HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Enhancing and Expanding Second-Year Experience to Improve Equity, Retention and Student Success in Engineering/Computer Science Programs

在改进的本科生STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI计划)的支持下，这个Track 2项目旨在丰富工程/计算机科学专业学生在大学关键二年级的学习经验，这有助于阻止许多工程专业的高流失率和低毕业率，特别是在西班牙裔和其他少数族裔群体中。在过去的十年中，UNLV工程学院的拉美裔人口增加了两倍多，学生总人数增加了一倍多；然而，六年毕业率徘徊在30%以下，这在很大程度上是由于头两年的高流失率。尽管人们普遍认为，为有特定和不断变化的需求的大学二年级学生提供持续服务和支持的重要性和重要性是一致的，但与一年级学生不同的是，二年级学生似乎被“遗忘”了，通常受到的关注较少。认识到这一不足，我们在2021年秋季率先开设了一门二年级实践设计体验(SyE)课程。在这门首届课程有限成功的基础上，我们建议开发和推出一项名为“增强和扩展第二年经验(EESYE)”的全面计划，其中包括一系列专门为二年级学生设计的积极主动的方法和活动/事件。通过为二年级的工程学学生提供支架、参与和指导，我们希望减少学生的自然减员，更多的学生将顺利地从工程学项目毕业。这个项目旨在帮助创建一种全面的学生支持文化，这种文化可以被留校率、升学率和毕业率较低的大学所采用。该项目的目标包括：帮助学生为第二年及以后的成功学习做好准备；加深学生的归属感和社区意识；提供学术规划和指导支持；创造职业规划和实习机会；促进领导技能和软技能的进一步发展，并推动学生对自己的健康负责。我们将考察的首要问题是：“工程和计算机科学二年级学生的经验和学习环境的干预会以什么方式影响他们对课程的保留和完成？”将使用混合方法来检查和报告三个预期结果：75%或更高的二年级保留率；60%的队列学生转到高级课程；以及强烈的归属感。研究证据将传播到其他机构，以提高学生的多样性，特别是在西班牙裔和其他代表性不足的少数群体中。该项目将显著提高STEM毕业生的能力，创造一种面向未来的全方位学生支持的新文化；支持UNLV到2025-2030年成为一流大学的总体目标；促进STEM劳动力的增长，并帮助地方和州经济多样化。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育和HSI的能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2 project aims to enrich engineering/computer science students’ learning experiences in their critical second year in college, which helps stop high attrition and low graduation rates in many engineering programs, especially among Hispanic and other minority groups. Over the past decade, the UNLV College of Engineering has witnessed its Hispanic population tripled and its overall student population more than doubled; yet the six-year graduation rate lingers below 30%, which is largely attributed to high attrition rates in the first two years. Although there is a general agreement of the importance and significance of offering continued services and support to students transitioning to their second year in college with their specific and changing needs, unlike first-year, second-year students seem to be “forgotten” and typically receive less attention. In recognition of this deficiency, we pioneered a Second-Year hands-on design Experience (SYE) course in Fall 2021. Built upon the limited success of this inaugural course, we propose to develop and launch a comprehensive program referred as “Enhancing and Expanding Second-Year Experience (EESYE)”, which includes a whole range of proactive approaches and activities/events specially designed for second-year students. By scaffolding, engaging and mentoring second-year engineering students, we expect to reduce student attritions and more students shall progress well to graduate from an engineering program. This project tends to help create an all-around student support culture that can be adopted by colleges with low retention, progression, graduation rates. The aims of the project include: help prepare students for a successful second year and beyond; deepen students’ sense of belonging and community; provide academic planning and mentoring support; create career planning and internship opportunities; facilitate further development of leadership skills and soft skills, and drive students to be responsible for their own health and wellness. The overarching question we will examine is: “In what ways do the interventions of the second-year engineering and computer science students’ experiences and learning environment impact their retention and completion of the program?” A mixed-methods approach will be used to examine and report the three expected outcomes: 75% or higher second-year retention rate; 60% of the cohort students moving to upper-division courses; and a strong sense of belonging. The research evidence will be disseminated to other institutions to improve student diversity, especially among Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups. This project will significantly improve the capacity to graduate STEM students, will create a new culture of all-around student support that is sustainable for the future; support the UNLV’s overarching goal to become a Top Tier university by 2025-2030; and contribute to the growth of the STEM workforce and helps diversify the local and state economy. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.