Undergraduate Scholarships for Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM)

环境工程和水资源管理卓越教育本科生奖学金(USE4WRM)项目将为中央州立大学(CSU)有学术天赋的低收入水资源管理(WRM)和环境工程(ENE)本科生提供奖学金。USE4WRM项目将利用有针对性地招收有学术准备的学生来提高留校率和毕业率。该项目旨在解决低收入和代表性不足的社区与普通民众之间在STEM领域高中毕业生进入大学的入学人数的巨大差距。传统上，CSU吸引了大量代表不足的少数族裔，该项目将导致更多样化的环境科学毕业生的入学。USE4WRM项目将在两个队列中招收14名高中生参加ENE和WRM项目。奖学金获得者将获得为期四年的奖学金、辅导、咨询、辅导和个人发展服务。在教师的指导下，每个队列将形成一个学习社区，在其中分享通过实习的课程和实验学习经验。在项目评估中将使用队列的学业表现指标和学者调查。一个外部评估小组将评估该计划的成功，并将利用数据挖掘技术来分析队列的学业表现指标以及学生和教师导师对调查的回应。研究团队将使用这些数据来回答研究问题，“支持系统是否已计划好，是否对项目中学生的平均概况完全有效？”以及“基于学生性别的支持系统的使用是否存在差异？”这项研究的结果将产生关于现有招聘和留住技术的有效性的证据。在ENE和WRM计划中获得的知识将得到扩展，并适用于其他STEM领域。

The Undergraduate Scholarships for Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM) project will provide scholarships to the academically talented and low-income Water Resources Management (WRM) and Environmental Engineering (ENE) undergraduate students at Central State University (CSU). The USE4WRM project will utilize targeted enrollment of academically prepared students to improve retention and graduation rates. The project aims to address the wide gap in enrollment of high school graduates into college in the STEM fields between low-income and underrepresented communities and the general population. Traditionally CSU has attracted large numbers of underrepresented minorities and the program will lead to the matriculation of a more diversified set of graduates in environmental sciences.The USE4WRM program will recruit 14 high school students into the ENE and WRM programs in two cohorts. Scholars will receive scholarships, mentoring, advising, tutoring and personal development services for four years. Under the guidance of faculty, each cohort will form a learning community in which curricular and experimental learning experiences through internships are shared. Academic performance indicators of the cohorts and the scholar surveys will be used in program assessment. An external evaluator team will evaluate the success of the program and will utilize data mining techniques to analyze academic performance indicators of the cohorts and responses from the surveys by students and faculty mentors. The research team will use this data to answer the research questions, "Are the support systems planned, fully effective for the average profile of the student in the program?" and "Are there differences in the use of support systems based on the gender of the student?" Results from this research will generate evidence regarding the efficacy of existing recruitment and retention techniques. Knowledge gained within the ENE and WRM programs will be extended and applicable to other STEM fields.