Louis Stokes New STEM Pathways Implementation-Only Alliance: Lower Hudson Valley Catholic Colleges and Universities Consortium

The Lower Hudson Valley Catholic Colleges and Universities Consortium LSAMP (LHVCCUC LSAMP) project aims to help address STEM workforce pipeline challenges, building upon the advantage that NYS private colleges and universities confer more degrees than their public counterparts. The LHVCCUC LSAMP project is an extension of the LHVCCUC, a consortium comprising ten private Catholic colleges and universities across New York State (NYS). The LHVCCUC LSAMP project encompasses seven institutions: Molloy University, Manhattan College, Mount Saint Mary College, St. Francis College, St. John's University, St. Joseph's University New York, and St. Thomas Aquinas College. New York State data indicate that high school students are graduating without adequate preparation in STEM and the total number of NYS high school students is declining. This combined with a national shortage of qualified individuals to meet the demand for STEM professionals, underscores the critical need to strengthen the state's STEM pipeline. Fortifying the STEM pathway is especially crucial given NYS is home to the New York metropolitan area. The LHVCCUC LSAMP project outlines four main goals: 1) Increase the enrollment of STEM majors; 2) Improve first-to-second-year retention; 3) Cultivate strong STEM/scientist identities through STEM enrichment activities; and 4) Support successful entry into graduate study and STEM careers. To achieve these goals, alliance-wide activities include faculty-led research experiences, peer mentoring, individual and group tutoring, workshops and seminars, and internships, among other initiatives. The LHVCCUC LSAMP project uniquely adds to the knowledge base on doing this type of work and could serve as an exemplar for institutions with similar characteristics aiming to strengthen STEM pipelines for students. 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.