Developing Industry and Innovation Scholars in the Midwest

Indiana Institute Of Technology

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech). Indiana Tech provides career-focused, professional programs of higher education at 19 locations throughout Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. Over half of Indiana Tech students are low-income and 47% identify as non-white. Over its six-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 21 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in cybersecurity, information systems, network engineering, software engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. First-year students will receive up to four years of scholarship support. Scholars will benefit from a robust orientation process, participation in a common first-year experience course, monthly interaction with industry professionals, social events, robust faculty and peer mentoring programs, and experiential learning opportunities with a focus on career preparation. Additionally, mental health support will be available, and students will receive a laptop to ensure that they have adequate resources to complete their degree programs in computing-related fields. A robust evaluation plan will measure the impact of project activities on the participants. The broader impacts of the project include contributions to workforce diversity by adding at least 21 low-income computing professionals to the workforce. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The specific aims of the project are to enroll three cohorts of seven low-income, domestic students who demonstrate academic achievement, talent, or promise and unmet need; achieve a first- to second- year retention rate of 85% and a six-year graduation rate of 75% for Developing Industry and Innovation Scholars in the Midwest (DIISM) scholars; prepare and place 100% of the DIISM graduates in the STEM workforce or a graduate program within six months of graduation; and measure the effectiveness of the programmatic elements in order to move toward institutionalization of the most promising supports. The six majors selected for this project are all fast-growing fields with a large number of career opportunities at salaries sufficient for upward social mobility. A focus on computing majors allows us to develop peer support and networking opportunities to increase engagement with the institution and program. The project team identified four critical needs that will be addressed by the project (1) inadequate preparation for college-level work (time-management, study skills, mathematics preparation, etc.); (2) technology issues, such as students trying to complete an entire course from a phone or iPad or having unreliable internet; (3) time commitments outside of their classes, such having to work at least 20 hours per week to afford college and, in some cases, working full time while also attending classes full time; and (4) an increase in mental health issues. The DIISM project will contribute to knowledge by disseminating the results of the evaluation of project activities in peer-reviewed conferences and journals. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of 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.