Increasing Participation in Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics through Scholarships

该项目向30名才华横溢的低收入全日制学生颁发奖学金，为期4年，每年3,125美元，让他们在内布拉斯加-林肯大学(UNL)获得计算机科学、工程或数学学位。招生工作专门针对这些人群中的低收入学生：妇女、少数民族、第一代学生和来自农村社区的学生。其目标是提高低收入学生的学业和毕业成就；增加目标人群中获得CSEMS专业学士学位的学生数量；帮助所有学生在大四之前安排有意义的暑期或学期实习、研究经历或与职业相关的工作；为学生提供一个可靠的基础，使他们能够做出明智和合理的职业选择；并为学生毕业后成功进入职业生涯做好准备。招生、奖学金和财政援助办公室、少数民族事务办公室以及工程学院、艺术学院和科学学院都帮助确定和招收符合条件的学生参加该项目。CSEMS学科的主要教员自愿抽出时间帮助CSEMS学生与系之间建立联系。新生被要求参加四个非常成功的保留计划中的一个。一年级和二年级学生会被指派一名初级或高级CSEMS导师。这些与CSEMS每周一次的研讨会一起构成了CSEMS学习社区的骨干。该计划更广泛的影响在于它对目标人群的影响。根据今年进行的一项调查，UNL的本科生中有22%是第一代大学生。这里有一大批有经济需要的优秀学生。内布拉斯加州的文化和种族少数民族人口在过去十年中增长了150%以上。大约30%的内布拉斯加人生活在农村社区。CSEMS计划将加快这些人口向高市场化、技术性就业部门的职业过渡。它为内布拉斯加州农村地区提供了一个发展其技术工业增长潜力的机会。该项目的智力价值在于在每周的研讨会上和通过导师分享学术和职业兴趣。在研讨会上，CSEMS的高年级学生展示了他们初级/高级项目、研究和实习的结果；教职员工分享了他们对本科生和专业研究的想法。这鼓励所有CSEMS学生利用校外工业或暑期项目或在校园内通过高级项目、教师导师、UNL UCARE本科生研究计划、Ronald McNair暑期REU和NSF资助的内布拉斯加州应用数学REU进行研究和实习的机会。

This project is awarding scholarships of $3,125 per year for 4 years to 30 talented low-income, full-time students to obtain degrees in computer science, engineering, or mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The recruitment efforts specifically target low-income students in these populations: women, minorities, first generation students, and students from rural communities. The objectives are to increase the academic and graduation success among low-income students; to increase the number of students in the target populations who earn baccalaureate degrees in a CSEMS discipline; to help place all of the students before their senior year in a meaningful summer or semester internship, a research experience, or a career related job; to provide a sound basis on which the students can make informed and reasonable career choices; and to prepare students for successful entry into a career upon graduation. The Offices of Admissions, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Minority Affairs as well as the Colleges of Engineering and Arts and Sciences all help to identify and recruit qualified students for the program. Key faculty in the CSEMS disciplines have volunteered their time to help foster a connection between the CSEMS students and the departments. Freshmen are required to participate in one of four very successful retention programs. Freshmen and sophomores are assigned a junior or senior CSEMS mentor. These together with a weekly CSEMS seminar form the backbone of the CSEMS learning community. The broader impacts of the program lie in its effect on the target population. According to a survey conducted this year, 22% of UNL's undergraduates are first generation college students. There are a large number of high-achieving students with financial need. Nebraska's cultural and racial minority population has grown by more than 150% in the last ten years. About 30% of Nebraskans live in rural communities. The CSEMS program will accelerate the transition of this population to careers in the highly marketable, technical employment sector. It offers a chance for rural Nebraska to develop its potential for technical industrial growth. The intellectual merit of the program lies in the sharing of academic and career interests in the weekly seminar and through the mentors. At the seminar senior CSEMS students present the results of their junior/senior projects, research, and internships; and faculty share their ideas for undergraduate and professional research. This encourages all CSEMS students to take advantage of the many opportunities for research and internships, either off campus in industry or summer programs or on campus through senior projects, faculty mentors, the UNL UCARE undergraduate research program, the Ronald McNair summer REU, and the NSF funded Nebraska REU in Applied Mathematics.