All students will be assigned to one of four faculty mentors. Faculty mentors will be from Computer Science, Math, or Engineering. The role of the faculty mentor is to provide leadership and professional role modeling for the student. Faculty mentors will meet with each student individually as they enter the CSEMS program to welcome the student and explain, in detail, the various components of CSEMS. The students will be scheduled for academic assessment and career counseling as needed. Based on these results, prior grades, and test scores, the faculty mentor will develop and help coordinate an academic assistance program (described below) for the student.
CSEMS Scholars are required to participate in the following five activities as a condition to receiving a scholarship: (1.) Complete academic assessment and career counseling upon entering the program, (2.) Required academic advising, (3.) Participate in the CSEMS Scholars Group, (4.) Participate in existing tutoring and other academic assistance programs as needed, and (5.) Participate in professional development activities.
Upon entering the CSEMS program, each student will undergo an assessment. This will include evaluation of current transcripts and test scores by the faculty mentor, placement examinations by the new Academic Testing Center, career exploration by the faculty mentor and the Office of Career Services. Career Services provides both one-on-one counseling and formal career assessment inventories, that a student can complete and use as a guide in identifying their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of aptitude. The student and the faculty mentor will use this information to develop long-range goals.
CSEMS scholars are required to meet with the CSEMS faculty mentor monthly. In addition, all Fort Lewis College students are required to meet with their assigned faculty adviser prior to registration each term. These points of contact assure that the student is receiving proper academic advising and early intervention, if problems arise.
The goal of this component is to engage students in their education and chosen professional discipline through peer interaction and active participation in out-of-the-classroom experiences. The Scholars Groups are led by the faculty mentors. Each group will meet monthly and provide a point of focus for the scholars. Group meetings will center on a variety of activities including; discussion of common academic experiences, obstacles and successes; procurement of summer internships; guest speakers from industry; organization of CSEMS group projects (e.g. design competitions, students mentoring local middle school students on science fair projects, and field trips); and socializing. These activities are designed to help develop a cohort of students with common interests and goals, engage students, and help them feel that they are part of a team that has been shown to significantly improve student retention and academic success.
Academic tutoring and development of study skills are important components of student success. In order to assist students in meeting the goals of the CSEMS program, a host of existing student support services will be utilized and adopted to support scholars. (Please see Section G.) CSEMS will collaborate with existing programs on campus, described later in the proposal, in an effort to avoid duplication of services and to take advantage of existing expertise. In situations where no existing program fits the need, CSEMS will provide the tutoring or other assistance. Based on a student’s preparedness and current performance, an academic assistance program will be developed by the faculty mentor for each student. This will be tailored for each individual student and may consist of the following:
1. Required tutoring through one of the existing support services programs
2. Intensive, structured tutoring, and academic counseling provided by the Program for Academic Advancement, CO-AMP, or CSEMS
3. Casual drop-in tutoring provided by CO-AMP, the Native American Center, Writing Center, and individual faculty.
4. Required documented use of faculty office hours (described below)
5. Peer study groups organized as part of the CSEMS Scholars Group
6. Documented Use of Instructor Office Hours - The instructor is usually the best person to provide help in any given class. Students, however, are often reluctant to visit their professor’s office. If this option is selected, the student will be required to get the instructor’s signature on a “tutoring card” documenting each visit. The card will then be submitted to the faculty mentor on a periodic basis. For example, a student may be required by his/her mentor to make weekly visits to their calculus instructor. This option also provides mentors with the ability to discuss a student’s progress with their specific instructor.
Fort Lewis College is located in the largely rural, isolated town of Durango, Colorado. The closest metropolitan areas are Albuquerque, New Mexico (215 miles to the south) and (Denver, Colorado 333 miles to the northeast). The proposed project includes an outreach component to increase partnerships with government, research corporations, and industry, so that CSEMS scholars will have increased internship and professional opportunities. Using the CSEMS Scholars Groups students and faculty mentors will set an agenda for professional activities at the beginning of each year. Activities will include guest speakers from industry, developing internships, and field trips to places like Los Alamos National Laboratories (in Los Alamos, NM) and Intel Corporation (in Albuquerque, NM).
These components of the Academic Support and Retention program will provide the assistance and encouragement students need to succeed in college and meet NSF CSEMS program goals.