Enhancing the STEM Infrastructure Capabilities of Little Priest Tribal College

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education.

This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover may inform the body of knowledge about the importance of targeted methods of instructional and financial support in recruiting and retaining underrepresented individuals into STEM studies, and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals. The connection of faculty to the development of novel opportunities for programs of study that ensure successful transfer to upper-division courses at nearby universities will demonstrate to essentiality of engaging full-time, credentialed STEM faculty devoted to a specific strand of study and preparation.

For those students entering the workforce directly from a tribal college it is equally important that they have a well-defined skill set in mathematics, science, and technology for entry into the STEM workforce.

The intent of this project is to provide an accredited STEM academic associate degree option at Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC) for students who may then transfer to a local four-year program or be prepared for employment at local tribal industries. The increase in STEM faculty will ensure program development, student tutoring and mentoring, academic articulation agreements, support for matriculation, and guidance on the design of a new science instructional facility on the LPTC campus.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.