UCLA Frontier Opportunities in Computing for Underrepresented Students

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science proposes a project, called the Frontier Opportunities in Computing for Underrepresented Students (FOCUS), which aims to increase the number of underrepresented minorities interested in, prepared for, and retained to baccalaureate degree completion in computing disciplines. A collateral goal is to prepare students who possess these skills, knowledge and resiliency, to competitively enter and succeed in either the computing workforce or in graduate studies. FOCUS will form partnerships with the regional NSF STEP-UP project, the UCLA Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity (CEED), and industries. It will build learning communities around transition and bridging programs to provide an academic and non-academic support system that includes mentor networks, and industry and research internships. FOCUS will offer summer computing immersion experiences and computer programming modules for community college students and UCLA computing undergraduates. FOCUS will conduct Counselor and Faculty Institutes to produce effective and lasting communities of practice and commitment to diversify the computing student population and workforce. The FOCUS project will impact over 400 students in the three years and can serve as a model for other institutions.