In October 2011, Coastal Bend College received a grant award from the HSI STEM and Articulation Program which is authorized under Title III, Part F, Section 371 of the Higher Education Act, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1067q (b) (2) (B). 93% of the total costs of the OASIS Project will be financed with Federal money ($4,350,000). 7% of the total costs will be financed by Coastal Bend College ($353,198). Through Project OASIS (Optimizing Academic Success in the Sciences), CBC will advance the educational achievement of Hispanic and other disadvantaged individuals in the CBC service area by improving teaching and learning in science.   

Set as the Project’s goals are the two HSI STEM and Articulation Program priorities: Goal and Absolute Priority 1: Increase the number of Hispanics and other low income students obtaining degrees in STEM fields; and Goal and Absolute Priority 2: Develop model transfer articulation agreements between two year HSI’s and four year institutions.  

Project objectives for Goal 1 will focus on increasing student attainment by: ■ modernizing physical and virtual learning spaces of CBC’s science program ■ increasing passing rates in eight science gatekeeper courses and three math courses for STEM majors by 5-9% ■ increasing the number of select STEM majors by 20% ■ providing case management to 600 science students to increase participant retention and persistence rates by 9% ■ providing other student services to students enrolled in the eight science gatekeeper courses ■ providing additional educational access to Hispanic and others underrepresented in college through a new Accelerated Learning Academy ■ base-lining and increasing the graduation and university transfer rates of STEM majors 10% and ■ increasing professional development to faculty and staff.  

Project objectives for Goal 2 include: ■ expanding degree transfer articulation agreements in science and other STEM fields from 3 to 25 (biology articulated spring 2011 as part of this grant application process) ■ articulating cooperative efforts with universities to increase CBC’s student performance and interest in STEM areas and ■ sharing former CBC student graduation information for 5 year completion of a university degree ■ Add-on modules to CBC’s BIOL 1408- General Biology for Non-Majors will be developed by university faculty for NEW CBC course offerings-General Biology for Majors I and II.