STAIRSTEP: An interdisciplinary program fo retention and outreach in STEM

Lamar University's Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP) is designed to increase the number of United States students receiving undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program's goals are to attract students to STEM, retain them through to graduation, and help them transition to careers or advanced study in STEM. The STAIRSTEP program targets talented “at risk” students who face social and economic barriers that can make it difficult for them to complete degrees in STEM. This includes women and minorities who are underrepresented in STEM, low income and first generation students. It uses recognized strategies from the literature for increasing participation in STEM and implements them in an innovative way. The program has been very successful in its first two years. This paper describes the program's strategies, activities and results achieved during this time. Benefits and challenges of the interdisciplinary approach are discussed, and key elements essential to the program's success are identified.