MNA will work with Hinds Community College – Utica Campus in Mississippi to complete the research component of the five-year HBCU-UP Phase II Implementation Project: Establishing a Cohesive Community College STEM Institutional Transformation Academy – STEM-UP Academy. The goal of the project is to recruit and assist students in navigating their educational paths and to increase retention and graduation rates of students with STEM associate degrees. The project aims to specifically increase the placement of community college students into four-year institutions through academic partnerships with Jackson State University (JSU) and Alcorn State University (ASU). The project expects to create a pathway model for student matriculation from community colleges to four-year degree granting institutions which can be adapted and scaled by other institutions of higher education. MNA will closely track the freshmen and sophomores across the grant years to assess their course taking patterns, test scores, research experiences and further STEM education/careers and jobs. This is MNA’s third HBCU-UP evaluation project. The team is working with Bowie State University (MD) and Dillard University (LA) on planning and implementation grants. Looking forward to working with HCC-UC!
