NSF Scholarships for Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Majors

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of the proposed NSF Scholars Program at the University of California, Irvine, is to assist academically-talented, low-income third- and fourth-year undergraduates majoring in computer science, engineering, or mathematics to complete their baccalaureate degrees and to make a successful transition from college to work or graduate education. The two-year program will support 40 students a year with scholarships of $2,500 each. Scholarships will be linked to existing academic advising and other student-support services. To be eligible, students must be juniors or seniors, enrolled full-time and majoring in computer science, engineering, or mathematics, who are eligible for Federal Pell Grants and have a minimum GPA of 2.75 (approximately the average GPA for these majors). Eligible students will be invited to submit a letter of application, which must contain evidence of interest and motivation, a description of career and graduate school interests, and an explanation of how the NSF scholarship would help them complete their degree. Scholars will be required to remain eligible each quarter and to meet regularly with their academic or faculty advisors. An Orientation Meeting will be held at the beginning of each academic year to acquaint scholars with each other and the many academic and career-related services that are available to them, such as those provided by the following units: ?Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) ?McNair/STAR Program ??Career Center ??Center for Opportunities and Diversity in Engineering (CODE) ??California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) ??Student Academic Advancement Services (SAAS) ??Department of Information and Computer Science ??Schools of Engineering and Physical Sciences Examples of such activities include resume writing and interviewing skills workshops, job fairs, faculty-mentored research opportunities, adjuncts for upper division courses, senior design projects with industry partners, industry roundtables, lunches with alumni and corporate representatives, information sessions presented by today's top technological firms, a graduate school prep course, and a Web-based resume book. Two types of evaluations will be conducted: 1) a formative evaluation designed to provide constructive feedback for the improvement of the program, and 2) a summative evaluation designed to assess the overall success of the program. A student tracking system will be implemented to monitor the academic progress and graduation rates of the NSF Scholars, plus a similar, matched group of students who are not scholars selected at random from the eligibility pool. A variety of data collection methods, such as focus groups, interviews, and surveys, will be used. Students will continue to be tracked one year after graduation.