COSMOS offers numerous opportunities for students to enhance learning and to develop a sense of community beyond the campus. Additionally, the grant enables COSMOS to fund STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-related internship opportunities this summer.
Living-learning communities at colleges and universities are credited with improving student retention, persistence and graduation rates, particularly among minority students and first generation college students. Con Edison first began supporting COSMOS at The College of New Rochelle in the 2012-13 academic year with funds for room grants and programming.
The community is open to biology, chemistry, mathematics or environmental studies majors in the School of Arts and Sciences. The COSMOS community lives together in a dedicated wing of Ursula Hall that provides a space for science and math-related equipment, allows for quiet study, and serves as a lounge for larger events.
This summer, a portion of the COSMOS funds will be offered as stipends to students who commit to work in STEM-related internships. Some students have already secured placements and faculty is helping others make contacts.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for students to experience the real-world applications of concepts they have studied in school and explore professions they are considering as career options," said faculty adviser Faith Kostel-Hughes. "This grant will enable them to pursue unfunded opportunities that would have been otherwise unaffordable.”
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