Scholarships for Success of Engineering and Computer Science Students

Alabama A&M University, Normal AL

Investigators

Abstract

The Scholarships for Success of Engineering and Computer Science Students project in the College of Engineering, Technology & Physical Sciences at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) will provide financial support for 20 talented, low-income Mechanical & Civil Engineering, Construction Technology and Computer Science majors in amounts up to $6000 per year for up to 5 years. AAMU is among those institutions classified as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and because of the mostly African-American population, the scholarships will significantly affect minority students thereby contributing to the important task of broadening participation in STEM fields of study. Additional program elements include: 1) Providing faculty development workshops on evidence-based instructional practices; 2) Facilitating adaptation of evidence-based pedagogies in STEM courses and studying their effects on retention, student success, and degree completion; 3) Identifying the special needs of low-income students and providing academic support in the form of supplemental teaching, faculty monitoring, technical workshops and research opportunities; 4) Providing career counseling including preparation for graduate schools and effective employment strategies; and 5) Addressing local educational and industrial needs by producing STEM graduates. The project expects at least 15% increase in first year retention, 30% increase in overall retention, and 85% of students to be employed or enroll into graduate school upon graduation. The project goals include studying how implementation of evidence-based instructional practices (in addition to scholarships) enhance minority students' learning environment and affect their retention, academic success, and degree attainment at an HBCU. The scope of the project activities at AAMU can demonstrate how other minority institutions can address similar problems. The assessment plan includes a faculty survey to gauge the current awareness and use of evidence-based instructional approaches at AAMU. A student self-defined improvement survey will be conducted at the end of the semester for each course where evidence-based pedagogy has been applied. Data analysis will provide overview of the extent to which effective pedagogies are practiced at AAMU and help to design faculty development workshops. Formative and summative evaluation will be employed. The formative evaluation will consist of collecting both implementation and progress data of the objectives and activities associated with the project goals and will continue throughout the project. Evaluation data will be analyzed and used as feedback to monitor progress and close the loops, including mid-course correction. The summative evaluation will highlight the outcomes of the project. Results obtained will be disseminated through project web pages and STEM-related professional conferences and journals.