When John Bear became Dean of the College of Natural
Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Houston (UH) in 1992,
one of his goals was to diversify the school. But while searching
for minority faculty, Bear realized how daunting his task was.
"There was an extremely small pool of people out there to choose
from," he recalled.
The Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (
H-LSAMP ) program is a
National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded collaborative effort among
six Houston-area universities, two local community colleges, and
the Houston Independent School District. Headed by Bear and
colleagues, H-LSAMP--which is open to everyone regardless of
race--aims to increase the number of minority applicants for
research and education careers in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) by recruiting qualified minority students to
STEM disciplines, enhancing retention rates, and ensuring that each
student graduates with a definite career goal. "One way of solving
this problem is to try and grow our own," he says.
H-LSAMP--which is open to everyone regardless of race--aims to
increase the number of minority applicants for research and
education careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM).
According to last year's evaluation report, H-LSAMP universities
came close to doubling the number of STEM bachelor's degrees
awarded to underrepresented minorities at participating
institutions, from 458 degrees in 1998--the year before the program
began --to 806 degrees five years later. UH itself has doubled the
number of STEM degrees it awards to minorities, to 395. Texas State
University-San Marcos also doubled their minority STEM degrees, to
101. Think that's impressive? The University of Houston-Downtown
(UHD)tripledthe number of STEM degrees it awarded to
minorities, to a total of 132.
The minority surge in STEM at H-LSAMP institutions is "something
really unusual," says David Drew, Platt Professor of Education and
Management at California's Claremont Graduate University and an
external evaluator for H-LSAMP. The strength of the program, he
suggests, was already evident by its third year; by then the growth
rate of minority STEM degrees at H-LSAMP universities was more than
six times the national rate.
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Students participate in the fourth annual H-LSAMP Conference
at
the University of Houston (October 2004).
Photos courtesy of Pete Medrano, University of Houston.
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A Successful Formula
One factor in the program's success is its people. "They have a
large group of absolutely committed people working directly with
students," says Martin Bonsangue, professor of mathematics at
California State University-Fullerton and an H-LSAMP evaluator.
Exploiting such strong support, H-LSAMP institutions have
pursued a policy of aggressive minority recruitment in the Houston
area. Some H-LSAMP consortium schools reach out to undergraduates
nationwide and advertise the program in high schools and middle
schools.
H-LSAMP's minority retention strategies are at least as
important as their recruitment strategies. H-LSAMP institutions
provide mentoring and resources that, taken as a whole, result in a
supportive peer culture. Students accepted into the program must
participate in various skill-enhancing activities designed to build
interest in STEM and self-esteem. Each H-LSAMP institution has its
own approach to student training, but most require H-LSAMP students
to obtain research and teaching experience, attend and teach
supplemental STEM courses, recruit for the H-LSAMP program, attend
professional development workshops, help younger peers adjust to a
four-year university or graduate school, and participate in
networking events such as H-LSAMP orientation days and research
conferences.
Students have access to national labs, industrial firms, and
other institutions via the connections of their H-LSAMP mentors.
They also receive a stipend and utilize H-LSAMP-exclusive rooms in
which to study, whether individually or in supportive groups.
Resources like these and the encouraging atmosphere they engender
help all students--including community-college transfer
students--to stick it out through graduation and continue on to
graduate study.
"One of the biggest problems is that when kids get into the
program, they are somewhat lost. They don't have a history of a lot
of successes academically, in some instances," Bear explains. "If
you establish that self-confidence--that ability to be
successful--that feeds on itself. Before long, they become
extremely good students." It is these qualities, Drew says, along
with exceptional recruiting techniques, that make H-LSAMP special.
"It's not that other AMPs [Alliance for Minority Participation
programs] don't have two or three of these and do them well, but
H-LSAMP has done such a marvelous job of incorporating all of
them," he says.
A More Diverse Future
H-LSAMP students attest to the effectiveness of the program.
H-LSAMP helped Christopher Miller find his direction while a
student at UH. Though typically a good student, by his sophomore
year Miller was so overwhelmed by the college scene that he
contemplated quitting school. "College wasn't something that
everybody did," he says. "In my neighborhood, many guys my age have
two to three kids by different women or are in jail. That's the
typical path. That's where I'm supposed to be." Thanks to H-LSAMP,
Miller completed his B.S. in mathematics, making him the first in
his family to finish college. After he completes his master's
degree program in applied math, he plans to enter a Ph.D.
program.
Miller, who serves as program coordinator at UH, adds that
H-LSAMP has been "worthwhile" for many minorities; it armed them
with valuable skills in STEM and allowed many students to obtain
STEM degrees. According to Richard Alo, Executive Director of the
Center for Computational Science and Information Technology and
Executive Director of Grants and Contracts at UHD, H-LSAMP is
poised to accomplish still more in the future. As H-LSAMP has
progressed, UHD and some of the other H-LSAMP institutions have
collaborated on grants to fund programs geared to enhance STEM
education at other levels, from elementary school to graduate
school. These programs, he says, could further enhance H-LSAMP's
success.
Edna Francisco is a contributing writer for MiSciNet
and may be reached at eofrancisco@nasw.org.