CSEMS Scholars at New York City Technical College

Cuny New York City College Of Technology, Brooklyn NY

Investigators

Abstract

New York City Technical College of the City University of New York (CUNY) requests $200,000 in National Science Foundation funds to sponsor a Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics Scholarship (CSEMS) Program reaching talented, low- income associate degree and baccalaureate students. The purposes of the New York City Tech CSEMS Program are to: (1) promote full-time enrollment among students in computer science, engineering and mathematics; (2) improve retention of scholarship recipients toward completion of their associate or baccalaureate degrees; (3) strengthen the quality of education offered these talented, low-income students; and (4) expand relationships among other CUNY institutions and technology industries in the region. New York City Tech is one the nation's largest two-tiered technical colleges-offering both associate and baccalaureate degrees, including three baccalaureate degree programs in fields related to this NSF initiative. City Tech will recruit talented, low-income students from New York City high schools, among City Tech associate degree graduates and other students choosing to enter its four-year baccalaureate programs. New York City Technical College has a total student enrollment of 11,400. More than 70 percent of the student body (or 8,500 students) is comprised of persons who have been historically under-served and under-represented in higher education and in mathematics, science and engineering. Almost all of these under-represented students also require financial aid to attend the College. African-American students comprise 46 percent of the college student population. Hispanic students account for 28 percent of the City Tech student population. A total of 67% of the City Tech student body have self-reported household incomes from under $10,000 to $29,999. Talented low-income students work part-time or full-time in order to attend City Tech. Too often, our talented students take jobs in technology industries prior to graduation. Scholarships will produce both additional funds, and will give CSEMS recipients greater opportunities for mentoring, research and consistent study. Project Principal Investigators will include faculty from computer science, engineering technology, and mathematics as well as deans of undergraduate research, science and technology and the vice president for enrollment management. This leadership team will coordinate City Tech's CSEMS recruitment and selection processes, will identify other faculty members as mentors and research advisors. Two selection committees-one for entering freshmen and a second for associate degree graduates-will consist of discipline faculty and student counselors. The CSEMS Program will integrate its activities with the CUNY NSF AMP (Alliance for Minority Participation) Program, other research opportunities and industry internship and career exposure programs. Group and peer mentoring activities will help to stimulate scholarship recipients. Each CSEMS recipient will work with a faculty mentor and student counselor over the two-year grant period. The College will evaluate the NSF CSEMS Program in terms of student academic success and progress toward degree, extent of involvement by College discipline faculty and business and industry and number of recipients continuing their postsecondary education and obtaining employment in science and technology fields.