Increasing the College Completion of Underrepresented Students in STEM

Nationally, the number of underrepresented students of color who earn undergraduate degrees in the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) fields is not representative of the growing population. This is also true for the State of Minnesota, and more must be done in the form of policy and accountability to ensure a healthy pool of STEM professionals that are representative of the changing demographics of the state. After years of developing institutional programs, targeted interventions, and student support services, the number of students of color in STEM fields has not improved and organizational change to support underrepresented students to degree completion will not occur until equity and diversity is made a campus-wide priority.