Welcome to our site! We are working on bringing you updated information on the MIE program. Many things are changing but one thing that hasn't changed is Xavier University's committment to excellence, and committment to the students that make us great.

WHAT IS MIE?

Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) is a national program designed to produce colleges and universities that will serve as models for improving the quantity and quality of science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) graduates. MIE is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of the Interior (DOI)d, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). MIE will enhance infrastructure at selected institutions to educate students who have been historically underrepresented in SEM fields. Xavier University of Louisiana is proud to be a part of this program and will serve as a successful model for increasing student participation in SEM that can be replicated at other colleges and universities throughout the country.

MIE AT XAVIER

Xavier University of Louisiana has a rich tradition of preparing students who excel in science, engineering, and mathematics. Through the MIE initiative, we will strengthen that tradition by developing an infrastructure that will support a cadre of Xavier students who are motivated and prepared to pursue graduate studies in their chosen majors. Major components of the MIE program will include substantial renovations to campus facilities such as the establishment of Resource and Mentoring Centers, and additional teaching and research laboratories. There will be a significant upgrade in the quality of, and access to, computing and electronic communications systems for faculty and students. Additionally, there will be important developments in instructional strategies, materials and curricula, and administrative processes that support these efforts.

MIE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The overarching goal of the MIE program at Xavier University is to enhance the academic programs and physical infrastructure of the University: achieving an increase in the retention rate of SEM students from 50% to 75%; and quadrupling the number of those student entering SEM graduate and professional schools.

The objectives for attaining these goals are to:

• Substantially increase the number of students entering Xavier who major in SEM areas.
• Renovate space to produce new teaching laboratories in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics.
• Renovate additional space to support collaborative faculty/student research activities.
• Upgrade the quality and increase the quantity of equipment in new and existing SEM laboratories.
• Establish two Student Resource and Mentoring Centers.
• Expand the computing network capability of the university.
• Develop a financial assistance structure that will effectively address student and university needs.
• Strengthen undergraduate research opportunities for students by increasing collaborative ventures between Xavier and other universities and organizations.
• Establish a model mentor training program.
• Implement curriculum revisions and development.
• Develop a framework for a bachelor's degree program in Engineering Science.
• Widely disseminate information about MIE and other SEM areas at Xavier to internal and external audiences.
• Provide ancillary support to achieve these objectives.