Scholars Program for Engineering College Students (SPECS): Motivate, Accelerate, Retain and Transfer Engineering Students

Cabrillo College, Aptos CA

Investigators

Abstract

There is an established need in the United States to increase the number of American scientists in the workforce. This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project will award scholarships to help increase the number of students who complete associates degrees in engineering at Cabrillo College, transfer to 4-year institutions, and seek careers in STEM. As many as 84 scholars will participate in a three-year program, designed to immerse them in academic enrichment activities including participation in a learning community and a course meant to help them to develop strong professional identities through doing hands-on projects, interacting with local engineers, and touring local industry. The institution's STEM Center, will provide students with an abundance of resources including academic, career and financial aid advising, transfer assistance, mentorships, field trips, scholarship assistance, and study groups. The project will address three challenges that Cabrillo College students face while attempting to obtain a STEM degree (a) long time to transfer (four or more years), (b) lack of math preparation and subsequent inability to succeed in precalculus, and (c) the high cost of living in the area. The scholars will participate in the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program facilitated through the STEM Center. MESA will provide students with intensive precalulus preparation and peer-lead Academic Excellence workshops in math, engineering, computer science, and physics for those students who pass precalculus. Formative evaluation will address student and mentor satisfaction (surveys), the viability of the students' educational plan, and academic progress. Summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of the retention and graduation targets. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will be done through the annual MESA Leadership Retreat and the Research and Planning Group Strengthening Student Success conference (for California community college faculty and administrators) and help contribute to expanding the knowledge base regarding the circumstances under which programs of this type are successful.