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<OL> <LI> Encourage high school students to pursue a college education, recruit, and enculturate them as incoming freshmen to the collegiate and academic environment by raising self-awareness and teaching self-responsibility for academic performance. Program students will demonstrate positive changes as evidenced by pre-post results on psychometric instruments. The project will recruit high school seniors to attend TAMUK by serving as college coaches and providing "college knowledge". Retention will be addressed by preparing incoming freshmen for the college experience. Initiating assimilation prior to the start of the collegiate experience contributes to student success. The program will promote skill development by active acquisition of study skills essential to academic success, demystify which skills are critical, and assist students in meeting their learning environments halfway. <LI> Improve retention rates by 10% compared to the departmental average between the freshman and sophomore year by establishing purpose for education through mentoring, professional career development, and exposure to the breadth and depth of occupations in food, agriculture, and natural resources emphasizing animal related positions like those with USDA, state agencies, and private industry. Career development creates a sense of purpose for education, a goal for student involvement in the academic enterprise, in turn supporting student success. Exposure to the array of opportunities in the fields of food, agriculture, and natural resources will motivate students to recognize the need for and value of a college degree. Students will be better able to benefit from professional networking opportunities, develop relationships, and acquire social capital that can lead to opportunities, such as internships and job placements. Moreover, exposure to production agriculture and associated activities will connect course material with application and utilization. <LI> Provide flexibility for student career path development 1) into careers requiring a bachelor's degree and/or 2) by participation in research with an expectation of continued education for an advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.). Understanding of career path options will be evaluated through pre-post assessment indicating greater awareness of career possibilities, increased interest and willingness to participate in internships, and other professional development activity involvement. Many students lack an understanding of career options in agriculture or, more specifically, animal science. Including partners within and outside the university exposes students to career options in areas like veterinary medicine, food safety, biosecurity, molecular biology, animal genetics, animal inspection, animal health and well-being. Students interested in careers with agencies or in industry will engage in activities to broaden knowledge of positions. Students interested in research and continuing to graduate/professional school will be encouraged to participate in undergraduate research, which will broaden their skill set by experiential learning and better prepare them for graduate school.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This project will focus on recruitment and retention of an underrepresented student population to produce well-rounded leaders prepared to enter the work force and provide the human capital necessary to enhance the nation?s food supply. The outcomes will be increased graduation rates supported by the multi-faceted approach of recruitment, enculturation, and retention through experiential learning.
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APPROACH: Key elements of the program include recruiting and retention activities. Recruitment and retention are vital not only to college success, but personal success of individuals in society. Recruiting activities will be conducted at high schools in the region and Houston Community College (HCC). Retention activities include a summer workshop for incoming freshmen, mentoring by PD, co-PDs and selected peers, regular educational tours, student research, travel to professional meetings, and student support for one underrepresented graduate student from HCC or Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK). Recruiting activities will target underrepresented students in the South Texas region. We will coordinate with the college recruiting efforts and expand beyond the traditional "ag" audience to include biology and related sciences. Through personal relationships with potential TAMUK students, PD/co-PDs will serve as college coaches, be an information source about the TAMUK acceptance processes, and serve as a resource and institutional contact for students and family. Houston Community College students will be recruited to TAMUK upon completion of their Associate degree at HCC. The aim is to develop a pipeline between HCC and TAMUK so students from HCC will pursue a B.S. degree in agriculture at TAMUK. Retention activities will develop college skills and student-faculty relationships. A three-day summer workshop will be designed for entering freshmen to enculturate them to the collegiate environment. Sessions will assess self-responsibility/self-management, learning styles, study skills, career options and personality. Specific academic skills like reading and writing will not be addressed, rather behaviors contributing to success regardless of subject matter. Entering freshmen will develop a cohort of peers they can relate to, interact with, and provide support for when needed as a result of the workshop. Monthly activities during the school year will serve to continue building relationships between students and faculty members. Educational tours of research and production agricultural sites are planned to support career awareness and exploration. Tours will also give students a deeper appreciation for course content when they see application outside the classroom. Networking with professionals in academia, state/federal agencies, and industry should increase internship participation, job placement, and retention in the field of agriculture. The majority of college students enter the workforce upon graduation with a B.S. degree; however, a few students ultimately decide to pursue advanced degrees. This project will also expose students to research as a career option and prepare them for a career in scientific research through experiential learning. Students will be able to work with graduate students in the Animal Science program and conduct their own research to gain greater motivation for continued education through the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Additional professional career development activities (attending national meetings, mock interviews, etiquette dinners, how to dress for success) will be infused throughout the program.