A Residential Learning Community for Enhancing STEM Education: Program Design and Lessons Learned

Abstract

The sustained recruitment and retention of students in STEM majors is a national concern. Although the rate of attrition in these majors is comparable to other majors, the demand for trained scientists to enter the workforce with a baccalaureate degree is high. To enhance retention and support of STEM students from their first year until graduation, we established a Residential Learning Community (RLC) for STEM majors at York College of Pennsylvania. Although similar learning communities already existed, this was the first of its kind at this institution. The primary components included living on campus with a roommate also in the program, taking courses like general chemistry and First-Year Seminar as a designated cohort, and receiving increased faculty mentoring through advising. The RLC, named STEM Scholars, was developed with significant institutional buy-in and interdisciplinary faculty support but without financial backing. Several key takeaways are reported in this article, notably the need for funding to support a STEM cohort program. The effectiveness of the program and its components continues to be assessed; results of the assessment will be shared in the future. Successful components of STEM Scholars can be incorporated at other institutions to enhance STEM education.

Keywords:

• Residential learning community
• Retention
• STEM
• Educational design