NSF Award
0114586
The Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PR-LSAMP) is an <br/>alliance of the Resource Center for Science and Engineering of the University of Puerto <br/>Rico, the University of Puerto Rico System, the Inter American University System, <br/>Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.<br/>During the academic year 1999-00, these institutions had a SMET enrollment of 27,441,<br/>or 90% of the SMET undergraduate population on the Island. Ninety-nine percent of the <br/>student population is Hispanic and 80% are low-income students. The goal of the<br/>PR-LSAMP is to increase the quantity and quality of minority college students who <br/>successfully complete a BS/BE degree and enter and complete a graduate degree in<br/>a SMET field. During Phase I and II (1991-92 to 1999-00), PR-LSAMP institutions<br/>awarded 21,878 BS degrees in SMET, with a 62% annual increment from baseline year,<br/>from 1,709 annual degrees in 1991 to 2,771 in 1999-2000. This was achieved<br/>following a two-prong approach: (1) increasing enrollment in SMET disciplines, and<br/>(2) improving retention and graduation rates by implementing a series of strategies <br/>to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SMET programs. In Phase III, PR-LSAMP<br/>will build upon these achievements to: (1) further increase the SMET production curve <br/>from 2,771 to 3,600, which more than doubles the Phase I baseline figure of 1,709; <br/>(2) increase to 50% the percent of BS SMET graduates from UPR institutions who enter<br/>graduate school, and to 25% for those graduating from the private institutions, and (3) <br/>increase the number of BS graduates from PR-LSAMP institutions that complete a PhD<br/>degree in SMET, either locally or nationally, from 239 to 300 by the end of year 5.<br/><br/>During Phase I and Phase II the core of PR-LSAMP was the revision of the SMET<br/>curriculum to emphasize for depth of understanding with a "less is more approach",<br/>to promote active learning based on inquiry and the use of interactive demonstrations, <br/>to incorporate technology to the learning process, and the development of broad-based <br/>mathematics skills. Teaching strategies such as cooperative learning and the<br/>development of Study/Learning Skills within the Context of a Course were also<br/>implemented across SMET disciplines. Jointly with this curriculum revision,<br/>PR-LSAMP offered undergraduate SMET students mentoring and research opportunities<br/>to increase their motivation to remain in SMET careers and enhance their qualification<br/>for pursuing graduate studies. During Phase I and II a total of 2,363 research stipends <br/>were awarded, for an average of 262 stipends per year. As a result of these sustained<br/>efforts, the Index of Course Efficiency (the average number of times students have to <br/>take a SMET course to satisfactorily pass it), was reduced from an average of 2.5 to <br/>1.7. The average graduation rate at UPR institutions increased from 48% to 62% in <br/>science, while the average graduation rate for engineering at UPR increased from<br/> 53% to 81%. At private institutions the average graduation rate increased to 49%.<br/>Also the weighted average for satisfactory grades in science and mathematics <br/>courses increased from 47.5% to 59.3%. In the case of Engineering courses, <br/>the weighted average increased from 74% to 83%.<br/><br/>For Phase III PR-LSAMP proposes the following additional strategies to complete<br/>the construction of permanent pathways to graduate studies in SMET: 1) the<br/>development of interactive web-based learning to master hard to teach concepts in <br/>science and mathematics; (2) the development of electronic modules to expand the<br/>interdisciplinary capabilities of undergraduate SMET students to further enhance<br/>their preparation for graduate studies; 3) the scaling-up of the teaching/learning <br/>strategies that have proven successful in improving student performance in<br/>SMET courses, through ongoing academic and technical assistance to faculty and <br/>an Annual Best Practices Conference; and 4) the development of Information Technology <br/>skills in SMET students so they are capable of making effective and more critical use of<br/>accurate and valid information in their professional lives. To increase the number of<br/>students pursuing undergraduate degrees in SMET, PR-LSAMP will develop a Pre-College<br/>to College Bridging Component that will induct students into research experiences, and <br/>to further enhance the number of students entering graduate school and completing a <br/>PhD in SMET, PR-LSAMP will expand its research and mentoring program to<br/>provide a larger number of students with key skills and guidance to improve their <br/>preparation and motivation for graduate studies, in coordination with the Alliance<br/>for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program. The results of the<br/>project will be disseminated widely in the professional community through presentations<br/>at regional and national scientific meetings. Curricular materials developed<br/>will be available to other institutions through CD format and the WWW. The general<br/>public will have access to updated information on the PR-LSAMP through its website.
