to improving persistence of underrepresented science majors and closing the achievement gap