NSF project advances students in STEM majors

The financial support students received through a National Science Foundation grant proved successful as nearly all of them graduated on time.

The $600,000 grant aimed to help 120 under-represented, Pell-eligible students at Grand Valley who majored in a STEM field from 2011-2016.

The project, "Mentoring, Academic Support and Scholarships for Science Students (MAS4)," was led by Shaily Menon, associate dean for space, community engagement, research and grants in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Paul Plotkowski, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing.

MAS4 supports a national NSF initiative to increase graduation rates of first-generation, low-income and under-represented students. The Grand Valley team provided support through partial scholarships and mentorship, an approach different from other institutions.

"The most common approach is to focus on a small number of students and provide substantial support from their first to fourth year," said Plotkowski.

The pair looked at the behavior of potential candidates and noticed that many students in their third and fourth years were working to pay for school. "They were lightening their school loads, stepping out for a bit, and in some instances, dropping out," said Plotkowski. "We decided our approach would be different. We wanted to support a larger group."

Each student was assigned to a faculty member who served as a mentor and provided career guidance. Students were encouraged to complete high-impact experiences, such as conducting research or attending a professional development conference. The group also partnered with Grand Rapids Community College to provide up to five scholarships each year to students who transferred to Grand Valley.

The results of their efforts is reflected in the overall graduation and persistence rate of 98 percent.

"This is extremely high for Pell-eligible students," said Menon. "We're very happy with this outcome. The financial support allowed students to focus on their course work and remain in their programs."

Menon said an unexpected and welcome outcome was students' interest in pursuing a graduate degree.

"I think mentoring, research experiences and opportunities to learn about graduate school all contributed to the students' desire to pursue graduate school, and many went on to do it," said Menon.

This is the third NSF grant Grand Valley has received to support STEM students. The team plans to propose another project similar to MAS4.