Career, Community, and Connections for STEM Student SuccessNetwork for Academic Renewal Conference

March 25, 2011

California State University overview

• Nation’s largest university system• 23 campuses and 7 off-campus centers• Over 430,000 students; 44,000 faculty and staff• 14 CSU campuses have attained Hispanic-

Serving Institution status• 17 CSU campuses are among Hispanic Outlook

in Higher Education’s annual “Top 100”• 4 CSU campus presidents are Hispanic

California State University, San Bernardino

Hispanic Serving Institution since 1999• 16,400 students, 43% Hispanic• Over 70% are first generation students• Nearly 70% of students receive financial aid

• 57% of students are funded entirely through grants

CSUSB website is www.csusb.edu

CoyoteCareers Overview

• Free tutoring in hard-to-pass STEM classes• Academic Career Education (ACE) modules• Paid service learning internships• Alumni networking

Coyote Careers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeBEUPBHKz0

COMMUNITYService Learning I CUP Office (Academic Affairs

• Goal: To Connect students and faculty with Community partners to develop internships that educate students on Career choices

• Challenge: Limited resources (money, staff, time)

CAREERSCareer Development Center

• Goal: To Connect with Community employers to enhance Career opportunities for students

• Challenge: Limited resources (money, staff, time)

CONNECTIONSAlumni Affairs Office

• Goal: To increase affinity with alumni through Career networking and Community

Connections

• Challenge: Limited resources (money, staff, time)

CoyoteCareersCO

MM

UNITY C

AREERS

CONNECTIONS

CoyoteCareers Overview

• Free tutoring in hard-to-pass STEM classes• Academic Career Education (ACE) modules• Paid service learning internships• Alumni networking

1. Tutoring

Goal: Expand limited institutional resources to help Hispanic, low-

income students complete SMART field curricula.

1. Tutoring

BarrierStudents drop out when they

can’t pass entry-level

courses required for

SMART majors

ActionProvide

additional tutoring in low-pass classes

OutcomeStudents receive

additional support for low-pass classes; improve grades & retention

1. Tutoring

Tutoring ResultsGoal: Provide 74 hours of tutoring per week in low pass-rate courses

Baseline Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Unique Student Visitors

171 256 306 597

Total Visits

722 902 1,185 1,777

Tutoring Results – Other Analyses

• Satisfaction with Sessions• Future analyses• Impact on Grades• Impact on Retention

2. Career Development: ACE Modules

Goal: Pilot/implement an experiential Academic Career Education (ACE) support program that is effective for Hispanic and low-income students in SMART fields and strategic foreign

languages.

2. Academic Career Education (ACE)

BarrierStudents lack

the information,

soft skills, and connections, to get a job in their field of

choice

ActionProvide 10

ACE modules and online

career instruction with

alumni presenters

OutcomeStudents

develop soft skills &

interact with alumni

ACE Module ParticipantsGoal: Implement 10 ACE modules with 100 students each year

Academic Career Education (ACE)

Nancy MoralesJunior, Major ‐ Environmental Studies/GIS

HACU Summer Intern ‐ USDANatural Resource Conservation ServiceRock Springs, Wyoming

"The CoyoteCareers workshops really prepared me for my internship.  What

a great program!"

Day in the Life Alumni Videos CompletedGoal: Create 10 career information videos

• Criminal Lab Technician• Air Quality Chemist• Environmental Planner• Software Enginner

“Day in the Life” video 

Bronwyn Weis, B.A. Biology 1999 Lab Technician, Bureau of Forensics Services, State of California.

3. Alumni Affairs

Goal: Enhance student retention and career readiness by

expanding alumni connections.

3. Alumni Affairs

BarrierUnderrepresented

students lack connections to accomplished

alumni in career fields of interest;

low alumni affinity and engagement

ActionUpdate alumni

database, establish the

Hispanic alumni

chapter, and provide

networking opportunities

OutcomeMore

engaged alumni through

improved database, volunteer

opportunities, networking, and sharing

Updated Alumni RecordsGoal: Update alumni contact information by 75%

Alumni Database Records

Baseline (Year Prior to Grant)

Year 1 (2007-08)

Year 2 (2008-09)

Year 3 (2009-10)

Complete 4,098 3,749 6,506 6,935

Emailable 16,103 26,900 32,647 28,653

Addressable 52,282 56,036 58,204 60,421

Opt Out 3,850 3,999 3,991 3,992

Lost 8,403 8,528 8,802 10,374

Alumni VolunteersGoal: Identify 500 prospective alumni volunteers & 200 actual volunteers

Prospective Volunteers

Actual Volunteers

Hispanic Alumni Chapter 220 174ACE Facilitators 108 39Internship Site Hosts 27 15Networking/ Mentors 124 90Video/ Filming 16 16Total 668 287

Hispanic Alumni ChapterGoal: Establish a Hispanic professional networking group and grow by 50 alumni annually

Alumni Affairs

More than a dozen successful CSUSB alumni returned to campus on February 16th to network with students seeking their insight into gaining employment in science-related fields.

Alumni Affairs

“Within every field position, there’s a complement of administrative support people. Whether or not your field is in education, medicine or finance, maximize your skills and learn to be flexible.”

S. Alex Nájera M.P.A. 2007Human Resources Analyst, County of

Riverside

4. Service Learning Internships

Goal: Enhance student retention and career readiness by expanding community

partnerships.

4. Service Learning Internships

BarrierStudents

need financial

support and lack career-

relevant work

experience

ActionProvide paid

service learning

internships in SMART

fields

OutcomeStudents receive relevant

work experience

through paid

internships

Service Learning InternshipsGoal: Provide 30 SL internships each year (20 in Year 1) & Train 20 SL Supervisors each year

“Sitting in a classroom learning theory is helpful but being in an actual research lab provides a deep understanding and appreciation of a career in chemistry.”

 

Kristen Torrez

Senior, Chemistry

Intern – USDA ARS – Germ Lab 

Retention

Employment

More Majors: Expanded Program

New Campus-Community Partnerships

What is (STEM)2?Service learning Transforming Educational Models in Science,

Technology, Engineering and Math

• A Learn and Serve America (LSA) grant-supported initiative in the CSU intended to promote student success in STEM disciplines through service learning.

• LSA, a program of the federal agency the Corporation for National and Community Service, supports service learning in schools, higher education institutions and community-based organizations across the country.

• www.learnandserve.gov

(STEM)2

• INNOVATION• ACADEMIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT• PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT• STUDENT SUCCESS

(STEM)2 is using 4 strategies to encourage service learning and student success in STEM disciplines.

(STEM)2

• STUDENT SUCCESS

•Replication of the Coyote Careers Model across multiple CSU campuses

•Development of a “How-To” Manual (AY 10-11)•Symposium for CSU campuses (AY 11-12)•Subgrants for CSU campuses to replicate (AY11-12 and 12-13)•Fine-tuning Manual and National Dissemination (AY12-13)

Manual on “Careers, Community and Connections” in STEM

• If you would like to get notice about the availability of the manual, please sign up.

Please click on our websites for additional information:

CoyoteCareers.csusb.edu

www.calstate.edu/cce/STEM