Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) Grant Or, “The Bucket Grant”

Theme of Grant Support Native American Women in Earning Baccalaureate Degrees in a STEM Field by Refining and Expanding the NWIC Native Environmental Science Interdisciplinary Concentration Option

Advantages of the Interdisciplinary Concentration Option Great flexibility for students in meeting their academic, professional, and personal goals Students can integrate Native culture to a greater degree than in ES Concentration Students can develop a broad range of degree options

More Choices 5 credit NES Concentration Seminar 30 credits of electives, taken at NWIC or elsewhere 21 credits of Individualized Learning Courses

Challenges in the Interdisciplinary Concentration Option Many potential students don’t see the relevancy of the program to their day-today lives. Many students need to improve critical thinking skills to be able to identify steps from their current position to a desired future position Many students need to improve writing skills to succeed.

How the grant helps Grant funds will support improvements to the Interdisciplinary Concentration option

Year 1 ( ) Assessment of program effectiveness and appropriate adjustments to its methodology If needed, faculty and research staff who serve on students’ concentration committees will receive professional development opportunities on how to best support the student.

Year 1 ( ) Students encouraged to identify at least the chair of their committee during their sophomore year.

Year 1 ( ) New 100 or 200 level courses developed Critical Thinking for the Scientist Expressing Yourself Orally and in Writing Writing in the Context of Native Environmental Science Interdisciplinary Thinking Courses offered for the first time in Year 2

new courses will emphasize these pedagogies: Hands-on activities Place-based activities Collaborative learning activities Service learning

Reciprocal Agreements with Other Colleges and Universities Students can take up to 30 credits from other colleges and universities NWIC faculty and staff will work closely with Fairhaven and Huxley to refine ICO MOU will be developed Formal Agreements with UW, WSU, UBC

Improving Extended Campus effectiveness Yr 1: identify best practices to accommodate the needs of distant NES students Yr 2: Implement findings Hire half-time TA’s at Swinomish and Lummi Imbedded in classroom, BSNES prerequisites and courses

New lab at Swinomish

Writing Tutors Embed writing tutors in 100 and 200 level science courses with significant required writing (not in budget)

Objectives Objective 1-6: Increase enrollment and graduation rates with specific targets Objective 7: In Year 1, develop curriculum for four new 100 and/or 200 level courses Objective 8: Engage freshman and sophomore NES students in at least one place-based, science-oriented service learning activity per quarter.

Objectives Objective 9: Provide NES students with opportunities to hear or meet with Native speakers who work in the sciences (3/qtr) Objective 10: Develop formal agreements with WWU, UW, WSU, and UBC to insure course transferability

Hiring Faculty Three faculty at 0.6 FTE each

Faculty Responsibilities Supervision of the Teaching Assistant at Lummi Chairing and participating in students’ concentration committees Curriculum development for new courses Instruction of existing courses Coordination of student internship programs

Other covered items Guest Lecturers ($3,600): Native Americans who work in a STEM field will make presentations on a monthly basis Field Trips ($14,400): Two field trips per month will be spread among many courses.