Eastern Michigan University

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Mission & Vision

In October 2005, the National Science Foundation awarded Eastern Michigan University a five-year grant to support the project entitled “Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience: Developing Integrated Science Curriculum to Increase STEM Graduates.” In 2014, EMU received a second five-year grant to institutionalize CSIE as part of a Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The SIP grant will strengthen STEM education for undergraduates at EMU through institutionalization of the CSIE Program. It will include:

  • Faculty training in CSIE
  • Development of new classes and themes for CSIE
  • Better coordination between STEM departments and advising/career services
  • Permanent CSIE office and project lab space in the Science Complex
  • Creation of a permanent endowment for STEM education with locally raised funds
  • matched by federal grant dollars, up to $250,000.

CSIE Program Goals:

  • Improve student success rate, especially among underrepresented groups, in STEM
  • gateway and Next-In- Progression classes by developing CSIE-linked courses based on
  • common-theme subject topics.
  • Support student academic-career development, experiential learning, and subject-
  • mastery by producing activities for the CSIEs.
  • Offer faculty a wide range of professional development and support to produce and
  • sustain integrated content and pedagogical shifts in course delivery.
  • Institutionalize key project components to ensure that the CSIE Program is brought to
  • full scale by the fifth year and sustained beyond the grant period.

The program will be evaluated by tracking CSIE and non-CSIE students in terms of academic outcomes, program completion, and attitudes. We will also track the number of faculty members and other university staff trained in CSIE. The Title III Advisory Board will help monitor and shape program progress.

Download a pdf version of the CSIE Brochure.