Supporting Degree Completion in Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs through Experiential Learning and Self-Directed Professional Development

该项目将通过支持纽约州立大学（SUNY）理工学院表现出经济需求的高成就低收入学生的保留和毕业，为满足全国对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求做出贡献。在为期6年的时间里，该项目将为20名攻读土木工程、土木工程技术、机械工程和机械工程技术学士学位的全日制一年级学生和转学生提供奖学金。一年级学生将获得最多四年的奖学金，而转校生将获得最多三年的奖学金，这取决于获得学位的预计时间。该项目旨在通过将奖学金与有效的支持活动联系起来，提高一年级和转学生的坚持度，这些活动包括加强大学前数学准备、系列研讨会、学术咨询、教师指导、自主专业发展基金以及实习和本科生研究等体验式学习机会。该项目将为一年级和转学生确定最具影响力的举措，以提高他们的保留率、学位完成率，并提高作为工程师的身份和自我效能感。该项目的总体目标是提高有经济需求的低收入、高成就本科生的STEM学位完成率。STEM毕业生的任务是解决今天和明天的关键挑战，需要致力于持续的智力增长。因此，该项目还旨在通过一系列计划举措，促进自主专业发展和继续教育的奉献精神。首先是一年级的1学分课程，探索工程伦理和工程的14大挑战。其次是一系列的研讨会和讲习班，致力于解释通过继续教育获得和维护专业工程许可证的过程。第三是一个1学分的课程，为工程基础考试（FE）做准备，这是获得许可证的第一步。此外，学院亦会为学生提供一笔专业发展基金，目的是：(1)为学生提供额外的经济资源，以探索他们感兴趣的特定课题；(2)加强继续教育需要财政资源的投入和承诺的观念；(3)引入专业资源，以提供毕业后的继续教育资源。这些举措的有效性将使用机构数据、调查、FE通过率以及对学生、教师和项目合作伙伴的访谈的结果来评估。结果将通过纽约州立大学理工学院网站、会议报告和同行评议期刊上的出版物进行传播。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at the State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 20 unique full-time first-year and transfer students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology. First-year students will receive up to four years of scholarships while transfer students will receive up to three years of scholarships depending on the estimated time to degree. The project aims to increase first-year and transfer student persistence by linking scholarships with effective supporting activities, including enhanced pre-college mathematics preparation, a seminar series, academic advising, faculty mentorship, a self-directed professional development fund, and experiential learning opportunities such as internships and undergraduate research. The project will identify the most impactful initiatives for first-year and transfer students regarding improved retention, degree completion, and increased identity and self-efficacy as an engineer. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. STEM graduates are tasked with solving the critical challenges of today and tomorrow, requiring a dedication to continued intellectual growth. Therefore, this project also aims to foster a dedication to self-directed professional development and continuing education through a series of programmatic initiatives. First is access to a 1-credit first-year course that explores engineering ethics and the 14 Grand Challenges for engineering. Second is a series of seminars and workshops dedicated to explaining the process for obtaining and maintaining, through continuing education, a professional engineering license. Third is a 1-credit course to prepare for the fundamentals of engineering exam (FE) which is the first step in the licensure process. Students will also be provided with a self-directed professional development fund which will: (1) provide additional financial resources to explore specific topics of interest to the student, (2) reinforce the concept that continued education requires dedication and commitment of financial resources, and (3) introduce professional resources that provide continuing education resources post-graduation. The effectiveness of these initiatives will be evaluated using results from institutional data, surveys, FE passing rates, and interviews of students, faculty, and project partners. Results will be disseminated through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute website, presentations at conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. 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.