Scholars Program for Engineering College Students (SPECS): Motivate, Accelerate, Retain and Transfer Engineering Students

在美国，有一种既定的需求，那就是增加美国科学家的劳动力数量。国家科学基金科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目将颁发奖学金，以帮助更多的学生在卡布里略学院完成工程副学士学位，转到四年制院校，并在STEM寻找职业。多达84名学者将参加一个为期三年的项目，旨在让他们沉浸在学术丰富活动中，包括参加一个学习社区和一个课程，该课程旨在通过实践项目、与当地工程师互动和参观当地行业来帮助他们建立强大的职业认同感。该机构的STEM中心将为学生提供丰富的资源，包括学术、职业和经济援助建议、转学援助、导师指导、实地考察、奖学金援助和学习小组。该项目将解决卡布里洛学院学生在试图获得STEM学位时面临的三个挑战：(A)转学时间长(四年或更长)，(B)缺乏数学准备，随后无法成功学习微积分预科，以及(C)该地区的生活成本高昂。这些学者将参加由STEM中心推动的数学、工程和科学成就(MESA)计划。MESA将为那些通过微积分预科的学生提供密集的微积分预习和同行领导的数学、工程、计算机科学和物理方面的学术卓越研讨会。形成性评估将涉及学生和导师的满意度(调查)、学生教育计划的可行性和学业进步。总结性评价将包括分析项目构成部分与成功实现留任和毕业目标之间的关系。评估结果的传播将通过MESA领导力年度务虚会和研究与规划小组加强学生成功会议(针对加州社区学院教职员工和管理人员)进行，并有助于扩大关于此类项目成功的情况的知识库。

There is an established need in the United States to increase the number of American scientists in the workforce. This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project will award scholarships to help increase the number of students who complete associates degrees in engineering at Cabrillo College, transfer to 4-year institutions, and seek careers in STEM. As many as 84 scholars will participate in a three-year program, designed to immerse them in academic enrichment activities including participation in a learning community and a course meant to help them to develop strong professional identities through doing hands-on projects, interacting with local engineers, and touring local industry. The institution's STEM Center, will provide students with an abundance of resources including academic, career and financial aid advising, transfer assistance, mentorships, field trips, scholarship assistance, and study groups. The project will address three challenges that Cabrillo College students face while attempting to obtain a STEM degree (a) long time to transfer (four or more years), (b) lack of math preparation and subsequent inability to succeed in precalculus, and (c) the high cost of living in the area. The scholars will participate in the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program facilitated through the STEM Center. MESA will provide students with intensive precalulus preparation and peer-lead Academic Excellence workshops in math, engineering, computer science, and physics for those students who pass precalculus. Formative evaluation will address student and mentor satisfaction (surveys), the viability of the students' educational plan, and academic progress. Summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of the retention and graduation targets. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will be done through the annual MESA Leadership Retreat and the Research and Planning Group Strengthening Student Success conference (for California community college faculty and administrators) and help contribute to expanding the knowledge base regarding the circumstances under which programs of this type are successful.