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- Title
The KEYSTONE Program: A Model for STEM Student Success and Retention at a Small Liberal Arts College.
- Authors
Guenther, Merrilee F.; Johnson, Jon L.; Sawyer, Thomas P.
- Abstract
Persistence to graduation for STEM students at Elmhurst College, much like for STEM students nationwide, was low, with the first- to second-year retention particularly problematic. The Elmhurst College KEYSTONE project, KEYs to Success Through year ONE, addresses the challenges specific to STEM firstyears. The program is intended to serve as a template for STEM success and retention programs at other small colleges and is designed to increase the retention of first-year students and the number of students graduating in STEM disciplines. Key activities include special STEM-focused First Year Seminar classes, the use of peer mentors, a research-based January Term course, a seminar on STEM careers, and summer research for a select group of students. Key interventions to manage the difficulty of the course work include goal-setting exercises, meta-cognitive workshops, and the availability of peer mentors. A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience in the January Term and summer research opportunities provide students with early research experience. A series of spring "STEMinars" introduce students to the breadth of career options in STEM fields and reinforce the developing STEM learning communities. There is evidence of reduced attrition, increased research activity, and a strengthened STEM learning community resulting from the KEYSTONE Program.
- Subjects
ELMHURST College; UNIVERSITIES &; colleges; SCHOOL dropout prevention; LEARNING communities; STUDENT health; GRADUATE students; RESEARCH teams; COGNITIVE computing
- Publication
Journal of College Science Teaching, 2019, Vol 48, Issue 6, p8
- ISSN
0047-231X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2505/4/jcst19_048_06_8