Letter of Intent to Submit to NSF STEP Solicitation – Oregon State University

Skip Rochefort, Associate Professor and Director, OSU and COE Precollege Programs

Ellen Momsen, Director, Women and Minorities in Engineering Program

Janine Trempy, Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Science

College is a Plan: Transitions to STEM Success

This project proposes to modify and expand existing recruitment and retention prototypes at Oregon State University to focus on STEM recruitment and retention. Specifically, we propose to:

1. Modify and expand the transitional learning community and supplemental learning concepts that have been piloted at OSU to students in the College of Engineering and the College of Science.
2. Develop an integrated service model that engages STEM students in leadership and mentoring activities related to STEM careers..
3. Develop the process to provide early undergraduate research and scholarship experiences to STEM students engaged in transitional learning community and supplemental learning environments to increase retention.
4. Implement these programs at the eleven OSU community college dual-enrollment partners.

PARTNERS

- At Oregon State University

College of Engineering

College of Science

Academic Success Center

Center for Teaching and Learning

Center for Community and Diversity

Department of Science and Math Education

Student Orientation and Retention (SOAR)

-Oregon Community Colleges (OSU dual-enrollment partners)

Blue Mountain Community College

Chemeketa Community College

Central Oregon Community College

Columbia Gorge Community College

Linn-Benton Community College

Mount Hood Community College

Oregon Coast Community College

Portland Community College

Southwestern Community College

Tillamook Bay Community College

Umpqua Community College

Transitional Learning Communities

A Transitional Learning Community (TLC) is a small group (15-20) of first-year students taking core courses together during their fall term at OSU. These are regular university courses that satisfy graduation requirements. The traditional TLC group is linked together through a course that meets weekly, providing a support structure combined with enrichment activities led by upper-division student peer leaders.