Our Goals

The Partnership for Retention Improvement in Mathematics, Engineering and Science (PRIMES) is a 5-year NSF sponsored program that brings together faculty from 10 different departments across 3 colleges at UofL.

 

The Partnership for Retention Improvement in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (PRIMES) is a University of Louisville (UofL) cross-college collaboration aimed at reducing attrition among our STEM majors. This project unites faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S), the Speed School of Engineering (Speed), and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) in tackling identified hurdles that contribute to poor retention (and thus low graduation rates) in our respective undergraduate STEM programs. PRIMES’ goals are quite simple:

  1. Increase by 25% the number of Bachelor’s degrees awarded in Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics and Physics in the College of Arts & Sciences by 2016.
  2. Increase by 25% the number of Bachelor’s and Master’s of Engineering degrees awarded in the Speed School by 2016.

Evidence, both data-driven and anecdotal, indicates that we can meet our goals if the primary focus is on retention as opposed to recruitment. But evidence also shows that differences in the academic and social cultures among the various STEM disciplines will undermine a ‘one size fits all’ retention plan. Based upon departmental needs analyses and published research on possible ‘fits’ from successful STEM initiatives at other institutions, we designed PRIMES to blend two general strands that would support  these anticipated outcomes:

  1. Improved retention as a result of expanding our undergraduate teaching assistance (UTA) programs and institutionalizing formal UTA training in pedagogy. A working knowledge in best practices will enable them to be both effective and engaging in the laboratory and/or classroom. (transform teaching and learning)
  2. Improved retention as a result of implementing University-wide and discipline-specific (intentional) community building activities that foster STEM students’ sense of identification with STEM departments. (increase faculty and student interactions)