Source: ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890 INSTITUTIONS, ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1027454
Grant No.
2021-38430-35526
Cumulative Award Amt.
$500,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-10237
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 15, 2021
Project End Date
Jan 12, 2023
Grant Year
2021
Program Code
[SCST]- 1890s Scholarships
Recipient Organization
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ALCORN STATE,MS 39096
Performing Department
Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
Alcorn State University (Alcorn) is the first Historically Black Land-Grant College/University in the nation and from its inception has embraced its unique responsibility to train minority students in agriculture and related sciences. Since Alcorn's founding, the institution has helped advance the state and region's agricultural economy while improving the nutrition, health, and standard of living of its citizens. In addition to educating generations of students in agriculture and related sciences, Alcorn has also provided research and outreach services to the citizens of the state and region. Alcorn is ranked third highest for Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Degree for a Historical Black College/University (HBCU); 13th highest for Most Affordable Bachelor's for an HBCU (affordableschools.net, accessed 2019); and 23rd Best HBCU by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges report (usnews.com/best-colleges, accessed 2019).Although HBCUs make up only about three percent of the nation's institutions of higher learning, they graduate over 14% of African Americans with bachelor's degrees. Alcorn State University is located in an underserved region, with the majority of the university's students being recruited from surrounding communities. Alcorn State University is therefore well positioned to assist underrepresented students earn B.S. degrees and make advancements within agriculture and related sciences.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90300010001100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
0001 - Administration;

Field Of Science
0001 - Administration;
Goals / Objectives
Lack of financial resource is a major problem that many African American and minority students face, particularly in rural areas with depressed economies such as southwest Mississippi. Financing a college degree can be a major barrier for African American and other minorities pursuing a four-year college degree. Minority undergraduate students throughout the country are less likely to be retained than other racial/ethnic groups, and African American males in particular lag behind on almost every indicator of academic achievement (Esters and Mosby 2007; Adelman, 2005; Dulabaum 2016). Professors at Alcorn State University are constantly working to break this chain of low academic achievement and build up both the student's skill set and self-esteem. Gaining access to scholarship assistance in agricultural and related sciences will allow the opportunity for students to prepare themselves more fully for agriculture and related sciences job market. African American and minority students must be placed on a level playing field, which includes access to scholarships and cutting-edge training in agriculture and related sciences which in turn places the student on a path to technical competence and will help reduce low self-esteem.
Project Methods
Collection of Data to Assess the Program OutcomesThe external evaluator will work with our Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment (IEA) Office and the Registrar to collect and analyze all data to the data collection plan in the evaluation. The IEA Director will ensure the timely collection of information for tracking of the data. The IEA Office and the Registrar, along with the Program Director, will ensure that all necessary data is collected for evaluation purposes. The Institutional Research (IR) Office will also assist the evaluator in collecting and analyzing data. The external evaluator will create surveys and questionnaires and conduct focus groups for the formative assessment and summative evaluation plan of the program. The PI will aggregate and generate quantitative/qualitative data for evaluation reports which will be used by the evaluator to measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and the overall outcomes of the project. The Data Collection Plan is outlined in Table 2 below.Table 2. Data Collection PlanDataMethod/SourceFrequencyPercent of students who require remedial or transitional courses.Registrar records2Nd month of each semester.ACT composite score of participating high schools.Mississippi DOE School Report CardAnnually in SeptemberPercent change in the number of full- time, degree-seeking minority undergraduate students at Alcorn State University enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences.Registrar records and Annual Performance ReportsEnd of each semesterIncrease STEM content and pedagogy knowledge of Teachers.Pre-and post-tests and surveys of teacher knowledgeEnd of each semesterPercentage point increase in the persistence of underrepresented ethnic minorities and minority women institutions in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences.Registrar records and Banner and TracDat data.End of each semesterPercentage of minority students enrolled at four-year minority institutions in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences who graduate within six years of enrollment.Registrar records, Banner and TracDat data.End of each semesterAn average fidelity of implementation of 88% over the four- year span of the project.Measures of Fidelity of Implementation.QuarterlyPercent increase in GRE scores.Institutional level GRE summary score from Educational Testing Services.Annually in SeptemberMonitor the formative development and implementation of the planned activities through Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) measures.FOI measures developed by External EvaluatorQuarterlyDuring the project period, the Banner database will be used to maintain accurate, accessible records of participants. The Banner database will contain baseline biographic and academic information such as race, gender, pre-program GPA and standardized test scores, measurements collected during program activities as listed in the data collection plan. Tracking of important subsequent events in the educational pathway data will include but is not limited to the above examples. The data system will be a vital tool for short-term project evaluation. It will also accommodate long-term data compilation and evaluation. Tracking the educational progress of former program participants to determine how many progress from year-to-year and maintain an interest in Natural and Applied Sciences beyond college years. Students will be tracked through the academic pipeline beginning with the grade level at which they enter the program and will continue beyond project period to determine the number of participants who graduated and have pursued agriculture and related science careers, again as this would allow the university to gain valuable longitudinal data. Tracking will be a major priority of Alcorn State University's 1890 Scholarship Program. Student tracking will be maintained through-out the project and for at least five years after the project to properly measure project impacts.Analysis ProceduresThe 1890s Alcorn State University 1890 Scholarship Proposal will utilize evaluation methodologies that establish baseline data regarding academic performance, retention, graduation and transfer rates and track increases or decreases in each of these areas. Using this baseline data and developing a comparison group will assist in the evaluation of the success of the program. Baseline data will be aggregated and disaggregated to learn as much as possible about the impact of project services on students. Baseline data will be presented in trend lines showing changes over time, including annual reports of mid-year and end of year benchmarks and objective measures. The data analysis will focus on three areas. 1) Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from implementation measures to provide feedback and determine fidelity of implementation. 2) Quantitative data will be analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Results will provide evidence for coding levels of implementation on the FOI Index. 3) Benchmark analysis will compare outcome measures with benchmarks that have been set for all outcome goals. The analysis will use a simple descriptive comparison of mean performance levels using a 95% confidence interval estimate, to the benchmark value. As directed by the proposal instruction guide, the Expected Outcomes is attached to page 15. Please see Table 3. entitled, Expected Outcomes as specified by Part V, section 4.12; item 3.b.

Progress 07/15/21 to 01/12/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Traditional and non-traditional full-time under-graduate students from the region who are high achievers have been identified as our target audience. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences require all scholars to attend monthly Professional Development Sessions virtually or in person. Listed below are events scholars have attended to date: Date Event August 19, 2021 Professional Development on careers in agriculture August 26, 2021 Scholarship Orientation August 31, 2021 Town Hall with Advanced Technologies majors September 7, 2021 Town Hall with Human Sciences majors September 15, 2021 Town Hall with Agriculture majors September 21, 2021 Select scholars attend Women in Ag Summit in Minnesota, MN September 29, 2021 Scholars attend organizational meeting to learn and join departmental clubs October 11, 2021 MANRRS Regional Conference October 14, 2021 Scholars attend Leadership Training with Sanderson Farms November 3, 2021 Purdue Recruitment Day November 10, 2021 Professional Resume Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The School of Agriculture and Applied Science's media unit is the primary source to distribute information to students. Distribution will include social media outlets, academic web pages, list serves, campus-wide bulletins, the university's website, and the school's website What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For the Fall 2021 Semester, the SAAS Scholars' Program has provided partial academic scholarships for 100 students interested in pursuing collegiate studies in the Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences. Additionally, students receiving the scholarships have completed a professional development plan, which includes goal establishment, leadership training, and guidance by a faculty mentor throughout their program matriculation. Students thus far have also participated in a several monthly professional development activities, designed in collaboration with the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Office of Student Services along with Alcorn State University's Department of Career Services to prepare them to be dynamic scholars and future agricultural leaders.

Publications


    Progress 07/15/21 to 11/08/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Traditional and non-traditional full-time under graduate students from the region who are high achievers have been identified as our target audience Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences require all scholars to attend monthly Professional Development Sessions virtually or in person. Listed below are events scholars have attended to date: Date Event August 19, 2021 Professional Development on careers in agriculture August 26, 2021 Scholarship Orientation August 31, 2021 Town Hall with Advanced Technologies majors September 7, 2021 Town Hall with Human Sciences majors September 15, 2021 Town Hall with Agriculture majors September 21, 2021 Select scholars attend Women in Ag Summit in Minnesota, MN September 29, 2021 Scholars attend organizational meeting to learn and join departmental clubs October 11, 2021 MANRRS Regional Conference October 14, 2021 Scholars attend Leadership Training with Sanderson Farms November 3, 2021 Purdue Recruitment Day November 10, 2021 Professional Resume Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The School of Agriculture and Applied Science's media unit is the primary source to distribute information to students. Distribution will include social media outlets, academic web pages, list serves, campus-wide bulletins, the university's website, and the school's website What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? For the Fall 2021 Semester, the SAAS Scholars' Program has provided partial academic scholarships for 100 students interested in pursuing collegiate studies in the Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences. Additionally, students receiving the scholarships have completed a professional development plan, which includes goal establishment, leadership training, and guidance by a faculty mentor throughout their program matriculation. Students thus far have also participated in a several monthly professional development activities, designed in collaboration with the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Office of Student Services along with Alcorn State University's Department of Career Services to prepare them to be dynamic scholars and future agricultural leaders.

    Publications


      Progress 07/15/21 to 07/14/22

      Outputs
      Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? 08/19/2021 Scholars attended professional development on careers in agriculture. ? 08/26/2021 Scholarship Orientation with all scholars discussing expectations. ? 08/31/2021 The Department of Advanced Technologies scholars attended a Town Hall Meeting with the deans, chairperson, director of student services, USDA liaison and director of career services ? 09/07/2021 The Department of Human Sciences scholars attended a Town Hall Meeting with the dean, chairperson, faculty and staff ? 09/15/2021 The Department of Agriculture scholars attended a Town Hall Meeting with the deans, chairperson, faculty and staff. ? 09/21/21 Scholar attended Women in Ag Summit in Minnesota, MN. ? 09/29/2021 Scholars attended organization meeting to learn about and join clubs and organization. ? 10/14/2021 Scholars will attend professional development with Sanderson Farm on communication style. ? 12/07/2021 Scholars grades and progress for the fall semester will be evaluated

      Publications