In this talk, I give an overview of what we at Truman are trying to accomplish through our NSF PRISM program.

1. A First Report on the
NSF PRISM Project at
Truman State University
Jason Miller, Ph.D.
Department of Mathematics
millerj@truman.edu
with
Dr. Barbara Kramer (Chemistry) and
Dr. Timothy Walston (Biology)
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2. Purpose
• Give the mathematical (and online)
communicate a sense of what we are doing
• Share ups and downs of a reproducible
program
• Motivate others to follow us and help
develop best practices in STEM talent
expansion (in which mathematics plays a
central role)
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3. Plan
• The NSF Program
• New courses
• Our Program
• Some data
• Other results
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4. Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Knocking at the College Door:Projections of High School Graduates by State and
Race/Ethnicity 1992-2022. March 2008. http://bit.ly/gVdM8W
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5. PRISM - Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science
and Mathematics
“The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in
Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the
nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers
of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and
minors in science and mathematics. The program will ...
widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to
which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and
that provide these students increased opportunities for
research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.”
JMM New Orleans
9 January 2011
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6. PRISM - Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science
and Mathematics
“The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in
Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the
nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers
of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and
minors in science and mathematics. The program will ...
widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to
which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and
that provide these students increased opportunities for
research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.”
JMM New Orleans
9 January 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011 6

7. PRISM - Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science
and Mathematics
“The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in
Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the
nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers
of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and
minors in science and mathematics. The program will ...
widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to
which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and
that provide these students increased opportunities for
research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.”
JMM New Orleans
9 January 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011 7

8. PRISM - Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science
and Mathematics
“The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in
Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the
nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers
of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and
minors in science and mathematics. The program will ...
widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to
which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and
that provide these students increased opportunities for
research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.”
SPECTRA - Students Prepared, Enriched, and
Challenged through Research-based Activities
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9. Truman
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10. JMM New Orleans
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11. JMM New Orleans
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12. Our Program
• An experiment in broadening participation in STEM
(with mathematics as a theme)
• Three primary parts
1. retaining high-risk students (summer prep)
2. recruiting high-ability students (courses, $$)
3. attracting and retaining community college
students (advice, $$)
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13. Courses
• Integrative Freshman Seminar (IDSM 140)equired ofhAoYlars
• first term, first-year R
PECT
RA S
c
• S
presents the STEM disciplines as interrelated,
socially relevant, exciting
• Inquiry Seminar (IDSM 130/131) of AY s
uired cholar
Req A S
• second term, first-year SPECTR
• prepares students to undertake independent,
faulty-mentored research
• writing enhanced (graduation requirement)
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14. Courses
• Calculus and Mathematical Methods for the Life
Sciences (MATH 288)
• alternative to ‘Calc I’ mathematics course for
life science students
• satisfies ‘Calculus’ graduation requirement/
option
• present more than ‘Calc I’ concepts and
techniques (partial derivatives, basic ODEs,
basic statistics, data analysis, matrix methods)
• anticipate a follow-on course for Chemistry
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15. Courses
• Analytical Chemistry for the Life Sciences (spring
2012)
• an integrative (biol+chem) course
• alternative to Analytical Chemistry for chem
majors
• will assist biology majors earning chemistry
minor
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16. Our Program
Ability in STEM
Enthusiasm for STEM
Low High STEM major?
Low
recruitment
potential not
AY Scholars declared
high-risk of
traditional
High
leaving STEM declared
pool
Summer Scholars
ACT MT <25 >30
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17. Logistics
• used Admissions database of accepted students
for pool
• advertised at monthly campus recruitment
Saturdays
• FileMaker database + SeedCode email
management plug-in (http://www.seedcode.com/)
• 3-4 applicants for each position (each program)
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18. Summer Scholars
• 19+ students, residential summer college courses; intro
to being a college student
• Summer 2010: intro to Chemistry (CHEM 129, no lab),
College Composition (ENG 190)
• plan: set loose in the Fall
AY Scholars
• 6-7 students, 2-year scholarship (~$2k/year)
• must take major-level STEM course each semester
• must take new seminars
• second year: faculty-mentored research experience
Assessment
•Learning And Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)
•Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG)
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19. Attitude
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20. Concentration
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21. Information
Processing
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22. Selecting Main
Ideas
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23. Study Aid
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24. Time
Management
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25. Motivation
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26. Anxiety
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27. Test Strategies
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28. Self Testing
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29. Change in Scores - Integrative Fr. Seminar Students
ANX - Anxiety
ATT - Attitude
CON - Concentration
INP - Information Processing
MOT - Motivation
SFT - Self-Testing
SMI - Selecting Main Ideas
STA - Study Aid
TMT - Time Management
TST - Test Strategies
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30. Results So Far
• We’re making a big difference in Summer Scholars’
lives, though they are struggling academically (mean
GPA = 2.4, sd=0.9)
• There is demand for our new courses beyond
program participants
• Strategy shift: more support for Summer Scholars
(invasive advising, study skills prep)
• Finding research mentors has been a challenge, so
may try a ‘makers’ model - building tools with
Arduino processors
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31. http://spectra.truman.edu
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF
PRISM #0928013. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National
Science Foundation.
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32. Community College Students
• Over half of all college students start their studies at a 2-
year school
• The predominant transfer degree is the Associates of
Arts; coursework drawn heavily from the humanities
• Transfer students in STEM are ‘behind’ their peers when
they arrive at 4-year schools (greater time-to-degree)
• Few community colleges track their students into
majors; limits their ability to deliver STEM-specific
academic advising
• Community College students tend to be career-oriented
but lack information about careers that are available to
those with a baccalaureate degree in STEM
Pre-STEM Pathways Program - provide
information, advice to students at community colleges.
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