Board 437: Work in Progress: Transforming STEM Undergraduate Education Through a Hispanic Student Success Servingness Framework

Abstract Given the need for continued scientific innovation and a diverse, skilled STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce in the United States, increasing the representation of women, Hispanic, Black, first-generation, and other underrepresented groups in STEM is vital. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are recognized for enrolling a large proportion of students from lower income, first generation, and racially marginalized backgrounds. Additionally, Hispanic students earn STEM degrees at high rates at HSIs; in 2016, 46% of Hispanic students who earned STEM bachelor's degrees graduated from HSIs. HSIs have the potential to play an important role in closing national gaps in STEM degree attainment and workforce needs through intentional policies, practices, and institutional commitment. An institutional transformation project focused on STEM undergraduate student success and servingness is underway at a public R1 Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in the southern region of the United States. The university enrolls almost 35,000 students, 59% of whom are Hispanic. About 30% percent of undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences. However, the first-year retention rate is 69% and six-year graduation rate is only 31% for the College of Engineering, with slightly lower rates for College of Sciences. Several courses at the university experience substantial failing rates, as high as 31% to 55% in some gateway and required courses for engineering majors, which act as a major obstacle to degree completion for many students at the university. This work-in-progress poster presentation will provide an overview of the 5-year NSF grant collaboration between engineering and education faculty and leaders at an HSI. Additionally, the poster will highlight the educational research methods and progress from the first two years of the project.