Scholars Program for Engineering College Students (SPECS): Motivate, Accelerate, Retain and Transfer Engineering Students

在美国，增加美国科学家的数量是一种既定的需求。这项科学、技术、工程和数学（S-STEM）项目的NSF奖学金将颁发奖学金，以帮助增加在卡布里洛学院完成工程副学士学位、转学到四年制院校并在STEM领域寻求职业的学生人数。多达84名学者将参加一个为期三年的项目，旨在让他们沉浸在学术丰富活动中，包括参加一个学习社区和一个课程，旨在通过实践项目、与当地工程师互动、参观当地工业来帮助他们建立强大的专业身份。该机构的STEM中心将为学生提供丰富的资源，包括学术、职业和经济援助咨询、转学援助、指导、实地考察、奖学金援助和学习小组。该项目将解决卡布里洛学院的学生在试图获得STEM学位时面临的三个挑战(a)转学时间长（四年或更长时间），(b)缺乏数学准备，随后无法在微积分预科中取得成功，以及(c)该地区的高生活成本。这些学者将参加通过STEM中心促进的数学、工程和科学成就（MESA）计划。MESA将为学生提供密集的微积分前准备，并为通过微积分前课程的学生提供数学、工程、计算机科学和物理方面的学术卓越研讨会。形成性评价将涉及学生和导师的满意度（调查）、学生教育计划的可行性和学业进步。总结性评估将包括对项目组成部分与成功实现保留和毕业目标的一致性的分析。评估结果的传播将通过MESA年度领导力静修和研究与计划小组加强学生成功会议（针对加州社区学院教师和管理人员）进行，并有助于扩大关于此类项目成功的情况的知识库。

There is an established need in the United States to increase the number of American scientists in the workforce. This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project will award scholarships to help increase the number of students who complete associates degrees in engineering at Cabrillo College, transfer to 4-year institutions, and seek careers in STEM. As many as 84 scholars will participate in a three-year program, designed to immerse them in academic enrichment activities including participation in a learning community and a course meant to help them to develop strong professional identities through doing hands-on projects, interacting with local engineers, and touring local industry. The institution's STEM Center, will provide students with an abundance of resources including academic, career and financial aid advising, transfer assistance, mentorships, field trips, scholarship assistance, and study groups. The project will address three challenges that Cabrillo College students face while attempting to obtain a STEM degree (a) long time to transfer (four or more years), (b) lack of math preparation and subsequent inability to succeed in precalculus, and (c) the high cost of living in the area. The scholars will participate in the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program facilitated through the STEM Center. MESA will provide students with intensive precalulus preparation and peer-lead Academic Excellence workshops in math, engineering, computer science, and physics for those students who pass precalculus. Formative evaluation will address student and mentor satisfaction (surveys), the viability of the students' educational plan, and academic progress. Summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of the retention and graduation targets. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will be done through the annual MESA Leadership Retreat and the Research and Planning Group Strengthening Student Success conference (for California community college faculty and administrators) and help contribute to expanding the knowledge base regarding the circumstances under which programs of this type are successful.