College of Menominee Nation STEM Curriculum Enhancement Project

Investigator(s):

Verna Fowler (PI) ; Holly YoungBear-Tibbetts (Co-PI)

Sponsor:

College of the Menominee Nation, WI 54135 7157995600

Start Date/Expiration Date

2003-10-01 to 2008-09-30 (amended 2005-06-24)

Awarded Amount to Date:

$1,500,000

Abstract: Abstract To address the shortage of under-represented ethnic minority participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) College of Menominee Nation (CMN), a 1994 Land Grant institution designated as a Tribal College and University under Executive Order 13020 proposes in partnership with the National Science Foundation to enter a cooperative agreement designed to remedy that circumstance through a four-tiered STEM CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT PROJECT. The proposed program would refine the 4 STEM related learning outcomes articulated in the college.s eleven Guiding Principles for demonstrable student learning, through a multi-faceted curriculum revision designed to integrate mathematical and computational sciences across the curriculum in General Education Requirements; assure their integration in Breadth curriculum, and significantly impact Emphasis (major) requirements through refinement of existent programs, and development of two new STEM majors unique to the site and situation of the regional and reservation economy: Environmental Health; and Materials Science. In respect to the latter initiative, CMN brings to the project collaborative public partners: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) an agency within the National Institutes of Health, Center for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services; and the National Forest Products Laboratory of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, respectively. Led by Vice-President of Academic Affairs, a Menominee descendant, who will serve as Principal Investigator for the project, day-to-day operations of the project will be facilitated by a Project Coordinator and Curriculum Development Specialist and an Administrative Assistant to be hired under this cooperative agreement. The Vice-President will convene a project management team representing the units under her supervision including the Deans of Student Services and Auxiliary Sites, The Assessment of Student Learning (ASL) Coordinator and her assistant, and STEM faculty (9 of the full-time faculty of 15.) The proposal seeks support to augment faculty in Mathematics and Computational Sciences with two additional full-time faculty hires, as well as funding for STEM faculty release time at .20, and support for adjunct hires necessary to fulfill schedule requirements. Assessment of Student Learning (ASL) will be a significant component of this project, and a .60 dedication of ASL Coordinator.s and support staff time is included as an in-kind contribution by the college. A position in Student Services will be created under this proposal for .50 STEM Tutor/Advisor and Student Records Specialist. Student stipends for 15 participants in an STEM Honors Leadership Program are included in the proposal as well as STEM faculty summer support totaling 3.0 FTE to conduct the summer Honors Leadership cohort program and related program costs. Modest support for instructional materials and supplies is included in the budget of $2,388,886 over a five-year period.

NSF Org:

HRD - Division of Human Resource Development

Award Number:

0323742

Award Instrument:

Cooperative Agreement

Program Manager:

Lura J. Chase
HRD Division of Human Resource Development
EHR Directorate for Education & Human Resources

NSF Program(s):

TRIBAL COLLEGE & UNIVERS PROGR

Field Application(s):

Other nsf.applications NEC

Program Reference Code(s):

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, 9178

Program Element Code(s):

1744