State Fair Community College has been serving the residents of central Missouri for 34 years. In their 14-county service area, only 11% of the residents have baccalaureate degrees and 80% of the students at SFCC are low-income. To meet the cost of attending college, over 90% of SFCC's students must work while attending school. Thus, high-maintenance degree programs such as Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics are difficult for students and result in low-retention rates in these programs. With special emphasis on underserved-populations, the goal of this project is to recruit, retain, and graduate or transfer each year 12-13 academically talented but financially needy students in the fields of Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics thus increasing the numbers of well-educated and skilled employees in technical areas of national need.
The project targets individuals from under-represented groups such as women, African-Americans, Hispanics and persons with disabilities, focusing on recruiting and retention activities. A recent report in the American Association of Community Colleges' College Times indicates that the number of minority students attending college must be increased if a severe shortage of skilled workers in the future is to be prevented. For example, the rapid growth in the Hispanic population is not being reflected in college enrollment. Recruiting activities includes visits to high schools by faculty, a Career Fair, and training of high school counselors to promote careers in Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. Retention activities include new student orientation, mentoring, supplemental instruction, tutoring, the 'buddy system', business/industry tours, internships/partnerships, tracking student success, cultural opportunities, and financial aid counseling.
The objectives of the project are as follows: 1. Each year recruit 12 to 13 academically talented students who are disadvantaged and under represented, into the fields of Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. 2. Improve educational opportunities for these students and others enrolled in Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Programs. 3. Establish support systems that maximize the students' ability to achieve and maintain a 2.5 GPA. 4. Increase the number of students completing degrees and/or transferring to four-year colleges and universities. 5. Implement, improve, and/or utilize student support programs for these students. 6. Strengthen and utilize, for the benefit of students, partnerships between institutions of higher education and high technology industry.
The foundations for success at SFCC include articulation agreements with the University of Missouri and Central Missouri State University. SFCC also is a recipient of an Implementation Site Seed Grant for the adaptation and implementation of curriculum for an Associate Degree in Networking. In addition, SFCC received a federally funded TRIO Student Support Services project in the fall of 2001. As a result of this program, supplemental instruction was established on campus. The outcome of this project results in students successfully completing a two-year degree program and either transferring to a four-year program or being immediately placed in employment directly related to Computer Science, Engineering or Mathematics. Additionally, a strong foundation is formed on which to perpetuate the process of attracting and retaining talented students.
