Meeting the Graduate 10K+ Challenge: Enhancing the Climate for Persistence and Success in Engineering (ECliPSE)

这个项目是在STEP的一个特别资金重点“毕业生10K”的支持下进行的，这是国家科学基金会的一项活动，部分得到了英特尔基金会和GE基金会的捐款支持，目的是鼓励大学和学院采取综合行动，帮助在未来十年内将工程学和计算机科学的年度理学士毕业生人数增加1万人。这个特殊项目的目的是显著提高锡拉丘兹大学工程和计算机科学一年级和二年级的保留率和毕业率。为此，该项目正在将本科生的经历重塑为一种更友好的氛围，促进师生之间的强烈互动，并促进工程教育的最佳实践。特别是，项目团队正通过一系列协同的活动，重点通过多管齐下的方法来提高教学和学术咨询的质量，包括：在工程学教育的最佳实践中得到良好支持的教师发展计划；在巴克内尔大学教师的帮助下，完全重新设计第一学期的门户工程课程；在目标一年级和二年级实施创新教学法；指导教师的建议实践，并建立学术建议的持续质量改进框架；以及将先前测试过的第一年的学术支持和社区建设计划延长到第二年。该项目有能力改变锡拉丘兹大学的工程和计算机科学教育，并为校园和其他大学的其他STEM系提供示范。它的目的是满足全国的需求，培养更多的工程师和计算机科学家，他们将帮助推动美国经济，并为应对技术挑战提供创造性的解决方案。对改善氛围的重视预计将对所有学生产生积极影响，尤其是对代表人数不足的群体和女性的学生。此外，在创造制度变革的过程中，个别教员正在获得终身教学和建议技能，这些技能可以在锡拉丘兹大学或他们未来可能担任教职的任何地方进行实践。

This project is being supported under a special funding focus for STEP, "Graduate 10K+," an activity of the National Science Foundation, supported in part by donations from the Intel Foundation and the GE Foundation, to stimulate comprehensive action at universities and colleges to help increase the annual number of new B.S. graduates in engineering and computer science by 10,000 over the next decade. The aim of this particular project is to significantly increase 1st and 2nd year retention rates and graduation rates in engineering and computer science at Syracuse University. Towards this end the project is re-forming the undergraduate experience into one with a more welcoming climate, promoting strong faculty-student interactions and best practices in engineering education. In particular, the project team is focusing on a multi-pronged approach to improving the quality of instruction and academic advising through a synergistic series of activities including: a well-supported faculty development program in best practices in engineering education; the complete re-design of the first semester gateway engineering course with help from Bucknell University faculty; implementation of innovative pedagogy in target 1st and 2nd year classes; guidance for faculty in their advising practice and establishment of a framework for continuous quality improvement in academic advising; and extension of previously tested first year academic support and community building programs into the second year. This project has the capacity to transform engineering and computer science education at Syracuse University, and to serve as a model for other STEM departments on campus and at other universities. It is designed to meet the national need to graduate more engineers and computer scientists who will help to fuel the American economy, as well as contribute creative solutions to technological challenges. The emphasis on improving the climate is expected to have a positive impact on all students, but most especially on students from underrepresented groups and women. Furthermore, in the process of creating institutional change, the individual faculty members are gaining lifelong teaching and advising skills that can carry through their practice at Syracuse University or wherever they may be faculty in the future.