Planning Proposal: Saint Augustine's University STEM Ecosystem Analysis

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides support to strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at HBCUs. Using a mixed methods research design, this project plans to conduct an institutional analysis of factors that affect the mentoring, recruitment, persistence, interdisciplinary research and develop practical approaches to enhancing the success of undergraduate STEM majors. Saint Augustine’s University seeks to collect appropriate data, engage constituents and conduct collaborative activities with institutional stakeholders that will inform and guide the development of research activities and curriculum improvements. This planning project aligns with the goals of the HBCU-UP program in its efforts to bolster institutional capacity building for the purpose of enhancing STEM Undergraduate education and research endeavors. Poor retention and student preparation are important underlying elements contributing to reduced minority participation in the STEM pathway. The objective of this planning project is to conduct an ecosystem analysis to understand and develop practical approaches to impact mentoring, recruitment, infrastructure, retention, capacity building, undergraduate research, and curricular modifications aligned with the university's strategic goals and mission. Data from pedagogical efficacy studies and an institutional landscape analysis will establish metrics to enhance STEM departments. Expansion of external partnerships with STEM companies, government laboratories, and research-intensive institutions will broaden participation in STEM education and careers. The extraction and synthesis of effective strategies will produce transformative solutions to improve underrepresented STEM students' academic and professional experiences. Codifying empirical data from the planning project will also stimulate future grant proposal development to enhance the success and sustainability of cost-effective mitigation activities at Saint Augustine's University. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.