Developing a Strong Recruitment Team to Support STEM Students

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program provides scholarships and associated support structures for low-income students in STEM undergraduate and graduate majors. This program is aimed at increasing the STEM workforce. Adelphi University, a comprehensive university located on Long Island in New York, received a grant aimed at recruiting 25 students across two cohorts. One of the challenges with these programs is setting up an effective recruitment strategy. This involves an integrated approach involving admissions, financial aid, and the team overseeing the S-STEM program. At Adelphi University, we set up a working group with a key point person across the different areas to be able to quickly target potential students, review eligibility, and make offers. We then we able to help students evaluate their education options. Our collaboration resulted in successful recruitment of 25 students over 2 years. Having this well-defined working group is critical for successful recruitment into these specialized programs.