Welcome to ASMCUE in Seattle, Washington! Registered attendees are able to download the mobile app onto their phone, create a log-in, and make a personalized schedule and chat with attendees. Questions? Email [email protected]
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Community colleges play a critical role in expanding access to STEM education for low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented students. Yet nationally, only 31.6% of first-time community college students transfer to a four-year institution within six years, and fewer than half of those students complete a bachelor’s degree (48.7%). To address these challenges, the National Science Foundation funded the S-STEM Scholars Program at Minneapolis College, which developed a comprehensive support model to enhance recruitment, retention, transfer, and degree completion among financially disadvantaged STEM students, along with a partnership with the PRISM project. Grounded in mentoring theory and high-impact educational practices (HIPs), the program uses two prong approaches that combines scholarship support with faculty mentoring, undergraduate research experiences, STEM internships, cohort-based activities, and individualized development planning. Faculty mentors received professional development through evidence-based mentoring resources from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), with an emphasis on culturally responsive mentoring and advising. Program evaluation examined the relationship between participation in HIPs and scholars’ STEM identity, social-emotional outcomes, and academic success. Between 2020 and 2026, 83 scholars participated in the program. Approximately 65% completed their degree or transferred to a four-year institution, while an additional 20% remain enrolled and on track for graduation or transfer, resulting in an overall persistence rate of approximately 85%. Additionally, 94% of scholars reported awareness of available support resources, and mentoring conversations frequently focused on academic progress (75%) and career planning (61%). Findings suggest that integrating financial support with intentional mentoring and research-rich experiences can strengthen STEM identity, improve persistence, and facilitate successful transfer pathways to four-year institutions.
