Workshop Proposal: Improving Domestic Student Participation in Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Programs. Held on October 19-20, 2009 in Knoxville Conference Center.

这个为期两天的研讨会的目标是召集来自全国范围广泛的欧洲经委会博士学位授予机构的系主任和主席，就促进增加国内研究生入学和保留这一重要共同目标的潜在途径进行公开讨论。邀请部门领导和主席的决定是为了获得反馈，并直接针对政策制定者进行讨论。建议以欧洲经委会为重点，作为限制努力的手段，以便将任何建议和结论分发给其他科学和工程学科。讲习班的预期成果是一份报告，详细说明所进行的所有讨论以及对未来方向的建议，以帮助保持讲习班产生的兴趣和势头。此外，该报告将包括进一步研究和数据收集的建议，这将为研究生课程的修订提供基于研究的理由。本次研讨会的目的是为提高国内电气工程、计算机工程及相关学科研究生的招生和留校率，规划我国未来可能遵循的方向。这是一个具有国家重要性的话题，特别是考虑到当前的全球经济状况，因为它影响着美国整体就业市场及其在全球竞争背景下的生存能力。为了直接针对有可能改善当前状况的核心贡献者，主要参与者将是部门主管和主席。后者将被邀请就招聘，支持和保留国内学生的研究生项目的根本重要性问题提出他们的观点。这一讨论也将为NSF和DOE在这一主题上的联合资助计划提供基础。更广泛的影响本提案资助的研讨会预计将对改善国内研究生的入学和保留产生重要的见解。这是一个对国家经济生存能力至关重要的话题。扩大国内理工科研究生人数是保障美国经济发展的重要组成部分。美国继续保持领导地位。因此，虽然讲习班的重点是与电气和计算机工程密切相关的学科，但讨论直接反映了其他科学和工程学科，这些学科的学生构成趋势也类似。本次研讨会的成果将确定改善国内研究生环境的新方向。

The goal of this two-day workshop will be to assemble department heads and chairs from a broad range of ECE Ph.D. granting institutions across the nation, to an open discussion on potential avenues of promoting the important common goal of increasing domestic graduate student enrollment and retention. The decision to invite department heads and chairs is driven by the desire to obtain feedback, and target the discussions, directly toward policy makers. Embarking with a focus on ECE is suggested as means of limiting the effort such that any recommendations and conclusions can be disseminated to other science and engineering disciplines. The expected outcome of the workshop is a report detailing all discussions held as well as suggestions for future directions to help sustain interest and momentum generated from the workshop. Moreover, the report will include recommendations for further research and data collection that would provide a research-based justification for graduate program revisions.Intellectual Merit The workshop aims to chart out the future direction which the nation may follow in order to increase domestic graduate student enrollment and retention in electrical engineering, computer engineering and related disciplines. This is a topic of national importance, particularly given the current worldwide economic conditions, as it impacts the overall US job market and its viability in the context of global competition. In order to directly target core contributors that can potentially improve the current state of affairs, primary participants will be department heads and chairs. The latter will be invited to present their views on the issues of fundamental importance in the recruitment, support and retention of domestic students to graduate programs. This discussion will also provide the foundations for jointly funded initiatives between the NSF and DOE on this topic.Broader Impact The workshop funded by this proposal is anticipated to generate critical insight into improving enrollment and retention of domestic graduate students. This is a topic of crucial importance to the economic viability of the nation. The broadening of domestic research student body in science and engineering is a vital building block in guaranteeing the US economy?s continuing leadership position. As such, while the focus of the workshop is on disciplines closely-related to electrical and computer engineering, the discussions directly reflect on other science and engineering disciplines in which similar student composition trends are being observed. The outcomes of this workshop will identify new directions for improving the domestic graduate student landscape.