Advancing Academic Success and Career Development for Talented, Low-Income Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Majors

促进有才华的低收入计算机科学、数学和工程专业学生的学业成功和职业发展

• 批准号: 2130267
• 负责人: Qing Wang
• 金额: $ 150万
• 依托单位: Shepherd University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-15 至 2027-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2130267&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Advancing; Academic; Success; Career; Development

This project will contribute to the preparation of a well-educated workforce in STEM fields by providing financial, academic, social, and career support to a diverse cohort of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need at Shepherd University. The project will apply and strengthen evidence-based student support programs that improve the educational success of a diverse community of 52 students (total of 126 scholarships) majoring in a degree program offered by the Department of Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering (CME): Data Analytics, Mathematics, Computer Information Sciences, Computer Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or Engineering Science. The project will assess the effectiveness of these student supports on retention and graduation rates of scholars, many of whom are anticipated to be first generation, female, and transfer students. The program will identify and eliminate barriers, leading to improved retention of the targeted population of students in STEM. Scholars will receive support from faculty and peers and have the opportunity to participate in academic, social, and professional activities that will allow them to accentuate their strengths and explore a number of future options. Further, the program will enhance Shepherd’s regional alliance with business, industry, and government agencies while improving connections with local high schools and community colleges. The project has four specific objectives: (1) increase enrollment and retention of CME majors, (2) improve four-year graduation rate of CME majors, (3) increase the proportion of graduating S-STEM scholars who find employment, or continue to graduate studies, in their field within six months of graduation, and (4) enhance student support programs. The program will recruit students by enhancing marketing activities with high schools and community colleges, and through a variety of student clubs and competitions. Scholars will be selected through a competitive application process, supported by removing the financial and other barriers that can impede scholars’ progress towards timely completion of their degrees. The selected students will participate in summer bridge programs, internships, research opportunities, career development services, S-STEM seminars, and interactions with local industry representatives. Student support programs such as faculty and peer mentoring, cohort-building experiences, seminars and tutorials, counseling, and learning communities will allow the project to address scholars’ individual needs with thought and care. Shepherd University will gather critical evidence as found in the current literature to better understand essential elements for student success. Furthermore, mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches will be employed to extend the research base regarding what is known about the impact of several student support initiatives and programs on the success of STEM students. The project’s models and findings will be disseminated through websites, social media, publications, and conference presentations aimed at higher education communities interested in improving their preparation of undergraduate STEM students. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将通过为谢泼德大学表现出经济需求的各种低收入学业天才学生提供财政、学术、社会和职业支持，帮助培养一支受过良好教育的STEM领域的劳动力队伍。该项目将应用和加强基于证据的学生支持计划，以提高由计算机科学、数学和工程系(CME)提供的学位课程(数据分析、数学、计算机信息科学、计算机信息技术、计算机信息技术、计算机工程或工程科学)52名学生(总计126个奖学金)的教育成功。该项目将评估这些学生支持对学者留校率和毕业率的有效性，其中许多人预计是第一代、女性和转校生。该计划将确定并消除障碍，从而改善STEM的目标学生群体的留存。学者将得到教职员工和同行的支持，并有机会参加学术、社交和专业活动，这些活动将使他们能够突出自己的优势，并探索未来的许多选择。此外，该计划将加强谢泼德与商业、工业和政府机构的地区联盟，同时改善与当地高中和社区大学的联系。该项目有四个具体目标：(1)增加继续医学教育专业的招生和留存，(2)提高继续医学教育专业的四年毕业率，(3)提高S-STEM毕业生在毕业六个月内在各自领域找到工作或继续深造的比例，(4)加强学生支持计划。该计划将通过加强与高中和社区大学的营销活动，以及通过各种学生俱乐部和比赛来招收学生。学者将通过竞争性申请程序进行遴选，并消除可能阻碍学者及时完成学位的财务和其他障碍。入选的学生将参加暑期桥牌项目、实习、研究机会、职业发展服务、S-STEM研讨会，以及与当地行业代表的互动。学生支持计划，如教师和同行指导、队列建设经验、研讨会和教程、咨询和学习社区，将使该项目能够以思考和关怀满足学者的个人需求。谢泼德大学将收集在当前文献中发现的关键证据，以更好地了解学生成功的基本要素。此外，将采用定性和定量相结合的方法，以扩大关于几个学生支持倡议和计划对STEM学生成功的影响的已知研究基础。该项目的模型和结果将通过网站、社交媒体、出版物和会议演示文稿进行传播，旨在面向对改善本科STEM学生的准备感兴趣的高等教育社区。该项目由NSF的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，该项目旨在增加在STEM领域获得学位的低收入学术天才学生的数量。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学业成功、留住、转移、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。