College of Science
Out-of-Class:
Launching First-Year STEM
Students on a Path to Success
Dennis J. Minchella, Associate Dean
Laura J. Starr, Associate Director for
Experiential Learning and Student Success
• What is your strongest
memory from your
undergraduate years?
• What would you most
like your students to
remember from theirs?
Undergraduate Students
Purdue
CoS
2011
30776
3358
2012
30147
3456
2013
29440
3318
CoS first-years
1094
1099
909
7 College of Science Departments
Biological Sciences Chemistry Computer Science
Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
Mathematics Physics Statistics
Residency
2013
Purdue
University
%
College of
Science
%
Resident
Domestic
Non-Resident
16751
57
1649
50
7708
26
734
22
International
Total
4981
29440
17
100
935
3318
28
100
Cos First-Year Students
FROM 2010 TO 2011 THE PERCENT OF INTERNATIONAL FIRST-YEAR
STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE WENT UP FROM 20% TO 35%:
2011
2010
Resident
Domestic Non-Resident
International
A Partner in the Success of
Every Purdue Graduate
Fall 2013
• All Purdue students take
a mathematics and/or
statistics course: 12,292
students took 75 math
courses, and 3,518
students took 37
statistics courses
• More than 10,791
distinct students
enrolled in 67 science
lab courses
PRISM
Purdue Retention Initiative in Science and Mathematics
•
•
•
•
APPs – Academic previews during orientation
First-year seminars
Science help centers – in departments during day
COSINE --- College of Science Integrated Nightly
Enrichment – in residence halls during evening
• One-on-one academic advising
• Career services
• Diversity (WISP & MSP) mentoring programs
1-Year Retention
Purdue University and College of Science
93
92
91
90
89
CoS
Purdue
88
87
86
85
84
83
2009
2010
2011
2012
CoS Programs for Student Success
 Campus Integration: Do I belong?
Global Science Partners
 Academic Support: Am I capable?
Feasting with Faculty
 Experiential Learning: Do I like it?
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Campus Integration
Global Science Partners
• A residential learning community
for first-year students
• Domestic and international
students room together
• Upper class mentors help integrate
students into Purdue, the College
and their major
• Students participate in the Global
Science Leadership Seminar (1 cr)
Leadership Seminar
• Introduces students to global
collaborations in Science
• Develops intercultural competencies
• Enhances abilities to team and lead
multicultural communities
Cultural & Social Activities
First-years and mentors join together in
many activities:
• Monthly dinner meetings with
cultural programs
• Community service
• Field trips
• English conversation circles
• Weekly face-to-face or social
media contact
GSP: What’s next?
Upperclassmen:
• Mentor first-year
students
• Participate in Global
Dialogues
• Join Global Science
Partners leadership
team
First-years’ GSP Evaluations
After one semester:
"Before participating in the learning
community, while I knew that it is
important to understand different
cultures, I knew it in an obscure
sense… Now, after being a part of the
Global Science Partnerships for an
entire semester, I have a more
concrete understanding of what it
really takes to understand and work
with individuals who hail from
different cultures."
Elizabeth – Biology, 2017
More GSP Comments
• "The learning community has taught me to be a
more worldly person and understand cultural
backgrounds both through a classroom setting
and living with a mixture of international and
domestic students."
Himal – Computer Science, 2017
• "Being in Global Science Partnerships was a
great way for me to get a taste of other
cultures. Having an international roommate
and being with people from around the world
has expanded my mindset about how other
cultures and people work."
Nick – Biochemistry, 2017
Academic Support
Feasting with Faculty
Presence of faculty members in “student space” delivers a
powerful message to students about our commitment to
student success.
Feasting: the program
• Faculty of 100- and 200-level CoS
classes with over 200 students and
40% or more first-year students invited
to participate.
• About half the invited faculty accept
the invitation.
• The College pays for one meal/week
throughout the semester.
Faculty Response
“I LOVE it. … The important thing is that we built
relationships with these students ...
[Here] is a great example of someone we got to
know. … We'd work on her homework at
Feasting. She also got to know other students
and would talk about biology which they were all
taking. [She] learned how to study more
effectively and built her confidence through her
own efforts and our support!
… I treasure these lunches and love going to
them. The students we get to know are
wonderful and this entire activity is the highlight
of my Friday! … I'll go in the spring even though
I'm not teaching... Please continue the
program. It’s a winner.”
Student Response
From Rate My
Professors:
Dr. .... eats at a
dining court every
Friday inviting
students to ask her
about Chem or talk
about anything they
want!
Feasting: what’s next?
• “Students learn firsthand how experts
think about and solve practical
problems by interacting with faculty
members inside and outside the
classroom.” (NSSE)
• Grades and engagement tend to
improve after a “feast” with a faculty
member.
• Past students feel comfortable
approaching faculty in the dining hall.
Experiential Learning
Learning Beyond the Classroom
A roadmap to student success
This program is designed to
encourage students to apply
what they learn in the classroom
to real-world situations, and,
ultimately, prepare them to be
well-rounded global citizens and
members of the working world.
Currently 10% of our student population is enrolled in LBC.
Career and Professional Development
•
Explore professional
opportunities
•
Learn to work
independently
•
Collaborate with a
professional
•
Consider your
future career
Service, Citizenship & Leadership
• Contribute to the
community
• Enhance leadership
skills
• Develop empathy for
others
• Practice working
cooperatively
Experience with Domestic
& International Diversity
• Appreciate different
cultures
• Understand a cultural
minority
• Live in another culture
• Acquire intercultural
competence
Popular First-Year Activities
Professional
Development
Service, Citizenship,
and Leadership
Diversity
•Career exploration
course
•Participate - science club
•Leadership training
•Community service
•Attend-cultural
performance
•Join-diversity
group
LBC Process for Students
• Participate in activity
• Write report
• Receive coaching about
reflecting on and articulating
experiences
• Submit final report
• LBC points awarded
Setting the stage
Chemistry First-Year Seminar
“…This class definitely made me want
to participate in undergraduate
research. I realized the scary term
“research” was not so scary after all. I
began thinking about all the different
directions that could be taken when
researching, and loved the possibility
and opportunity that awaited me.”
Biology First-year Seminar
“The most valuable outlook changing
experience from this course was the
Alumni Panel... I was amazed by the
diverse experience a Biology graduate
can have after college, and I also learned
that not everyone will have a career that
is strictly related to what they learn in
college. …the most important thing a
person can learn from college is not the
knowledge absorbed from classes, but
the skills he or she is able to apply to real
world situations.”
LBC: What’s next?
My LBC experience has made my
college life more colorful and
meaningful. --- Yunkai
I just got so much hands-on experience.
It was great. I just loved it. --- Arlie
You grow as a person; you grow as an
individual; you grow to be a team
member. --- Rachel
Global Dialogues was a good experience
to meet other students outside my
comfort zone.--- Alice
Out-of-Class
Students learn to:
• Use time productively
• Pursue life-long learning
• Negotiate multiple cultures
• Develop confidence as
professionals
• View themselves in new
ways
• Navigate the world