Supporting Degree Completion in Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs through Experiential Learning and Self-Directed Professional Development

通过体验式学习和自主专业发展支持工程和工程技术课程的学位完成

• 批准号: 2221230
• 负责人: Jiayue Shen
• 金额: $ 74.96万
• 依托单位: SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-15 至 2029-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2221230&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Supporting; Degree; Completion; Engineering; Technology

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 the State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 20 unique full-time first-year and transfer students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology. First-year students will receive up to four years of scholarships while transfer students will receive up to three years of scholarships depending on the estimated time to degree. The project aims to increase first-year and transfer student persistence by linking scholarships with effective supporting activities, including enhanced pre-college mathematics preparation, a seminar series, academic advising, faculty mentorship, a self-directed professional development fund, and experiential learning opportunities such as internships and undergraduate research. The project will identify the most impactful initiatives for first-year and transfer students regarding improved retention, degree completion, and increased identity and self-efficacy as an engineer. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. STEM graduates are tasked with solving the critical challenges of today and tomorrow, requiring a dedication to continued intellectual growth. Therefore, this project also aims to foster a dedication to self-directed professional development and continuing education through a series of programmatic initiatives. First is access to a 1-credit first-year course that explores engineering ethics and the 14 Grand Challenges for engineering. Second is a series of seminars and workshops dedicated to explaining the process for obtaining and maintaining, through continuing education, a professional engineering license. Third is a 1-credit course to prepare for the fundamentals of engineering exam (FE) which is the first step in the licensure process. Students will also be provided with a self-directed professional development fund which will: (1) provide additional financial resources to explore specific topics of interest to the student, (2) reinforce the concept that continued education requires dedication and commitment of financial resources, and (3) introduce professional resources that provide continuing education resources post-graduation. The effectiveness of these initiatives will be evaluated using results from institutional data, surveys, FE passing rates, and interviews of students, faculty, and project partners. Results will be disseminated through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute website, presentations at conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed 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.

该项目将通过支持纽约州立大学（SUNY）Polytechnic Institute的高成就，低收入学生的保留和毕业，以支持受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的国家需求。在其6年的持续时间内，该项目将为20个独特的全日制第一年的奖学金提供资金，并转学的学生正在攻读土木工程，土木工程技术，机械工程和机械工程技术学士学位。一年级学生将获得多达四年的奖学金，而转学学生将根据估计的学位最多获得三年的奖学金。该项目旨在通过将奖学金与有效的支持活动（包括增强的大学前数学准备工作）联系起来来提高第一年和转移学生的持久性，该项目的总体目标是提高低收入，高成就的本科生的茎学位，并具有证明的财务需求。 STEM毕业生的任务是解决当今和明天的关键挑战，需要致力于持续的智力增长。因此，该项目还旨在通过一系列程序化计划来促进对自我指导的专业发展和继续教育的奉献精神。首先是访问1学分的一年级课程，该课程探讨了工程道德和工程的14个宏伟挑战。第二是一系列的半数和研讨会，致力于解释通过继续教育获得专业工程许可证的过程和维护过程。第三是一门学会课程，旨在为工程考试（FE）的基础准备，这是许可过程的第一步。还将为学生提供一个自我指导的专业发展基金，该基金将：（1）提供额外的财务资源来探索学生感兴趣的主题，（2）加强以下概念，即继续教育需要奉献和承诺财务资源，以及（3）引入专业资源，以提供持续的教育资源。这些举措的有效性将使用机构数据，调查，FE通过率以及学生，教职员工和项目合作伙伴的访谈的结果进行评估。结果将通过SUNY理工学院网站，会议的演讲以及同行评审期刊的出版物进行传播。该项目由NSF在科学，技术，工程和数学计划方面的奖学金提供资金，该计划旨在增加具有在STEM领域获得学位的经济需求的低收入才华横溢的学生的数量。它还旨在改善未来STEM工人的教育，并为低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业以及学术/职业途径提供知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响来评估的珍贵的支​​持。