**2.4 Supportive campus environment**

*A supportive campus environment* with a STEM focus is one that is designed to improve the retention, persistence, graduation, and overall academic success of STEM students and prepares them for STEM careers [26]. STEM students have access to a STEM-focused supportive campus environment which includes a wide variety of functions, services, and assistance. Common interventions available to all students include tutoring, mentoring, counseling, academic advising, academic coaching, social interaction, scholarships, internships, and career services to boost successful student outcomes [27–29]. STEM students can engage in co-curricular activities to supplement their STEM learning experiences outside the classroom. Co-curricular activities include participation in clubs, organizations, and associations. Positive academic and social experiences in this supportive environment may lead to STEM students persisting and graduating [30].

## *2.4.1 STEM intervention programs*

STEM Intervention Programs (SIPs) have emerged on college campuses in the United States to foster, support, and sustain the interest of students in STEM, broaden the participation of URM students in STEM fields, enrich STEM student experiences, and respond to external influences and opportunities [31]. SIP studies tended to be conducted at large research universities, directed across multiple SIPs, and focused on URM students but did not address long term challenges such as continued funding.

Institutions offer SIPs that are tailored to meet the specific needs of targeted, diverse recipients resulting in a wide variety of program designs, purposes, and services for STEM students. The Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences is an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles established in 2003. It was designed to support first- and second year URM STEM students with an emphasis on research engagement, mentoring, STEM persistence, and entry into doctoral programs. While the study was of 141 STEM students in 2009 and 2010 with an average time to graduation of 4.2 years and found a correlation between student success and UG research [32] it was not specifically noted that any sessions were peer-led but has proven successful for STEM students.
