Creating a feeling of belonging is crucial for the success and persistence of students, especially for non -traditional students who work in online programs. Our degree in master's degree in professional sciences (PSM) in biotechnology is designed for labor professionals, offering courses mainly online and evening who focus on applied learning and professional development. The diploma plan combines fundamental science courses and laboratory work in biotechnology with a solid basis in terms of commercial and professional skills. An internship required from the industry guarantees that graduates enter the biotechnological workforce with real experience. The rigorous nature of the program, combined with full -time jobs of students and family commitments, leaves little time to establish links between peers or a feeling of community.
With the financing of the scholarship program on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (NSF S-STEM) of the National Science Foundation, we provide scholarships and support students of extracurricular activities to improve their educational experience. Although the granting of scholarships is simple, promoting commitment to these activities and building a strong community has proven to be much more difficult. How do you cultivate the connection, retention and career development among busy and online STEM students? Here, we share five strategies that helped us successfully create a feeling of community in our program.
1. Ask students what they want
An integral part of the community building is that students meet as a group, whether in person or online. To increase the probability of students' participation, we first invited their contribution to the types of events they wish to attend and when. Each semester, we ask students to fill out an availability form and use this information to provide meeting opportunities in person and online each month, which allows us to meet the various needs of our occupied students. Our experience indicates that students are more likely to attend events when they receive a voice in the planning process. We send a questionnaire asking them for their ideas and preferences for monthly cohort meetings each semester and plan events thinking about their ideas.
2. Give them what they want
Monthly cohort meetings include a variety of events that meet the multifaceted needs of students: professional, academic, social, creative and physical / mental. We use students' comments to provide impactful activities that are useful and interesting to them. Many students ask for events that promote links with their peers, but given the mainly online format of the program, this can be a challenge. Although academic or professional subjects can be presented in person or in zoom, we plan purely social events, such as a dinner in a local hotspot, as activities in person only. To feed the creative side of our STEM students, we also organized tutorials for coloring water and social paintings where students can simply relax and catch up with each other. To deal with higher education stress and promote personal care, we have organized group yoga sessions. Several times, this results in sustainable friendships or a professional connection. A student said that cohort events “allowed me to meet incredible people whom I now call friends”.
3. Give them what they don't know they need
We also offer extracurricular activities that students may not specifically ask. For example, we invite industry leaders who provide career advice and prospects on specific areas of biotechnology. Students can learn from their many years of experience and have an opinion in a day in the life of a particular career choice, helping them to sail in their own career paths. A student can initially start the program by thinking that he wants to establish a career in a field in biotechnology, but can complete the program with a completely different career objective. The guest speakers open their eyes to the different possibilities. In addition, leadership skills are an integral part of success in any career choice. Thus, we also invite speakers who provide workshops on how to develop effective leadership skills and practical means of implementing them. Since it is important for students to have a wide knowledge of biotechnology, we have also organized research discussions linked to biotechnology to keep them informed of current research in this area. We also offer opportunities to attend conferences and networking events. Initially, students may not understand the power of networking in career development. Conferences offer many opportunities that not only include networking but also learning cutting -edge research and other potential career paths. To encourage frequentation of the conference, we provide travel support and allowances to attend approved biotechnology or conferences related to the leadership of their choice.
4. Develop relationships with students
The establishment of solid relationships with students promotes a feeling of community and belonging. Beyond seeing the students in class and during monthly cohort events, regular individual recordings, whether in person or via a zoom, offer a space to students to discuss academic and personal issues in an informal setting. These meetings help to follow progress, provide advice and connect students to relevant resources on campus. By maintaining the continuity of conversations, teachers and advisers strengthen trust and responsibility while encouraging students' commitment to extracurricular opportunities. Many students express their appreciation for personalized support, noting that it improves their global educational experience and their feeling of connection with the program.
5. Create opportunities for mentorship by peers
Facilitation of mentorship by peers strengthens students' connections and promotes a support community. In addition to the monthly cohort events, we also organize an annual retirement where new, current and past students meet. Current students and former students provide information, advice and precious advice to incoming students. The incorporation of interactive activities such as the wicked windshields improves engagement and encourages significant ties. The elders play a key role by offering information, career advice and professional networking opportunities. Maintaining the engagement of elders thanks to events and communication channels ensures the mentorship and continuous support of students. Many students attribute these interactions to strengthen their confidence, their leadership skills and their feeling of belonging to the program.
After two years, our program has shown promising results, with preliminary pre-investigation data indicating growth in the capital of leadership, culture and capital, as well as STEM professional identity. Although our approach is rooted in a hybrid model with certain events that occur on the campus, many of these strategies can be adapted to entirely online programs thanks to virtual mentoring, networking events and interactive community construction activities. Creating a feeling of belonging is difficult in online education, but with intentional efforts, it is possible to promote significant connections that improve student success and career development. We hope that these ideas will encourage you to build communities of strong and engaged students in your own programs.
Antonette Robles, PhD is the subsidy coordinator for the project scale (scholarships and extracurricular activities leading to excellence in the workforce of biotechnology) and an assistant teacher of Texas Woman's University biology.
Stephanie Pierce, PhD is a deputy professor of biology, co-researcher for the scale of the project and program director for the professional science control program in biotechnology at the Texas Woman's University.
Juliet V. Spencer, PHD is a biology professor, principal researcher of the interim project and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences of the Texas Woman's University.
