Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2020

DOI

10.18260/1-2--35004

Pages

1-10

Conference Name

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, June 22 2020-June 26, 2021, Virtual online

Abstract

This poster showcases the progress of students who are receiving scholarships from the National Science Foundation S-STEM project: A Pathway to Completion for Pursuing Engineering and Engineering Technology Degrees. Thus far, 20 academically high-achieving students who demonstrate financial need have participated in the project. Thirty-six scholarships have been awarded to date, in which a maximum of twelve scholarships are awarded per semester; some students have received scholarships multiple times. Students are from electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, civil engineering technology, and modeling and simulation majors. As part of this S-STEM project, students also receive academic support, mentorship related to the development of professional workforce skills, career search skills, and opportunities to participate in industry-related field trips. Role models, many of whom are practicing engineers with STEM degrees and are military veterans, serve as presenters and share their personal career pathways and answer students’ questions in the required one-hour weekly seminar. Although the students participating in this project meet the strenuous academic criteria set by the project (3.0/4.0), many of the students struggle financially, due to having expended their G.I. benefits, which can impede their academic performance and graduation. While many student success programs focus on freshman and sophomore students, what makes this project unique is its focus on enabling student success at the junior and senior years. This project provides a portfolio of different activities for the more mature student, e.g. financial aid through scholarships, community-based learning opportunities, and academic success strategies that enable stronger retention and student completion rates. Project activities are tailored to veterans and adult learners as this group of students is particularly vulnerable given their need to simultaneously juggle academic, family, and financial obligations.

Comments

© 2020 American Society for Engineering Education. 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, June 22 2020-June 26, 2021, Virtual on line.

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2020 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation.

Original Publication Citation

Bullington, K., Tomovic, C., Jovanović, V. M., Dean, A. W., & Landaeta, R. (2020). NSF S-STEM project update: A pathway to completion for pursuing engineering and engineering technology degrees. 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Access, June 22 2020-June 26, 2021, Virtual on line. http://dx.doi.org/10.18260/1-2--35004

ORCID

0000-0003-4653-3008 (Bullington), 0000-0002-4292-4039 (Tomovic), 0000-0002-8626-903X (Jovanović)

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