In order to maintain the United States' preeminence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, the country must produce approximately one million more STEM professionals over the next decade than the projected current graduation rates.1 To attain this goal, policymakers aim to increase STEM retention in college, arguing that it is a low-cost, fast way to produce more graduates with the training and expertise that the nation needs in STEM fields.1 According to a 2014 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, some reasons for attrition from a STEM major are derived from two extremes of the spectrum include achieving lower STEM grades compared to non-STEM grades or taking lighter and less challenging STEM courses in the first year of college.2 Feist suggests that the earlier an individual finds a sense of interest and accomplishment, the sooner he or she will commit to a given goal,3 in this case pursuing a future in a STEM field. By refraining from taking more challenging courses, a student is less likely to find this fulfillment in a STEM talent and seek success in a non-STEM major. One solution, a commonly cited best-practice for increasing participation in STEM, especially in low income, underrepresented minority and first generation students, is undergraduate research. Conducting research in a student's major develops a reflective understanding of his or her own field and is an effective way to provide the student with a deep learning and engagement experience that are closely connected to those faculty and advanced peers.4 In this way, student motivation and aspiration is encouraged by interactions with high-achieving peers and faculty who help students realize the application of what they learn in the classroom. To address the nation's call to produce more professionals trained for STEM fields, the National Science Foundation Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (NSF-STEP) at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP) has focused efforts to retain students through increasing the opportunities for students to be exposed to and participate in undergraduate research activities. This paper explores the impact of an institutional electronic repository on the broader campus.
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