A longitudinal model to increase the enrollment and graduation of Alaska Native/American Indian engineering undergraduates

Abstract

Native American enrollment and graduation rates remain among the lowest of all ethnic and racial student cohorts at universities in the United States. This paper describes the impact of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP) on the preparation, enrollment, persistence, and academic success of Alaska Native engineering students. ANSEP has evolved into a longitudinal education model that provides a continuous string of components beginning with students in sixth grade, continuing on through high school, into engineering and science undergraduate majors, and through graduate school to the PhD. ANSEP provides inspiration, guidance, and opportunity for students from 95 Alaskan communities. The model represents 18 years of effort and has been developed with the awareness that a fragmented approach that focuses on one academic level is not adequate to deal with the scope of the problem and ultimately falls short. Each component is based on the fundamental Native principle of working together in a community. ANSEP infuses values of community, family, and collaboration in all elements of the program. ANSEP promotes readiness, including early identification of students, motivation, and preparation, bridging programs, learning communities, internships, and research opportunities that provide intense preparation for university and industry involvement. ANSEP students are successful at rates far exceeding national and state averages. Middle School Academy students complete algebra 1 by the end of eighth grade at a rate of 83%. The national average is 26%. More than half of ANSEP high school students graduate engineering ready, compared to 4% of minority students nationwide who do so. Summer Bridge students take advanced mathematics courses for credit, have paid internships, and are awarded scholarships upon successful completion of the component, with 96% successfully transitioning to BS STEM majors. More than 70% of all ANSEP students who begin BS STEM degrees graduate. ANSEP students recognize the importance of community and teamwork. Research findings suggest that they perceive the ANSEP-related experiences as important contributors to their success as students. The findings further suggest that ANSEP students experience high levels of academic and social engagement, peer support, congruence with the university, and commitment to complete their degrees.