Workshop Proposal: Improving Domestic Student Participation in Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Programs. Held on October 19-20, 2009 in Knoxville Conference Center.

这个为期两天的研讨会的目标将是聚集来自欧洲经委会博士广泛的部门负责人和椅子。授予全国各地的机构，以促进提高国内研究生入学率和保留率的重要共同目标的潜在途径进行公开讨论。邀请部门负责人和主席的决定是出于获得反馈的愿望，并将讨论直接针对政策制定者。建议以欧洲经委会为重点，以此限制工作，以便将任何建议和结论传播给其他科学和工程学科。研讨会的预期成果是一份报告，详细介绍所有讨论情况以及对未来方向的建议，以帮助保持研讨会产生的兴趣和势头。此外，报告还将提出进一步研究和收集数据的建议，为研究生课程的修订提供基于研究的理由。学术价值研讨会旨在制定未来的方向，以提高国内电子工程、计算机工程和相关学科的研究生入学率和保留率。这是一个具有国家重要性的话题，特别是考虑到当前的全球经济状况，因为它影响到美国整体就业市场及其在全球竞争背景下的生存能力。为了直接针对有可能改善目前状况的核心贡献者，主要参与者将是部门负责人和主席。后者将被邀请就招聘，支持和保留国内学生参加研究生课程的根本重要性问题发表意见。这次讨论也将为NSF和DOE之间关于这一主题的联合资助计划提供基础。更广泛的影响由该提案资助的研讨会预计将产生对提高国内研究生入学率和保留率的重要见解。这是一个对国家的经济活力至关重要的问题。扩大国内理工科研究生群体是保证美国经济的重要基石吗？的持续领导地位。因此，虽然研讨会的重点是与电气和计算机工程密切相关的学科，但讨论直接反映了其他科学和工程学科，其中观察到类似的学生组成趋势。本次研讨会的成果将确定改善国内研究生环境的新方向。

The goal of this two-day workshop will be to assemble department heads and chairs from a broad range of ECE Ph.D. granting institutions across the nation, to an open discussion on potential avenues of promoting the important common goal of increasing domestic graduate student enrollment and retention. The decision to invite department heads and chairs is driven by the desire to obtain feedback, and target the discussions, directly toward policy makers. Embarking with a focus on ECE is suggested as means of limiting the effort such that any recommendations and conclusions can be disseminated to other science and engineering disciplines. The expected outcome of the workshop is a report detailing all discussions held as well as suggestions for future directions to help sustain interest and momentum generated from the workshop. Moreover, the report will include recommendations for further research and data collection that would provide a research-based justification for graduate program revisions.Intellectual Merit The workshop aims to chart out the future direction which the nation may follow in order to increase domestic graduate student enrollment and retention in electrical engineering, computer engineering and related disciplines. This is a topic of national importance, particularly given the current worldwide economic conditions, as it impacts the overall US job market and its viability in the context of global competition. In order to directly target core contributors that can potentially improve the current state of affairs, primary participants will be department heads and chairs. The latter will be invited to present their views on the issues of fundamental importance in the recruitment, support and retention of domestic students to graduate programs. This discussion will also provide the foundations for jointly funded initiatives between the NSF and DOE on this topic.Broader Impact The workshop funded by this proposal is anticipated to generate critical insight into improving enrollment and retention of domestic graduate students. This is a topic of crucial importance to the economic viability of the nation. The broadening of domestic research student body in science and engineering is a vital building block in guaranteeing the US economy?s continuing leadership position. As such, while the focus of the workshop is on disciplines closely-related to electrical and computer engineering, the discussions directly reflect on other science and engineering disciplines in which similar student composition trends are being observed. The outcomes of this workshop will identify new directions for improving the domestic graduate student landscape.