Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), our program implements a student-centered, peer-led intervention program that aims to significantly reduce the exit rates of minority and at-risk students in STEM and professional majors.
of all US students who enter college intending to major in STEM exit the field.
is the exit rate for African-American STEM students in college, which is significantly higher than that for all US students.
was the initial passing rate for students in our general biology courses at VSU.
is the passing rate we observed after implementing the STAR program at VSU--a 17% increase. This is a statistically significant improvement.
We have implemented the STAR 2.0 Program at VSU to significantly reduce the exit rates of minority and at-risk students in STEM and professional majors.
Background:
While 47% of all US students who enter college intending to major in STEM exit the
field, the exit rate for African-American students is significantly higher at 65% (Chen 2013). Introductory “gatekeeper” courses remain a major barrier to success with very high rates of failure or withdrawals. Other factors that particularly negatively impact minority students include inadequate college preparation associated with diminished academic confidence (i.e., low self-efficacy) and a sense of disconnection with the STEM community (i.e., low STEM identity).
Proof That the Program Works:
Virginia State University (VSU) is a historically black college and university (HBCU) with an 86% African-American demographic. We implemented a two-part intervention that included student-centered pedagogic changes and peer-led supplemental instruction (SI) in its general biology courses to address high DFW rates. In its initial iteration we observed passing rate increases for biology majors from 42% to 59%. However, those of other STEM majors failed to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement. A redesign of the intervention to better align classroom instruction with the SI components, including non-cognitive focused activities, resulted in higher GPAs and persistence within STEM majors by building academic identity, resilience and self-regulation. With support from a two-year National Science Foundation Targeted Infusion Project (NSF TIP grant-Award ID 1719465), we launched the STAR Program in June 2017 to fully integrate this enhanced intervention into the biology curriculum.
We intend to expand the program to other majors in the College of Natural Health and Sciences, and to other colleges and departments.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Psychology
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Biology
Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management
Associate Professor of Biology
YOU SET THE STANDARD:
Lead by example and help your fellow students make it to the finish line in your major. By doing so, you are contributing to the future by ensuring a more diverse workforce in skilled fields.
VSU STAR Program
Attention: Cheryl Talley, Ph.D.
College of Natural Health & Sciences
P.O. Box 9203
Virginia State University, VA 23806