S-STEM First Year Progress: Baylor Engineering  and Computer Science Scholar's Program

Michael Thompson; Anne Spence; Carolyn Skurla; Emily Sandvall; Andrea Pouso Morales

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 7
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42065
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42065
Download Count: 352

Dr. Anne Spence is a Clinical Professor and Associate Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University. Her interests are in undergraduate engineering curricular reform, pre-service and in-service teacher training, preparation of future faculty, and growing the next generation of engineers.

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Carolyn Skurla Baylor University

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Emily Sandvall Baylor University

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Andrea Pouso Morales Baylor University

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Abstract

This S_STEM project is designed to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low income students with demonstrated financial need at Baylor University. Over its five-year duration, this project will fund four-year scholarships to 22 students who are pursuing Bachelor degrees in Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Scholars will participate in activities which include an orientation, a monthly seminar series and required faculty mentoring.

Support services and activities for ECS Scholars build upon existing activities at Baylor and feature peer mentoring, study abroad opportunities, alumni mentoring, support and training for undergraduate research, professional development workshops, and tutoring support from the ECS Learning Resource Center. A distinguishing feature of the project is the use of EAB’s Navigate, a web-based software platform for tracking student progress, coordinating student care and employing predictive analytics. The expertise generated using a student dashboard capable of predictive analytics will have the broad impact of informing the STEM community of best practices for timely interventions, and improving retention and graduation rates.

The Navigate platform is used for predictive analytics and to track and document ECS Scholar progress toward achieving benchmark goals in the areas of retention, graduation rates, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and job placement. The use of predictive analytics has significant potential for helping students arrive at successful outcomes. However, it is an assumption of this project that the successful use of predictive analytics should take into consideration not simply the accuracy in identifying students who are struggling but in the social attributions of success and perceptions of a “big data” tool that might be received alternatively with enthusiasm or suspicion.

The focus of this paper will be to give an overview of our first-year results from the project. We were successful in recruiting the full first cohort that began in the Fall of 2020. For the first year, many of the engagement sessions with the students pivoted to a virtual experience, however, we were able to manage several events that fostered a sense of community among the ECS scholars. Our research partners from the Baylor School of Education were successful in conducting baseline qualitative research using detailed interviews with an initial focus on community fit, academic fit and faculty relationships. The paper will also summarize our use of the Navigate platform and the lessons learned in the areas of data capture and interventions.

Citation
Format

Thompson, M., & Spence, A., & Skurla, C., & Sandvall, E., & Pouso Morales, A. (2022, August), S-STEM First Year Progress: Baylor Engineering and Computer Science Scholar's Program Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42065

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This S_STEM project is designed to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low income students with demonstrated financial need at Baylor University. Over its five-year duration, this project will fund four-year scholarships to 22 students who are pursuing Bachelor
degrees in Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Scholars will participate in activities which include an orientation, a monthly seminar series and required faculty mentoring. 

Support services and activities for ECS Scholars build upon existing activities
at Baylor and feature peer mentoring, study abroad opportunities, alumni mentoring, support and
training for undergraduate research, professional development workshops, and tutoring support
from the ECS Learning Resource Center. A distinguishing feature of the project is the use of
EAB’s Navigate, a web-based software platform for tracking student progress, coordinating
student care and employing predictive analytics. The expertise generated using a student
dashboard capable of predictive analytics will have the broad impact of informing the STEM
community of best practices for timely interventions, and improving retention and graduation
rates.

The Navigate platform is used for predictive analytics and to track and document ECS Scholar progress toward achieving benchmark goals in the areas of retention, graduation rates, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and job placement. The use of predictive analytics has significant potential for helping students arrive at successful outcomes. However, it is an assumption of this project that the successful use of predictive analytics should take into consideration not simply the accuracy in identifying students who are struggling but in the social attributions of success and perceptions of a “big data” tool that might be received alternatively with enthusiasm or suspicion.

The focus of this paper will be to give an overview of our first-year results from the project. We were successful in recruiting the full first cohort that began in the Fall of 2020.  For the first year, many of the engagement sessions with the students pivoted to a virtual experience, however, we were able to manage several events that fostered a sense of community among the ECS scholars.  Our research partners from the Baylor School of Education were successful in conducting baseline qualitative research using detailed interviews with an initial focus on community fit, academic fit and faculty relationships.  The paper will also summarize our use of the Navigate platform and the lessons learned in the areas of data capture and interventions.  



AU  - Michael Thompson
AU  - Anne Spence
AU  - Carolyn Skurla
AU  - Emily Sandvall
AU  - Andrea Pouso Morales
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - S-STEM First Year Progress: Baylor Engineering  and Computer Science Scholar's Program
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42065
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42065
ER  -