You don’t have to go far to hear about the STEM skills gap. According to the non-profit Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates (Great Lakes), the STEM job market will increase 1.7 times faster than other industries. Unfortunately, only 40% of students that enter into a STEM major will complete a STEM degree.
"STEM drives our nation’s innovation and competiveness, and we’re concerned that the United States is falling behind in producing college graduates with degrees in these essential disciplines,” said Richard D. George, CEO of Great Lakes. “That’s why Great Lakes is committing $9 million to three initiatives that will help more two- and four-year college students persevere in their pursuit of STEM degrees, preparing them for in-demand, well-paying jobs."
Another disturbing finding by Great Lakes is that attrition is specifically high for minorities and often marginalised groups. Female students, students of color, students from low-income families, or the students that are among the first of their family to attend a higher education institution appear to be hit the hardest. As such, Great Lakes is committing $1.875 million of the funds to low-income students. This comes to $2500 each for 750 students.
George said, "Now in the third year of our scholarship program, we have provided more than $5.6 million to STEM majors across the country … We’re fortunate to see the positive difference that higher education makes in lives every day, and we’re pleased to continue our scholarship commitment to help these ambitious students advance their careers."
Of the remaining donation, $3.2 million will go towards faculty training and cross-network sharing with the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). This will help to educate STEM faculty in new proven techniques to educate their students.
It is no secret that many faculty members have devoted their life to research, but find themselves forced to fill teaching positions in order to do so. The result can be a mind numbing experience for students. The CIRTL’s goal is to teach post-docs and grad students how to become excellent researchers and instructors. The network of 22 Universities spans 16 states. Their education training is comprised of mentoring and evidence-based teaching techniques such as active learning, real-world situation topics, inclusive learning environments, teamwork and continual improvement.
"CIRTL Network universities currently graduate about 20 percent of the nation’s new STEM faculty each year … Our intention through investments like this is to take ideas that work to scale. We hope the 80 remaining research universities will adopt the successful CIRTL model and truly shape the future of STEM education for thousands of future faculty, and an entire generation of undergraduate students," said George.
The final $4 million from Great Lakes will go towards further research and to inform policymakers of the financial burdens associated with a STEM degree. The labour intensive degrees often translate to more time in the lab and library with less time for part-time jobs. This can be a major contributing factor to the attrition of students from low-income families.
The $4 million will be broken up into grants for hundreds of students in 10 Wisconsin schools. Each student receives $1000/year for up to five years for taking part in this experimental study.
"Our grants will allow students at both two- and four-year colleges to focus on their studies instead of a salary, and we hope that will make it easier for them to complete their STEM majors," said George.
The actual research portion of the study will be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Wisconsin HOPE Lab will then determine if the funding has helped the students to complete their STEM degrees.
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, founding director of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab said, "Policymakers and practitioners need to know how and why grant aid contributes to critical workforce needs, such as those in STEM fields … Thanks to the support from Great Lakes, the HOPE Lab has the opportunity to generate rigorous empirical evidence to provide that information while also supporting students across the state."
"STEM drives our nation’s innovation and competiveness, and we’re concerned that the United States is falling behind in producing college graduates with degrees in these essential disciplines,” said Richard D. George, CEO of Great Lakes. “That’s why Great Lakes is committing $9 million to three initiatives that will help more two- and four-year college students persevere in their pursuit of STEM degrees, preparing them for in-demand, well-paying jobs."
Another disturbing finding by Great Lakes is that attrition is specifically high for minorities and often marginalised groups. Female students, students of color, students from low-income families, or the students that are among the first of their family to attend a higher education institution appear to be hit the hardest. As such, Great Lakes is committing $1.875 million of the funds to low-income students. This comes to $2500 each for 750 students.
George said, "Now in the third year of our scholarship program, we have provided more than $5.6 million to STEM majors across the country … We’re fortunate to see the positive difference that higher education makes in lives every day, and we’re pleased to continue our scholarship commitment to help these ambitious students advance their careers."
Of the remaining donation, $3.2 million will go towards faculty training and cross-network sharing with the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). This will help to educate STEM faculty in new proven techniques to educate their students.
It is no secret that many faculty members have devoted their life to research, but find themselves forced to fill teaching positions in order to do so. The result can be a mind numbing experience for students. The CIRTL’s goal is to teach post-docs and grad students how to become excellent researchers and instructors. The network of 22 Universities spans 16 states. Their education training is comprised of mentoring and evidence-based teaching techniques such as active learning, real-world situation topics, inclusive learning environments, teamwork and continual improvement.
"CIRTL Network universities currently graduate about 20 percent of the nation’s new STEM faculty each year … Our intention through investments like this is to take ideas that work to scale. We hope the 80 remaining research universities will adopt the successful CIRTL model and truly shape the future of STEM education for thousands of future faculty, and an entire generation of undergraduate students," said George.
The final $4 million from Great Lakes will go towards further research and to inform policymakers of the financial burdens associated with a STEM degree. The labour intensive degrees often translate to more time in the lab and library with less time for part-time jobs. This can be a major contributing factor to the attrition of students from low-income families.
The $4 million will be broken up into grants for hundreds of students in 10 Wisconsin schools. Each student receives $1000/year for up to five years for taking part in this experimental study.
"Our grants will allow students at both two- and four-year colleges to focus on their studies instead of a salary, and we hope that will make it easier for them to complete their STEM majors," said George.
The actual research portion of the study will be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Wisconsin HOPE Lab will then determine if the funding has helped the students to complete their STEM degrees.
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, founding director of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab said, "Policymakers and practitioners need to know how and why grant aid contributes to critical workforce needs, such as those in STEM fields … Thanks to the support from Great Lakes, the HOPE Lab has the opportunity to generate rigorous empirical evidence to provide that information while also supporting students across the state."
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