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A NSF-Supported S-STEM Scholarship Program for Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Ethnic and Women Students in Engineering

Abstract

This paper describes a scholarship project, funded by the National Science Foundation’s S- STEM Program, to enhance recruitment of underrepresented ethnic and women undergraduate students in engineering. The objective is to use financial aid to attract these populations and provide an academic support environment that will assist in completion of their baccalaureate engineering degree while preparing them for graduation school. The recruiting strategy included using data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA) form to develop a competitive financial aide award for prospective S-STEM Scholars. We concentrated on students with high need. The University’s Emerging Ethnic Engineers (E3) Program and the College of Engineering Rowe Center for Women in Engineering (RCWE) assisted in identifying qualified candidates. S-STEM Scholars participate in activities executed using the resources and manpower available through the E3 and RCWE programs, and include the following: (1) a Summer Bridge Program, which will provide seven weeks of preparation in Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and English prior to the students' freshman year; (2) cooperative learning courses in the first year math and science courses; (3) monthly socials which provide an opportunity to interact with successful professionals from industry and academia; (4) supplemental classes in freshmen Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry to provide a solid foundation to build-on; (5) continuation of cooperative learning classes in sophomore in Differential Equations; (6) interacting with a select group of department Faculty Advisors and Project Coordinators during their full undergraduate program; (7) participating in a Corporate Mentoring Program which includes shadowing and opportunity to understand the corporate world and skills needed to succeed in it; (8) participating in a mandatory six-quarter internship and paid cooperative education program, which places students in the work-place; (9) forming a community of learners who have goals and aspirations that are similar to their own; (10) development of a community service component for the S-STEM Scholars; and (11) participating in a special Pathway to Graduate School Program to guide and motivate talented underrepresented engineering students to prepare for and pursue graduate studies. The paper describes the implementation of the project and the evaluation results from the first year of the project.

Introduction

In a world of rapidly changing technology, the knowledge explosion, and the expanding global economy, there is growing concern regarding the American ability to remain competitive [1-4]. In the 2006 State of The Union Address, Former President Bush announced the American Competitiveness Initiative, stressing education as the gateway to opportunity and the foundation of a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. However, gaps in race/ethnicity and gender at entry and in completion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs indicate the U.S. struggle to develop a diverse workforce that can compete globally. While intervention programs help narrow these gaps, improvements have been incremental. Some studies have shown that underrepresented (i.e., all women and ethnic men) students drop

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Kukreti, A., & Simonson, K., & Johnson, K., & Evans, L. (2009, June), A Nsf Supported S Stem Scholarship Program For Recruitment And Retention Of Underrepresented Ethnic And Women Students In Engineering Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5018