2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 307: Imagining and Co-designing a Supportive College Experience for First Generation Students through an NSF S-STEM Program

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

Two cohorts of ten (10) first generation students from the local public school district have been recruited to an NSF S STEM scholarship program that provides navigational support in attending and graduating from a STEM-focused private university. The S-STEM funding complements a university scholarship to meet the full demonstrated need of each student for four years, including on-campus housing to ensure that our scholars can fully participate in the college experience. Intentional programming and a mentor network were implemented with an assets-based framework.

Student surveys and program evaluation reveal that the scholarship program components that are the most effective and appreciated by the scholars are free summer courses, paid summer research experiences, and a “support team” that connects them to resources and assists them in navigating the university system. Also important to their sense of belonging at the university was the pre-orientation program (similar to a short bridge program) and their cohort of peers in the S-STEM program.

Interviews with the S-STEM scholars were conducted alongside interviews with other first generation students not in the S-STEM program. The research study on student experiences revealed that a distributed and unconnected model of student support can be frustrating and ineffective for students. Instead, a core team of people that guides students to navigate the university system and to provide intentional programming at the appropriate times has emerged to be more effective. Thus, we have adapted our project to meet the needs of the students as we hear their stories and learn from them.

To capture our students’ experiences and to engage them in co-designing inclusive college experiences within a supportive university system, we plan to have a design charrette with a graphic illustrator where the scholars will collectively share their stories and brainstorm ideas upon deliberate prompts. The facilitation will elevate multiple voices and reinforce learning and highlight interconnections. The graphic recording will translate the real-time conversations and the key ideas into a shared visual. The graphical artwork will serve as a visual representation of the voices of our scholars and serve as a tool to present what is possible for the university to redefine student experiences and set up systems for all students to succeed.

Through this project, we aim to demonstrate and document the sufficient resources needed (e.g., human capital) to support the whole student, and in particular students in which the university system was not initially designed for. The findings provide a great opportunity for the university to strengthen student supports with the proper resources and systems for students, especially from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups.

Authors

Dr. Katherine C. Chen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5428-7196 Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Dr. Katherine C. Chen is the Executive Director of the STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Her degrees in Materials Science and Engineering are from Michigan State University and MIT. Her research interests include pre-college engineering education, teacher education, and equity in education. She is currently on NSF S-STEM, RET, and Noyce grants.
Haley McDevitt [biography]

Haley McDevitt is an artist, graphic recorder, and facilitator who uses a combination of drawing, typography, and design to capture and synthesize information. As a visual communications partner to her clients, she creates live summaries of facilitated conversations that engage participants, aid in group sense-making, and captures connections through shared key insights. She holds a BFA in Studio Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. With a passion for creative problem-solving, Haley enjoys aiding organizations to communicate their ideas in a more engaging and accessible way.
Dr. Hermine Vedogbeton Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Dr. Hermine Vedogbeton is an Assistant Research Professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Her research interests include social justice, environment justice, ecosystem services, and women & the environment. She holds a Ph.D. in in Economics and a master’s in International Development and Social Change from Clark University.
Ms. Debra Boucher Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Debra Boucher is Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Prior to coming to WPi, her work positioned her work at the intersection of enrollment management, student success, and academic affairs. At WPI Debra oversees the summer session offerings and works to leverage summer activities to support strategic initiatives. She works to build systemic supports for vulnerable students, smooth the pathway for transfer students, and build collaborative systems of support for all students.
Mr. Arnold Mitchell Lane Jr. Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Arnold M. Lane, Jr. (he/him) is the Director of Multicultural Education and Community Engagement in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Arnold received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of New Haven (West Haven, CT). He received his Master of Education degree in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Springfield College (Springfield, MA). He also received a Master of Business Administration degree from Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem, NC). His research interests include Black male student success, first-generation college students, orientation and onboarding experiences, and intergroup dialogue.
Brianna Raphino Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Brianna Raphino is a Ph.D. Candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the Mechanical Engineering Department. She received her Bachelor's Degree in 2020 from Merrimack College. She then entered WPI graduate school with a GEM Fellowship, WPI Presidential Fellowship, and a supplemental grant from the Koerner Family Foundation. She has a passion for STEM education outreach and mentorship, and has participated in numerous programs, including WRAMP (Women's Research and Mentorship Program) at WPI.
Dr. Olufunmilayo Ayobami Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

Dr. Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Ayobami is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She is also the Principal Investigator for two diversity-related grants aimed at increasing the retention and a sense of belonging for underrepresented and first-generation WPI students. She has a keen interest and passion for addressing and mitigating racial disparities within STEM, academia and healthcare. Dr. Ayobami received her Bachelor’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Professional Writing from WPI, and completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University.

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