ACE FOCUS

Sept. 15, 2006

ACE’s Eugene Anderson speaking on the panel, “Strategies in Higher Education to Increase Minority Participation and Excellence” at Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's (D-TX) Science and Technology Braintrust on Sept. 8. The event was part of the 2006 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference.

Increasing the Success of Students in STEM

Earlier this year, the American Council on Education (ACE) released Increasing the Success of Minority Students in Science and Technology, the fourth publication in the ACE series The Unfinished Agenda: Ensuring Success for Students of Color.  

Co-authored by Eugene Anderson of ACE and Dongbin Kim of the University of Kansas, the report examined the paths students who pursue STEM degrees (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) take and the barriers that exist for some. Below, Anderson discusses the report and the importance of supporting minority students pursuing degrees in STEM fields.

What was the genesis behind the STEM report?

Despite the growth of jobs in STEM fields we saw a large disparity in the share of minority students earning bachelor’s degrees in these fields compared to white and Asian-American students. We wanted to know why this disparity existed…if it was because of a lack of interest and/or lack of success persisting through these programs in college. 

What were some of the report’s key findings?

We found that African American and Hispanic students at four-year institutions entered college with the same level of interest in majoring in STEM fields as white and Asian-American students. In addition, after three years in college, the percentage of African American and Hispanic students who began majoring in STEM fields was identical to the percentage for whites and Asian Americans. The disparity in the percentage of students earning a bachelor’s degree in STEM fields occurred after the three-year mark.

What are the main issues surrounding students of color and their pursuit of STEM majors? 

There are three main issues: lack of adequate preparation in high school, working more than 15 hours a week, and not consistently enrolling full time.

These concerns require significant financial investment from federal and local governments. Lower-income students are more likely to attend high schools that do not offer higher level math and science courses—the types of courses that are essential for students to be prepared to succeed in STEM fields in college. 

Lower-income students attend less than full time because of the need to work more than 15 hours a week to meet financial challenges that come with inadequate financial aid.  Limited increases in need-based aid, such as the Pell Grant, have forced more low-income students to seek financial assistance through other sources, such as working excessively.

What can be done to close the graduation gap between students of color who pursue STEM majors and their white and Asian-American counterparts?

Higher education institutions must know how to better identify those students who need support—and what type of support, both academic and financial—would be most helpful in order to be successful in the STEM fields. Institutions must also encourage students to work less and attend full time consistently. This is a major challenge because these are two areas institutions can do little to control. Also, the federal government must recommit to financial aid for the neediest students.

What is the one message people should take away from the report?

Students from all racial and ethnic groups show strong interest in STEM fields, they just need to be equally supported, and this interest should be cultivated.