Enhanced Performance in Chemistry by Minorities at the University Level: A Comprehensive Program

Michigan State University's (MSU) proximity to large urban centers and its enrollment patterns have resulted in a large student population composed of students from underrepresented groups in science. Three initiatives involving curriculum, research, and professional development comprise a comprehensive program that has been designed to attract these students to MSU's undergraduate degree programs in science, and chemistry in particular. The curriculum component is based on the Charles Drew Enrichment Science Laboratory, which operates in concert at the college and the departmental levels. The college-wide Drew program is coupled to university enrichment courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; the centerpiece of the chemistry component is the Tutorial Assistance in Chemistry (TAC) program. The TAC sessions involve intense study/problem solving/drill sessions that are provided in addition to scheduled lectures and recitations. TAC sessions offer personalized instruction with the Department's most capable teaching assistants with the goal of challenging students with the material covered in lecture by providing additional background and exploring the topics in greater scope. The research component is supported by academic and summer research programs (National Science Foundation REU and McNair/SROP), which encourage minority participation, and the vehicles for professional development are the Student Affiliate Chapter of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) and the MSU local section of the American Chemical Society. In the last four years, the program has graduated 29 African-American students from MSU with a degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, and 6 of these students have entered in Ph.D. programs in Chemistry and another 3 students are in Ph.D. programs in Chemical Engineering.