Building Social Capital and Professional Efficacy for Computer Science Scholars

California State University San Marcos Corporation, San Marcos CA

Investigators

Abstract

This "NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM)" project at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), will serve the financial, academic, and career needs of a diverse set of talented low income students pursuing a bachelor's degree in an area of acknowledged national need - computer science (CS). The project is designed to break down the barriers faced by low-income students and increase their identity and confidence as CS majors and in the profession. This population of students to be served typically does not have access to social networks that connect them to academic or professional resources. In line with this, the project is structured to enhance S-STEM Scholars' social capital by providing: professional connections (industry mentors, non-profit organizations), academic connections (faculty mentors), enhanced personal connections (CS peers and other majors), and crucial information (professional development workshops) to increase the likelihood of their academic persistence and professional success in CS fields. Over the 5-year duration of the project, sixty (60) CS students will form four cohorts of CSUSM S-STEM Scholars. Each Scholar will join the project as a sophomore and receive a two year scholarship. The focus of support for sophomore and junior years is based on research that has found middle year undergraduate STEM students struggle with staying engaged and persisting in their major. The project's goals include: (1) increasing retention rates and academic success for the S-STEM Scholars through evidence-based instructional support and (2) helping the Scholars build social capital and professional efficacy to prepare for a computer science (CS) based internship before graduation. The project team will investigate a key research question: How do social capital, cultural capital and community wealth inform the ways that low-income, academically talented CS majors navigate their middle years? Focusing on the middle years of college will contribute new insights to students' success and add to the growing national and scholarly trend that seeks to understand the 'sophomore slump.' The project will create, implement, and investigate a Fab Friday experience, which consists of students working in teams on Friday afternoons to fabricate computing solutions for real world projects and challenges presented by community and industry partners. The project team will use a mixed methods approach to collect and analyze data. The Fab Friday experiences will provide a venue to connect students with resources from industry and community, which, in turn, will help serve as preparation for the STEM workforce. The project will offer the Scholars a cohort experience that builds on two forms of social capital - bonding (sharing resources and information among the same group) and bridging (gaining information and resources from outside groups, such as faculty and industry partners). The project will serve as a model for other institutions, especially those with a large student body of underrepresented students.