Resources In support of Excellence (RISE): A USF/NSF Computer Science, Engineering, & Mathematics Scholarship Program

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

Resources In Support of Excellence (RISE) utilizes National Science Foundation's scholarship funds in conjunction with aggressive recruitment and retention programs and other supports to significantly increase the University of South Florida's enrollment of talented low income, underrepresented, first generation, adult, and transfer students in engineering, computer science, and mathematics. The RISE program exceeds the offerings of the traditional student scholarship programs by implementing programs and supports that focus on students' developmental needs as they progress through their CSEMS degree preparation programs as well as their career and professional development training programs. Thus, the USF/NSF RISE Program recruits and selects a cohort of 29 low-income talented undergraduate students that also includes ethnic minorities and women, for the purpose of providing them with intensive supports and mentorship that ensures success in the CSEMS disciplines. As part of this goal, a cadre of mentors from CSEMS disciplines are selected to work as discipline based counselors. An Advisory Board consisting of high tech companies, USF administrators and faculty, and the school district oversees all programmatic and management needs of project RISE. A multi-faceted approach is used to attract different cadres of students from low-income and under represented groups. This includes aggressively recruiting entering first year students to targeting upper level students during the last 2 years of their program in CSEMS based disciplines. INTELLECTUAL MERIT: Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of some key support issues that make a difference for our target group. Those include mentorship, financial supports, internships, and a supportive environment. Given the target population, investments in such supports help students achieve certain milestones that ordinarily they would not have achieved on their own, including successful completion of baccalaureate degrees, and becoming contributing members of the CSEMS workforce. BROADER IMPACT: Investments in human resources for science and technology education are essential underpinnings for social and economic well being in a global, knowledge-based economy. Underrepresented groups, including impoverished students across ethnic lines, ethnic minorities, and women are sorely underrepresented among those holding terminal degrees as part of CSEMS workforce and the professorate. By recruiting and preparing this cadre of students to pursue and obtain undergraduate degrees in CSEMS disciplines and by encouraging them to consider professional careers in those areas as well exposing them to graduate education in CSEMS, we are helping to build the capacity that our nation sorely needs to sustain its science, technology, and engineering infrastructures.