ACES: A scholarship program for atmospheric and computer science exploratory scholars

University Of North Carolina At Asheville, Asheville NC

Investigators

Abstract

ACES: A Scholarship Program for Atmospheric and Computer Science Exploratory Scholars will provide scholarship and academic support for thirty four undergraduate students majoring in the Atmospheric and Computer Sciences (A&CS) over five years while enrolled at University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA). ACES will add to the knowledge of the effectiveness of community-based A&CS undergraduate learning experiences by building cohorts for A&CS students to establish support groups designed to encourage early academic success, monitoring student progress through a student management team, offering help to struggling students by providing peer tutors to assist in low- and mid-level A&CS science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, enlisting peer and faculty mentors to help resolve issues inside and outside the classroom, and providing opportunities for students to engage in activities in three discipline areas (research, teaching, and operations) to expand the types of A&CS STEM career options under consideration by undergraduates. ACES objectives are to (1) motivate high school and transfer students demonstrating both strong academic potential and financial need to seriously consider majors in the atmospheric or computer sciences, (2) pique and maintain the interest of students while they are enrolled in the challenging curriculum of their major as undergraduates, particularly during their first and second years, when their curriculum is focused primarily on completing the liberal arts general education requirements, (3) expose students to a variety of discipline areas and career paths within the major, (4) prepare students for their chosen career path, and (5) make ACES sustainable beyond the initial support provided by the NSF. Student data (e.g. grade point averages, comprehensive examination scores, etc.) and surveys will be used to assess the effectiveness of program components and evaluate the overall success of the project. The results will be shared with other departments within the institution to serve as a model for other programs. Dissemination to the broader STEM community will occur through disciplinary conference presentations and papers published in educational journals that specifically target the atmospheric and computer sciences.