An Award Winning Program for Increasing Participation in STEM

Lamar University's Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP) received a 2013 Star Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for making exceptional contributions towards closing the gaps in higher education in Texas. The project is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. STAIRSTEP's goals are to recruit students, retain them, and transition them within six months of graduation to careers or advanced study in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It targets talented "at risk" students who are low income, first generation, and/or underrepresented in STEM, and focuses on five disciplines: Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics and Physics. STAIRSTEP is innovative in its implementation of best practices. We know of no other program that includes five distinct STEM disciplines, engages students in research, outreach, and transitioning activities, and has targets for recruiting, retaining and transitioning students. This paper provides a five-year perspective on the program's activities and achievements. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this multi-disciplinary implementation, what worked and what did not, how it can be improved, and factors that can affect the success of the program. Finally, it discusses sustainability of the program without NSF support.