The Compass Project

The Compass Project is a program that supports diversity in the physical sciences by bringing together undergraduate and graduate students through exceptional teaching and learning experiences. For the undergraduates, the main focus of Compass is an intensive two-week summer program for incoming freshmen (with an emphasis on women and minorities), as well as continued mentorship and support throughout their college careers; for the graduate students, Compass provides a platform for discussing issues related to physics education and a unique opportunity to advance their teaching skills.

Compass has two main goals:

1. By cultivating undergraduate students’ interest in science and supporting them through their college years, Compass works to increase the health, diversity and competitiveness of the physical sciences at Berkeley.

2. Compass provides graduate students with a unique opportunity to transcend routine lecturing and develop a more sophisticated approach to teaching, an opportunity rarely possible in an environment where graduate student instructors operate under predefined curricula.

Compass achieves the first goal via a summer program, a mentoring program, and a research program:

The summer program: The cornerstone of the Compass Project is the summer program, an intensive, two-week educational experience that brings together 15 to 20 incoming freshmen and 6 to 8 graduate student instructors to study topics in physics, mathematics, and problem solving unified by a central physical question.

As the first college-level educational experience for the Compass students, the Compass summer program serves as a stepping stone into UC Berkeley. By combining work and life activities, Compass gives students a head start in establishing the social ties, familiarity with the Berkeley campus, and balanced lifestyle necessary for successful undergraduate careers.

The mentorship program: The relationships formed during the summer program extend far beyond its completion. Throughout the year, Compass students meet one-on-one with graduate student mentors to discuss whatever might be on their minds: classes, schedules, study habits, research opportunities, or just life in general. Many of the issues faced by undergraduates cause stress and frustration and can lead promising physical science majors to abandon the physical sciences entirely. Addressing these issues early will help the Compass students remain confident and achieve success in the physical sciences.

The research program: Another important component of Compass is an undergraduate research program that exposes students to current research and helps them engage and participate in research themselves. The first step in this program is a new lecture series aimed at an undergraduate audience and given by faculty members. The lecture series introduces students to interesting research opportunities and encourages them to approach professors for participation in their research by creating an informal environment for interaction between students and faculty. Furthermore, Compass is directly assisting students in finding research positions by developing relationships with faculty members, research scientists, and institutions that provide such opportunities.

The second goal of Compass is achieved by the experience for graduate students that takes place in the months leading up to the summer program, and consists of intense weekly discussions, teaching practice, and group work on every detail of the curriculum. Compass opens the door to innovative teaching by putting graduate students in full control: they are solely responsible for designing a syllabus, exploring a variety of instructional methods, and taking on the responsibility of leading undergraduates as they construct their knowledge. By connecting novice teachers to their more experienced peers, participation in Compass leads graduate students to a deep understanding of the many facets of teaching, to insightful explanations for a multitude of topics, and perhaps most importantly, to innovation. The summer program is a vehicle that can take graduate students from being regular lecturers to fantastic teachers.

During the academic year, Compass continues to serve graduate students by maintaining a forum to discuss issues associated with teaching and by assisting Compass teachers in the development of their personal teaching philosophies and teaching portfolios. Additionally, the community of graduate students formed through Compass provides a source of friendship and support vital in taking on the challenges of a Ph.D. program at UC Berkeley.

Required resources:

1. Total project needs: $17,000
2. In-kind contribution needs: Housing for the summer program

Project page URL:

• http://compass.physics.berkeley.edu

Additional info:

The Compass Project was run for the first time in August 2007 with a group of 11 incoming students, and was, by all measures, a success. The first group of Compass students entered the program with an inspiring level of passion and excitement for the ideas and methods of the physical sciences. Considering that only 25% of high school students even take physics, it is essential that Compass nurtures this passion.

To keep the program viable and continuously improving, a number of ways for evaluating its methods and goals have been developed. At the end of the summer program, the Compass students fill out a 47-question evaluation of the Compass program and staff that captures their suggestions for change. Surveys of the teaching staff and anecdotal feedback from both teachers and students complement the student surveys. The information gathered helps form a comprehensive picture of the student experience, measure student enthusiasm, and determine what to change for the following year. To measure the long-term effects of the program, Compass will also collect data on student GPAs, parental education and financial support, as well as statistics and information on completion of undergraduate degrees.

Testimonials from Compass students:

"What is excellent about Compass includes a variety of things from the subjects covered to the relationships developed as a result of the program. Honestly, I enjoyed that the program was not only dedicated to physics, but also covered Calculus and Astronomy/Astrophysics as well. I believe this kept students more interested and focused as they were presented with multiple subjects instead of solely focusing on one... I also believe that through the program I developed excellent friendships with the other students that still continue far beyond the end of the two weeks..."

"The Compass Project furthered my desire to pursue a physics career. The program exposed me to a wonderful, exciting, lively future and gave me valuables tools to accomplish a physics major. I learned techniques to become a better student, new important concepts, and I met a wickedly awesome group of people. And now I am truly excited for what is next."

"...Although the subject of physics has always aroused my curiosities, the notion of a career as a physicist seemed implausible. The image in my mind was similar to the image in the minds of most people; physics is a subject reserved for those with brilliant minds, and whose name is synonymous with Einstein, Newton, and many other brilliant men. This idea was reaffirmed when I observed my peers whizzing through challenging math problems, as I sat by, needing more time to break them down. However, the Compass Project team already understood and addressed many of our concerns. Instead of sugar-coating the reality, they laid down the facts and told us what we needed to know. When we believed the field would be difficult and we could not do it, they agreed it would be difficult, but said we COULD do it. Their honesty and experience convinced us that they were telling the truth. As a result, my earlier notion no longer seemed implausible. Instead, I DO see myself as a woman studying the physical sciences..."

"Compass has brought me into contact with all of these amazing people who are now a huge part of my life. Because of the two week bonding experience, I already had a strong support network I could rely on as I entered college...However, the students I’ve met are not the only source of support I’ve gained from the program. The grad students I’ve had the pleasure to meet have all been very open and friendly. They genuinely care about us and I feel like I can always come to them for help, both for academic and personal problems. Since they are all studying physics and have been down the same path before, I am able to draw from their experiences... Compass is a valuable influence in my life that really motivates me to do well. The program really facilitated the development of my intellectual curiosity."