An Integrated STEM Pathways Support Initiative for the Rio South Texas Region

The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), a 78-year old, general academic component of The University of Texas system, is a comprehensive university serving over 17,000 students annually, of which more than 85% are of Hispanic origin. In fact, UTPA educates the most Mexican-American students in the nation. UTPA is located in Edinburg, Texas, the county seat of Hidalgo County, the most populous of the four counties comprising the area known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The southern border of Hidalgo County is the Rio Grande River, the international border between Mexico and the United States. UTPA is the only comprehensive university in the seventh most populous county in the state and enrolls the highest number and highest percentage of Hispanics among Texas public universities.

Increasing the number of Hispanic students successfully engaged in STEM fields is a national priority from many points of view. From an economic competitiveness point of view, it is widely known that the future of U. S. competitiveness hinges on the ability of the educational system to generate the technical workforce that will support the innovation needed to remain competitive. From the social view point, Hispanics are historically known to be under represented in STEM fields and the fastest growing segment of the population. From a regional perspective, the need for STEM graduates is critical to the future sustainability of the development of the region as a leading manufacturing hub for North America. From any perspective and given the demographics of the region there is no better region in the United States to support efforts to increase the number of Hispanics in STEM fields than the Rio South Texas Region.

With this in mind, The University of Texas–Pan American and South Texas College (STC), a two-year HSI, are collaborating on a number of efforts to facilitate student engagement and success in STEM areas. With both institutions located in Hidalgo County and having well over 80% Hispanic student populations (approximately 70% of whom are first generation college students), the purpose of this Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant proposal is to develop and support strategies that will facilitate the success of Hispanics and other low income students in STEM areas. In order to do this the focus of the efforts will be to support four activities that constitute An Integrated STEM Pathways Support Initiative for the Rio South Texas Region. The first activity will enhance student services to foster success in Calculus I as it is known to be a roadblock for student success in STEM fields. The second activity will support the implementation of Challenge-Based Instruction (CBI) in selected courses. CBI is known to be a more effective approach to the learning process. The third activity will support faculty development through workshops on CBI techniques with a focus on increasing student success, and finally the fourth activity will grow and support pathways to STEM fields between STC and UTPA. As an integrated project in support of student success in STEM fields, the proposed project will provide a model that will have a significant impact on the number of STEM graduates and that will be simple to replicate in other geographical areas.

Key Personnel

• Dr. Miguel Gonzalez, Project Director
• Dr. Christina Villalobos, Director of Enhanced Student Services
• Dr. Robert Freeman, Director of Curriculum Reform
• Dr. Stephen Crown, Director of Faculty Development
• Dr. Horacio Vasquez, Direector of STEM Pathways Growth and Support
• Dr. Olga Ramirez, Co-Advisory Council Co-Chair
• Dr. Arturo Fuentes, Project Coordinator?
• Dr. Robert Wrinkle, Project Assessment
• STC members or others I missed (comments please)

Goals

• to increase enrollment, retention, and six year graduation rates in STEM fields at
  UTPA that enhance student academic success.
• to increase enrollment, retention, and three year graduation rates at STC and the percentage of qualified STC transfer students to UTPA (and other four year institutions) in STEM fields through strengthened pathways and articulation.
• to increase the quality of our STEM graduates by developing their ability to become adaptive experts who are efficient and innovative professionals for life.
• to train, mentor, and support a cadre of highly qualified STEM faculty in innovative inductive teaching methodologies.
• to enhance success of STEM students by providing a strong support program for Calculus 1, the mathematical foundation for their future studies.

Activities

1. Enhanced Student Services (Dr. Christina Villalobos) STEM Orientation and Mentoring Program and STEM Calculus 1 Student Assistant Support Program
2. Curriculum Reform (Dr. Robert Freeman) Curriculum development based on Challenge-Based Instruction (CBI)
3. Faculty Development (Dr. Stephen Crown) Faculty development seminars and workshops on CBI
4. STEM Pathways Growth and Support (Dr. Horacio Vasquez) Dual enrollment programs at STC.