'Start Right' Program in Computer Science, Engineering & Mathematics

近年来，NSF已经认识到社区学院在国家高等教育体系中发挥的关键作用。参与该项目的学院是副学士学位水平科学教育的公认领导者，并一直提供计算机科学，工程和数学方面的优质课程。1994- 1997年对中等教育专业学校毕业生进行的年度调查显示，95%以上的毕业生就业或进入四年制高等教育学院，或两者兼而有之，该项目的目标是增加有学术才能但经济上处于不利地位的人的人数，特别是黑人、拉丁美洲人和妇女。在CSEM副学士学位课程全日制招生，并完成他们的学位，为CSEM职业生涯和进一步的高等教育做准备。该项目采用扩大奖学金机会，特别招聘工作和提供辅助服务的支持网络相结合，以1）将少数民族和大多数CSEM学生之间的三年成功率差距分阶段减少三分之二，2）将女性CSEM专业的三年毕业率从1991-95年IPEDS平均水平提高25%，加上3）将种族/民族少数群体和妇女作为第一次全日制CSEM学生分阶段入学的人数从1994- 1998年IPEDS平均数增加25%。协助招募人员，并作为社区支助站。项目负责人设想了一个指导连续体，将学院目前的努力与这些机构运行的项目联系起来，电子邮件是增加导师和CSEM学生之间联系的关键工具。他们希望在这些机构建立在线前哨，为家长举办研讨会和其他活动，并作为指导，同伴辅导和拼车网站。

In recent years, NSF has recognized the key role that community colleges now play in the nation's system of higher education. The college involved in this project is an established leader in associate degree level science education and has been offering quality programs in Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics. Annual surveys of CSEM graduates from 1994-97 with very high response rates indicate that over 95% were employed, enrolled in 4-year IHEs, or both.The goal of the project is to increase the number of academically talented but financially disadvantaged persons, particularly Blacks, Latinos and women, enrolling full-time in CSEM Associate degree programs and completing their degrees as preparation for CSEM careers and further higher education. The project uses a combination of expanded scholarship opportunities, a special recruitment effort, and a support network delivering assistive services to 1) cut the three-year success rate gap between minorities and majority CSEM students in stages by two-thirds and 2) increase the three-year graduation rate for women CSEM majors in stages by 25% from the 1991-95 IPEDS averages, plus 3) increase the number of racial/ethnic minorities and women enrolling as first time full-time CSEM students in stages by 25% from the the 1994-98 IPEDS averages for each group.A distinctive feature of this "Start Right" Program is the partner community agencies serving as "linking pins" to the cluster communities of Blacks and Latinos in nearby towns, providing assistance in recruiting and serving as neighborhood-based support sites. Project directors envision a mentoring continuum linking the college's current efforts to programs run by these agencies, with e-mail being a key tool to increase contact between mentors and CSEM students. They hope to establish Online Outposts at these agencies to host workshops for parents and other events and also to serve as mentoring, peer tutoring and carpool sites.