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Learning Communities & Cohort Building

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Learning Communities & Cohort Building

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  1. Strategies for building community among students, and the impact of those strategies on STEM retention. Discussion topics include strategies aimed at critical transition points where attrition or low academic performance is known to be high for certain groups (e.g., entering freshman, community college transfers, transition to upper division core, underrepresented engineering students). Learning Communities & Cohort Building

  2. Goals • To share successful community building and cohort development strategies for key transition points and populations • To discuss obstacles faced and identify solutions to common problems • To identify other initiatives for development in our STEP programs

  3. EXCEL & COMPASS The EXCEL program was funded by NSF STEP Type 1A at the level of $1.8M over the period of 2006 to 2012; Institutionalized by UCF - RETENTION The Convincing Outstanding-Math-Potential Admits to Succeed in STEM (COMPASS) program is funded by NSF STEP Type 1Bat the level of $1.8M over the period of 2012 to 2016 – RECRUITMENT • Program Goal: Increase the number of UCF STEM degree recipients

  4. Focus Areas • Entering freshmen • Community college transfer • Underrepresented groups in STEM • Attrition and low academic performance

  5. Strategies • Living Learning Community • Math Class Cohorts (College Algebra – Calculus III) • Mentor Network • GEMS: women’s peer-to-peer mentoring • WISE: women’s industry-to-student mentoring • Graduate Teaching Assistant: class TA and tutor • Faculty: undergraduate research experience • STEM Seminar Course • Common Advisor • Undergraduate Research Experience • Social Activities • Social Media

  6. Success EXCEL • 43% increase in STEM retention of EXCEL participants (overall) • Graduation rates on par or above top SAT math quartile • 42%, 47% and 58% increase in STEM retention of Female, Hispanic and African American EXCEL participants, respectively GEMS • Decrease in gender retention gap (15% to 6%) while increasing overall retention • 93% agree that GEMS helps create an environment that facilitates learning • 91% agree GEMS provides opportunities for unique academic and social experiences

  7. Obstacles • Consistent Participation • Support from Advising • Support from Mathematics Department • Issues identified in Assessment

  8. UCF STEM Initiatives S-STEM @ UCF The STATESS project EXCEL IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATH YES Young Entrepreneur & Scholar Scholarship Program

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