Pathways Accelerating STEM Success (PASS)
PASS aims to address College of the Mainland’s (COM) critical challenges of making transformative changes in instructional programming to improve STEM learning experiences and student support services connected to STEM programs. COM will implement these thoroughly researched goals to improve STEM learning experiences and student support services, which will lead to an improvement in Hispanic and low-income students’ academic attainment.
Improves STEM Learning Experiences
- Develop new and transferrable STEM programs
- Modernize laboratory learning equipment
- Expand STEM hybrid learning options
- Develop new articulation agreements
Improve STEM Student Support Services
- Broaden STEM tutoring services
- Create a STEM career and experiential learning program
- Offer a STEM contextualized summer bridge program
- Expand the financial literacy program to reach more students
PASS Measurable Objectives:
- Objective 1.1: The number of declared Hispanic STEM majors will increase by three (3) percentage points annually, from 343 to 398.
- Objective 1.2: Full-time equivalent enrollment will increase by five (5) percentage points annually, from 3,091 to 3,945.
- Objective 2.1: Fall-to-fall retention rates for Hispanic students will increase by one (1) percentage point annually, from 64% to 69%.
- Objective 2.2: Three-year graduation rates for Hispanic students will increase by three (3) percentage points overall, from 32% to 35%.
- Objective 2.3: The number of students applying for financial aid will increase by one (1) percentage point annually, from 54% to 59%.
PASS Highlights
2023
Summer Workshop in Math (SWIM)
Title V hosted College of the Mainland (COM) students for a two-week summer math workshop where students attended tutoring sessions to help improve their overall Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) math scores. The purpose of the workshop was two-fold: improve students math placement scores and build connections with faculty, staff and students. Students took field trips to tour Minute Maid Park and University of Houston-Clear Lake as part the workshop to build relationships and gain exposure to universities and the other industries outside of Texas City.
Minority Men for Excellence (MM4E) Leadership Summit
Minority Men for Excellence (MM4E) is a program designed to improve the recruitment and retention of minorities at College of the Mainland (COM). Participants receive academic support and character and leadership development through programs and workshops. Title V supported MM4E Officers who attended the Texas Male Student Leadership Summit at the University of Texas at Austin where they engaged on topics related to college and career readiness, identity, and brotherhood.
Breaking Barriers: Hispanic Women in STEM Panel
Participants from NASA, San Jacinto College, Houston Zoo and Shriners Burn Hospital.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Title V hosted a well-rounded group of women currently leading successful careers in various STEM fields. Panelists inspired COM students by sharing their journeys of overcoming challenges to achieve their educationa and career goals. Students had the chance to connect directly with the panelists, which made for a meaningful and insightful experience.
STEM Outreach and Experimental Learning
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) students hosted Levy Fry Intermediate for their Honors in Action community project. The overarching goal was to engage young minds through a hands-on experiment in the STEM field during their educationally formative years. PTK conducted a balloon rocket staging project referenced by NASA to demonstrate the physics behind aeronautics.