RESUMO
Wesley College secured a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM (scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) grant (1355554) to provide affordability and access to its robust STEM programs. With these funds, the college initiated a freshman to senior level, mixed-cohort, Cannon Scholar (CS) learning community (LC). Around the proven high-impact practice of multi-tiered mentoring, this LC is designed for greater commitment to participating STEM undergraduates. It truly is a collaborative effort between faculty and administrators. For Scholars interested in mentored research, existing NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences - IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence funding, complement the innovation and cross-disciplinary collaborations in the CS programming. This enriches and further supports the CS LC. Throughout the 2014-2016 program duration, there were 66 unique scholarship recipients and 82% participated in directed research. Fifty-nine percent were from underrepresented minority populations and 65% were female. Ninety-five percent of these Scholars were retained and 100% of the graduates (n = 21) entered STEM fields. Analyses controlled for population similarity proves that with an intensive focus on academic support, high-impact uplifting practices were implemented through a framework of comprehensive student engagement activities. Such strategic interactions resulted in higher overall GPAs and significantly improved Scholar retention rates.
RESUMO
To develop best practices for laboratory safety and for chemical product and supplies management accountability, the freely-available online platform, Quartzy, was integrated within an interdisciplinary science department at a small Mid-Atlantic liberal-arts college. This was done to ensure the accuracy of purchase records, the appropriate use of storage and handling protocols, and for a continually updated chemical inventory system. Quartzy also facilitated the digital tracking and dispersal of the College's hazardous waste inventory. Since the implementation of the Quartzy platform, the science department achieved significant cost-savings during the procurement of laboratory supplies and equipment, and it developed a sense of ownership towards the common goal of lowering the College's environmental impact as it relates to its managing of laboratory-generated hazardous wastes.
