McMurry University STEM Student Success Center named “Program to Watch” by Excelencia in Education

08/14/2024McMurry News

(Abilene, Texas - Aug. 14, 2024) - McMurry University's STEM Student Success Center (S3C) has been identified as a "Program to Watch" by Excelencia in Education, a national effort to identify evidence-based programs that improve Latino student success in higher education.

"We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Excelencia in Education," University President Dr. Sandra S. Harper said. "Being selected as a 'Program to Watch' means that our S3C program demonstrates promising practices in supporting Latino students in higher education. We're proud that our innovative program is effectively improving educational outcomes for our students and contributing positively to their academic success and personal development, especially for our Latino students."

The S3C program's impact has been considerable. McMurry STEM majors utilizing S3C services outperformed non-participants in terms of retention and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher for the past four semesters. The number of degrees conferred upon Latino STEM majors more than doubled since the 2020-2021 academic year, constituting 47% of all STEM degrees awarded in 2022-2023.

"The key to S3C's student impact is relationship building," S3C Director and Advising Specialist Dr. Rachel Montesdeoca said. "We do not measure success solely by retention or graduation rates, but by the number of students who can progress toward meeting their own academic and life goals."

Excelencia in Education is a national initiative that recognizes programs and departments at the associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organization levels that are intentionally serving Latino students in higher education. Being named a "Program to Watch" places McMurry in a spotlight, potentially attracting more support, partnerships, and opportunities to scale its impact. It also positions the S3C program as a model for others to observe and replicate best practices in serving Latino students.

Additionally, Excelencia in Education has selected McMurry University as one of eight institutions nationally to participate in the Modeling Intentionally SERVING Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a pilot project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). As a participant, McMurry will implement action plans to align data, practice, and leadership strategies with a Latino lens to ensure McMurry is a place where Latino students thrive.

McMurry became a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2016 and has established a strategic goal to earn the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education. With the assistance of Title V funding, McMurry has made considerable efforts to build programs aimed at increasing retention and academic excellence for students. Established in 2021, the S3C is a Title V initiative integrating proactive advising, academic coaching, peer-assisted learning support, and professional career and graduate school preparation assistance for STEM majors and students enrolled in STEM coursework.

To further serve the Latino population, McMurry offers Spanish-speaking services for students or family members as needed during its Student Orientation and Registration events, and financial aid discussions are also available in preferred languages. Through experiential learning opportunities, such as discovery trips and research events, the S3C empowers students beyond the classroom. Special attention is paid to helping students prepare for careers or continuing education in graduate or professional schools to further close the equity gap of Latinos in graduate and professional schools.

Contact

Nicholas Ocheltree, Director of Integrated Communications
[email protected]
325-260-3963