Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Retention and Success (SPURS)

德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校(UTSA)的本科生保留和成功奖学金计划(SSPRS)是一所为拉美裔服务的机构，该计划将专注于招收经济困难的本科生，攻读生物医学、土木工程、电气和计算机以及机械工程系的学位。每个系每年至少有3名学生获得奖学金，因此每年至少有12名学生参加该项目。这一方法将增加工程专业的本科生数量，并确保学生坚持不懈地攻读工科学士学位。该项目的结果将反过来增加STEM劳动力和/或研究生项目的学生数量。拟议中的计划意义重大，因为它认识到需要一支经过培训的多元化劳动力来解决世界问题，它最终将增加工程劳动力的多样性，特别是在德克萨斯州中南部。该计划将加强UTSA在STEM领域对学生的教育和参与，并通过鼓励本科生参加K-12扩展活动，将从最早的年级开始打开通往工程学的道路；这种方法可以促进更多的学生学习STEM领域。SSPR将为参与项目的学生提供在工程领域取得成功所需的技能，那些利用可选研究机会的学生将为攻读研究生做好更好的准备。三项任务将实现总体目标：(1)创建本科生工程奖学金计划；(2)创建关于批判性思维、专业发展和研究的系列研讨会；以及(3)为学生提供研究、实习或K-12 STEM扩展计划的可选机会。将收集数据，以对1)项目执行情况进行形成性评估，包括管理、招聘、学生选择等；2)进度，如留住和毕业目标的实现情况以及学生学业和职业发展的成功情况。将对项目组成部分进行总结性评价，以确定项目在实现其目标和吸取的经验教训方面的总体成功。评估还将研究将课程内容复制到其他大学的可能性。该项目的成果将在UTSA的其他学院和国家会议上公布，并将发表在工程教育期刊上。

The Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Retention and Success (SPURS) at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, will focus on recruiting financially disadvantaged undergraduate students pursuing degrees in the departments of biomedical, civil, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering. At least three students from each department will receive scholarships each year, so at least 12 students yearly will participate in the program. The approach will increase the number of undergraduate students who enroll in Engineering and ensure student persistence and completion of a B.S. Engineering degree. The outcome of the program will, in turn, increase the number of students in the STEM workforce and/or graduate programs. The proposed program is significant because it recognizes the need for a diverse work force trained to solve the world's problems and it will eventually increase the diversity of the engineering workforce, especially in South-Central Texas. The program will enhance how UTSA educates and engages students in STEM fields and by encouraging undergraduate students to participate in K-12 outreach activities, the pathway towards engineering will be opened from the earliest grades; this approach could promote more students to study STEM fields. SPURS will provide the participating students skills needed to succeed in engineering careers and those who take advantage of optional research opportunities will be better prepared to pursue graduate studies.Three tasks will accomplish the overall objective: (1) Create an Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship Program; (2) Create a Workshop Series on Critical Thinking, Professional Development, and Research; and (3) Provide students with optional opportunities in research, internships or K-12 STEM outreach programs. Data will be collected to perform formative evaluation of 1) project implementation including management, recruitment, student selection, et alia and 2) progress such as achievement of retention and graduation goals and student academic and professional development success. Summative evaluation of project components will be conducted to determine overall project success at meeting its objectives and lessons learned. The evaluation will also study potential for replication of program components to other universities. The results of the project will be presented to other colleges at UTSA and at national conferences and will be published in engineering educational journals.