Doubling Student Success Through Intrusive Advising

The successful transfer from an NSF-LSAMP grant project to an institutionalized, systemic program for supporting historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students in STEM is discussed. Using intrusive advising, undergraduate research opportunities, peer mentoring, faculty mentoring, and academic seminars, students from racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM majors are systematically supported across a consortium of multiple, geographic localized primarily undergraduate and community college institutions. Results over three years show significant improvement in all measured metrics, including individual course success rates, semester to semester retention, year to year retention, and overall completion rates. Success metrics show as much as 200-300% improvement compared to statistically aligned student control groups. Suggestions and advice on how to successfully transition similar programs into upper administration supported local programs is discussed.