Transcript The Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP)

Increasing Underrepresented Student
Participation in Science Majors:
The Pre-Major in Astronomy
Program (Pre-MAP)
Daryl Haggard, University of Washington
AAPT/AAS, Seattle, 2007
A National Shortfall
The number of science majors at U.S. undergraduate institutions
is shrinking while much of the country's STEM workforce is
approaching retirement.
Rising Above the Gathering Storm, National Academy of Sciences (2006)
The fraction of science Ph.D.s awarded to African American,
Latino, and other minority students is far smaller than the fraction
these minorities constitute of theNational
general
population.
Science Foundation, NSF 06-320 (2006)
Substantial gender imbalances in most science fields persist:
women are underrepresented at the graduate student and faculty
levels, and continue to be lost at every educational transition.
Beyond Bias and Barriers, National Academy of Sciences (2006)
Members of underrepresented groups are America's ``greatest
untapped resource'' in STEM.
Building Engineering & Science Talent Report (2004) & The National Science Board Report (2003)
Meanwhile...
Many students who enter college planning to major in a STEM
discipline graduate with a non-STEM degree.
Huang, G., et al., Department of Education (2000)
Only 27% of underrepresented students who intend to major in a
STEM field obtain a STEM degree, compared to 46% of majority
students with the same intent.
American Council on Education, Minorities in Higher Ed. (2002-03)
Many underrepresented students who abandon STEM majors have
academic abilities at least as great as those who stay.
Talking About Leaving, Seymour, E. & Hewitt, N. (1997)
Large numbers of talented minority students in high school and early
college are interested in STEM fields...
FEW ARE RETAINED
Milestones in Higher
Education
Education Milestones
by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
(Rounded Numbers)
4%
5%
35%
Advanced Degrees in Science
and Engineering Total: 121,000
56%
45%
First Time Freshmen Interested in
Science and Engineering
Total: 647,000
First Time Freshmen
Total: 2,194,000
High School
Graduates
Total: 2,485,000
41%
34%
37%
Non-Minority Men
9%
6%
Bachelor’s Degrees in Science
and Engineering Total: 391,000
40%
12%
10%
12%
Minority Men
16%
15%
31%
41%
14%
Minority Women
37%
Non-Minority Women
Building Engineering & Science Talent (BEST) Report, Feb. 2004
There are some who believe that high attrition rates are due to inadequate preparation
of college freshmen and that the onus lies with the K-12 system.
There are others who believe that if an entering student has the will and desire to be a
scientist or engineer, the onus is on the institution to provide the resources for that
student to try to achieve that goal. - Tuajuanda C. Jordan, HHMI
Key Factors for
Student Retention
Effective Education & Curriculum
Knowledgeable Advising
Effective Mentoring
Access (to research, resources, facilities, etc.)
Having a Sense of Community
Academic Support
Financial Aid
Discipline-specific “Extracurricular” Activities
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Washington Symposium on Diversity in the Sciences (2006)
A U.W. Case Study
•The
Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP)
Established in Fall 2005 with funding from the U.W. President’s Diversity
Appraisal Fund & the Astronomy Dept.
Designed to expose incoming freshmen underrepresented in the sciences to
Astronomy Research and encourage them toward a STEM major
•Students
underrepresented in the sciences
include: women, African Americans, Latinos,
Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders,
persons with disabilities, and economically
disadvantaged students of all ethnicities
whose parents do not have 4-year college
degrees (i.e. first-generation college
students).
The Pre-MAP Model
The Pre-MAP research seminar
Astronomy 102: Intro to Astronomy
Access to astronomy research and
collaboration with faculty, post-docs,
fellows, and graduate students
Mentoring for the whole first year
Cohort-building (peer mentors)
Help identifying resources & opportunities
at U.W.
Assistance navigating the U.W.
bureaucracy
A successful first year in science!!
Recruitment
Collaborate with organizations designed to transition
underrepresented students from high school to college
(Upward Bound, Making Connections, etc.)
Work closely with counselors from the Office of Minority
Affairs
Targeted emails and letters using the admissions office
database and contact lists from on-campus recruiting
organizations, e.g. NASA Space Grant
Attend numerous local recruiting and outreach events to
present information about Pre-MAP
Host events at the U.W., including planetarium shows, job
shadows, etc.
The Pre-MAP
Seminar
Computing Skills (LINUX)
Basic Astronomy Data
Manipulation (DS9, IDL)
Research Projects (Small
Groups)
Writing Assignments
Exam Reviews
Campus Resources
Final Presentations!
Partnered with Astronomy 102
Research Projects
Deconstructing Galaxies in 3 Dimensions,
Advisors: Chris Brook, Victor Debattista,
Fabio Governato, Tom Quinn
Hunting for New Supernovae and Other Variable Objects
in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey:
Advisor: Andy Becker
M Dwarfs as Tracers of Galactic Populations,
Advisors: John Bochanski, Suzanne Hawley
Probing for the Presence of Puny Planets,
Advisor: Eric Agol
Searching for Inner Solar System Objects with SDSS,
Advisor: Andy Becker
Mentoring
Effective mentoring requires that an individual establishes a
relationship with the “mentee” with the very basic, yet
essential, understanding that the relationship is a humanistic
experience and thus every experience will be different. The
relationship includes:
Guidance
A certain amount of nurturing
Cultivation towards independence
Empowerment
Two types
Peer mentoring (freshmen “interest groups”, upper-level undergrads)
Faculty mentoring
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Washington Symposium on Diversity in the Sciences, 2006
Mentoring
•“Returning
to passion as the driver of learning, a teacher’s
dedication is most effective when expressed through both the art
of teaching and the demonstrated love of the subject for its own
sake. Secondary school and college students seek their personal
identity, but they also yearn for a cause larger than themselves. By
some means they will acquire both these marks of maturity,
whether base or noble.
In transit they need mentors to trust,
heros to emulate, and accomplishments
that are real and enduring.”
- Edward O. Wilson, The Creation
Sense of Community
Student should feel, from the outset, they
belong in your program and are in a
welcoming and supportive environment.
Frequent and personal communications
from the department faculty, students or
staff as soon as the student is accepted
into the University.
A positive group identification or
trademark.
A readily identifiable and accessible
gathering place that can also serve as a
resource room (and KEYS!).
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Washington Symposium on Diversity in the
Sciences, 2006
After the first quarter
New or On-going Research
Pre-MAP Field Trips
Planetarium Training
Undergraduate Research
Symposium
Advising (classes, long-term
planning)
Mentoring
Opportunities (internships,
REUs, etc.)
Additional Support
Actively help students become aware of:
Programs offering tuition assistance
Student support service
Tutoring and counseling centers
Center for Undergraduate Research
Graduate Placement Office
Career Placement and Counseling Office
Faculty development activities
Center for the Advancement of Teaching
Center for Undergraduate Research
Research opportunities (both paid and unpaid)
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Washington Symposium on Diversity in the Sciences, 2006
Remember...
The Pre-MAP students are entering FRESHMEN!
Freshmen CAN do research and they ARE intellectually
curious. They want opportunities to explore!
Big picture & best practices FIRST!! (Not at the end of their
4 year college experience, when/if they have made it
through a vast laundry list of requirements. Motivate
students’ STEM studies EARLY.)
Science is exciting! Research is fun, collaborative, and
challenging.
What works well for students from underrepresented groups
benefits all students.
Diversity Works, Smith, D. (1997)
Pre-MAP’s Future
Possible expansion of the Pre-MAP model into other
U.W. STEM departments to establish a Pre-Science
Major (PrSM; “prism”)
Applications for NSF or other funding to support the
program and/or its expansion
Collaboration with on-campus organizations (e.g.
Center for Workforce Development) to identify and
evaluate the program’s most effective methods and
overall outcomes
On-going mentoring of Pre-MAP
students, since they are our
REAL FUTURE!
Resources
The BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) initiative, The Talent Imperative:
Diversifying America's Science and Engineering Workforce (2004).
Students!! They
know a lot about
what they need.
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy of the National Academy of
Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, Rising
Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter
Economic Future, National Academies Press (2006).
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy of National Academy of
Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, Beyond
Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and
Engineering (2006).
NSF 06-320, “Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United
States: 2003”, National Science Foundation (Arlington, VA, 2006).
NSF 04-317, “Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering: 2004”, National Science Foundation (Arlington, VA, 2004; updated May
2004).
NSB 03-69, “The Science and Engineering Workforce Realizing America's Potential,
National Science Board Report (2003).
Jordan, Tuajuanda C., “Attrition vs. Retention - Is it a Question of `Survival of the
Fittest'?” a presentation made at the University of Washington Symposia on Diversity
in the Sciences (2006).
Huang, G., et al., Entry and Persistence of Women and Minorities in College Science
and Engineering Education, Department of Education (2000).
Seymour, E. & Hewitt, N., Talking About Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the
Sciences, Westview Press (Boulder, CO, 1997).
Smith, D.G. et al., Diversity Works: The Emerging Picture of How Students Benefit,
Washington, D.C.: Association of American Colleges and Universities (1997).
Brought to you by…
•
Our Wonderful and AMAZING Pre-MAP Staff!
Our Challenge
Can we replenish the pool of STEM
professionals by removing the barriers that
cause talented students from traditionally
underrepresented groups to turn away from
careers in a STEM field?
Our future students
By 2010, women will earn more degrees than men at every level
of higher education from associate degrees to doctorates.
By 2015, the nation’s undergraduate population will expand by
over 2.6 million students, two million of whom will be students of
color.
Almost half of this 2.6 million increase will occur in CA, TX, and
FL, which also will have the highest representation of
undergraduates of color. Much of the rest of the projected growth
will be concentrated in AZ, GA, NJ, VI, and WA.
Even with these increases, Hispanic and African American
students enrolled in post-secondary education in 2015 will greatly
lag their respective shares of the U.S. population.
Building Engineering & Science Talent (BEST) Report, Feb. 2004
Students Need…
Problem-solving skills (critical-thinking & test-taking
skills, ability to visualize in three dimensions)
Ability to connect coursework and real-world
experiences (inquiry-based labs and research)
Enhanced interdisciplinary learning (research again!)
Writing skills (general & scientific vocabulary, ability to
clearly articulate ideas)
Ability to form and work in study groups
Time management and organization
Metacognitive abilities (understanding how they learn
best and monitoring their own learning)
Frequent meetings with academic advisor(s)
Academic Advising
Academic advising can be done either
individually or in teams, by faculty or staff.
The advising system should be consistent.
The advisor(s) must be available, accessible,
and knowledgeable of the academic programs
and career options.
Must be assigned as soon as the student
declares his or her major.
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Washington Symposium on Diversity in the Sciences, 2006