The LEARN Consortium: A Three-institution Initiative to Impact STEM Retention of Freshmen and Transfer Students through Research Communities

Burnett Honors College

With the national emphasis on promoting and increasing retention in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, there is a need to establish retention models designed to be adaptable to varying types of students and institutions. Faculty at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), University of Central Florida (UCF), and Western Carolina University (WCU) have created the LEARN Consortium, a three-institution initiative to directly address this national need, by sharing and expanding best practices in existing retention models, and developing and testing new models for STEM retention, specifically targeting incoming transfer students. The STEM retention model being evaluated and modified is Learning Environment and Academic Research Network (L.E.A.R.N.^TM). This model was developed at UCF targeting first-year students (FTIC) and has already demonstrated success in STEM retention for their students. We have modified this model to meet the unique needs of incoming upper-division AA transfer STEM students, while retaining the three central components of the model including Research, Mentoring, and Community building. We will implement both models (FTIC and Transfer) at all three different institutions beginning Fall 2016 and evaluate (1) the factors within a STEM research community which impact student success and retention, (2) the impact of the FTIC STEM model at improving STEM retention FAU and WCU and (3) the adaptability of a FTIC STEM model to an AA/AS transfer student population. We will present the two LEARN models outlining the modifications made to address the transfer student needs, share strategies for effective collaborations among the three institutions and summarize the assessment plans established for evaluating the effectiveness of this model at impacting STEM retention and success.