Developing Engineering Academic Pathways for Low Income Students

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. Throughout the five-year award, this project at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) will fund sixty scholarships in four groups of fifteen students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in engineering fields. This program will focus on increasing applications from three Title I schools in Charlotte, NC, by delivering programs that prepare students for college entry exams. It will also provide professional development to guidance counselors so that they can best advise and encourage students who may be interested in engineering majors. A suite of student success programs will be provided to all students who matriculate to engineering programs at UNCC. The program will also include annual retreats to build a scientific identity among the future engineering professionals. It will provide travel funds to help scholars attend professional networking events, where they can build social capital through interactions with industry professionals. Through the student support aspects and research components, the program will implement four of the strategies for improving economic mobility in Charlotte that were recommended by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force in 2017. These strategies include: 1) broadening the range of and access to high quality college and career pathways offered by our K-12 and postsecondary institutions while ensuring all students have access to and support of the full range of opportunities; 2) equipping all students and their parents with the information and guidance they need to understand and navigate multiple college and career pathways, preparation, and processes; 3) expanding and strengthening support for First Generation and other low-socioeconomic students who need help transitioning to and completing secondary education; and, 4) elevating and actively promoting the critical importance of acquiring a postsecondary degree and/or industry certification for young people to successfully compete in a rapidly changing, technologically advanced labor market. A mixed methods research design will be used to investigate the success and effectiveness of the program and strategies. The qualitative research design will examine the effectiveness of student support services, academic advising, and mentorship among low-income students enrolled in engineering majors. The research team will also explore how low-income students create scientific identities, navigate curricula, form relationships, and traverse academic culture. The research will be framed by three theoretical frameworks: Chickering's theory of student development, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner, and Cain's theory of identity. A grounded theory approach will be used to analyze the data. Additionally, the team will undertake research specifically related to high school counselors who are serving urban students in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools that will research several characteristics of these professionals including (1) professional development, (2) belief in a just world, (3) multicultural competency self-efficacy and (4) school counselor STEM career advocacy for high achieving, low-income students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.