2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The need to increase the number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates by tapping into the underrepresented and rural populations is well documented. However, very little work has been done in learning how to best retain rural STEM students who face challenges different from their urban peers. Rural students face significant struggles with academic persistence in college due to insufficient funds, poor academic preparation from small financially struggling schools, and little social support given the lack of college-going culture in their communities.

This program, funded by an NSF S-STEM grant, aims to better understand this often-overlooked population of rural and underrepresented students. The program provides students with scholarships and a retention program involving multiple forms of advising and mentoring. Retention program components include a residential bridge program for first-year students, a first-year living-learning community, student success advising, monthly cohort meetings with professional advisors and student success experts, peer mentoring, and social opportunities.

The program’s 38 STEM students are primarily rural, from historically underrepresented groups (HUG), and all are Pell Grant recipients. HUG and rural students in the program were much more heavily represented than the general university’s STEM population (HUG is 68% in program vs. 19% in university STEM, rural is 58% in program vs. 15% in university STEM).

In this paper, program components and lessons learned will be presented, addressing this population’s special needs that are transferable to any institution. Data from four years of program evaluation, including an annual survey and a graduates’ survey, will be provided.

Retention was not as high as hoped in the first and third cohorts, however, a tremendous amount was learned about this population of rural and HUG STEM students. The team adapted strategies which ultimately has paid off. Changes were needed to the lineup of first-year academic courses. Targeted in-depth conversations became very important on the topics of time management, student responsibilities with classes, and coursework. Possibly the most important were reassurance and conversation centered around their worthiness to be at the university and to instill a greater sense of belonging. The paper will detail the important changes and conversations.

Graduates were highly satisfied with the program. Eleven of the twelve graduates to date responded to a survey.
• 100% were very satisfied (10) or satisfied (1) with the program overall.
• 100% strongly agreed (11) that the program provided a positive impact on their academic performance and on completing their degree.
• 100% strongly agreed the program promoted their sense of belonging at the university.
• 82% strongly agreed (7) or agreed (2) that the program was important to completing their degree programs. One somewhat disagreed and one non-response.
• 100% were very satisfied (10) or satisfied (1) with the professional mentoring.
• 100% were very satisfied (7) or satisfied (4) with the monthly meetings.
• 100% were very satisfied (10) or satisfied (1) with the bridge program.