Technology Opportunity Program

技术机会项目(TOP)为经济条件较差、学术上有天赋的学生提供了一条成功完成工程技术或计算机科学副学士学位的创新途径。该计划被整合到这个网络中，该网络建立在该学院的技术准备学校到职业计划的基础上，该计划是由20所高中和该学院建立起来的良好合作伙伴关系。该项目的推广由一个由大学教师、辅导员和行政人员组成的项目团队完成，并由高中教师和辅导员、当地行业和社区团体组成的网络协助完成。在整个大学学习计划中，顶尖学者由一名教职员工指导，以确保他们充分利用可用的支持服务，包括由辅导和学术成功中心提供的一系列研讨会、短期课程和同行辅导。顶尖奖学金学生组成了一个清晰可识别的学习社区，拥有特定于项目的丰富机会，如小组会议、行业旅行和演讲者。毕业后，学生将在就业指导办公室和全职转学顾问的帮助下，获得就业机会，或参加为期四年的工程、物理或计算机科学课程。增加完成计算机科学和技术副学士学位课程的学术天赋和低收入学生的数量；2.增加参加这些项目的女性和少数族裔学生的数量；3.建立教育工作者和行业的合作伙伴关系，以增强奖学金学生的经验和参与；以及4.建立一个系统，记录顶尖奖学金项目对参与者的影响，以影响项目的持续改进。该项目的智力价值在于，正在创造一条途径，使经济困难的学生(主要是第一代大学生)能够成功地获得大学学位，并过渡到计算机科学或技术专业或四年制院校。更广泛的影响是，一个由教职员工和社区成员指导的学者社区正在形成，这增强了技术系的活力。为顶尖学者创建的支持服务是所有大学项目中留住学生的典范。

The Technology Opportunity Project (TOP) provides an innovative pathway for economically disadvantaged, academically talented students to successfully complete an associate degree in engineering technology or computer science. The program isintegrated into the network built upon the Tech Prep School-to-Career program at the college, a well established partnership of 20 high schools and the college. The promotion of the program is accomplished by a project team of college faculty, counselors and administrators assisted by a network of high school teachers and counselors, local industry and community groups. Throughout their college program of study, TOP Scholars are mentored by a faculty member to ensure they make full use of available support services, including a range of workshops , short courses, and peer tutoring offered by the Tutoring and Academic Success Center. The cohort of TOP scholarship students forms a clearly identifiable learning community, with program specific enrichment opportunities such as group meetings and industry tours and speakers. Upon graduation, students are assisted by the Career Placement Office and full time Transfer Counselor to secure placement in the workforce or in a four -year engineering, physics or computer science program.The goals of the project are1. to increase the number of academically- talented and low-income students who complete associate degree programs in computer science and technology; 2. to increase the number of women and minority students in these programs;3. to create a partnership of educators and industry to enhance the experience and participation of scholarship students; and 4. to establish a system to document the impact of the TOP Scholars program on participants in order to affect continuous program improvements.The intellectual merit of this program is that a pathway is being created to enable economically disadvantaged, mostly first generation college students to successfully earna college degree and transition to employment in computer science or technology or to a four year institution. The broader impact is that a community of scholars is being formed, mentored by faculty and community members, which enhances the vitality of the Technology Department. Support services created for TOP scholars serve as a model for student retention in all college programs.