Workshop Proposal: Improving Domestic Student Participation in Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Programs. Held on October 19-20, 2009 in Knoxville Conference Center.

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this two-day workshop will be to assemble department heads and chairs from a broad range of ECE Ph.D. granting institutions across the nation, to an open discussion on potential avenues of promoting the important common goal of increasing domestic graduate student enrollment and retention. The decision to invite department heads and chairs is driven by the desire to obtain feedback, and target the discussions, directly toward policy makers. Embarking with a focus on ECE is suggested as means of limiting the effort such that any recommendations and conclusions can be disseminated to other science and engineering disciplines. The expected outcome of the workshop is a report detailing all discussions held as well as suggestions for future directions to help sustain interest and momentum generated from the workshop. Moreover, the report will include recommendations for further research and data collection that would provide a research-based justification for graduate program revisions. Intellectual Merit The workshop aims to chart out the future direction which the nation may follow in order to increase domestic graduate student enrollment and retention in electrical engineering, computer engineering and related disciplines. This is a topic of national importance, particularly given the current worldwide economic conditions, as it impacts the overall US job market and its viability in the context of global competition. In order to directly target core contributors that can potentially improve the current state of affairs, primary participants will be department heads and chairs. The latter will be invited to present their views on the issues of fundamental importance in the recruitment, support and retention of domestic students to graduate programs. This discussion will also provide the foundations for jointly funded initiatives between the NSF and DOE on this topic. Broader Impact The workshop funded by this proposal is anticipated to generate critical insight into improving enrollment and retention of domestic graduate students. This is a topic of crucial importance to the economic viability of the nation. The broadening of domestic research student body in science and engineering is a vital building block in guaranteeing the US economy?s continuing leadership position. As such, while the focus of the workshop is on disciplines closely-related to electrical and computer engineering, the discussions directly reflect on other science and engineering disciplines in which similar student composition trends are being observed. The outcomes of this workshop will identify new directions for improving the domestic graduate student landscape.