The University of California San Diego (UCSD) will implement a structured early-college research program to increase retention in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). During their first and second years in CSE, students will participate in team-based research projects. Goals of the program include increased retention, particularly of women and underrepresented minorities, in the CSE major, an exportable model for engaging first and second year students in the research community at a large university, and increased performance in first and second year computer science courses. These goals will be evaluated through formative assessments, program guidance, and directed assessment of specific educational goals as well as a comparison to similar programs nationwide.
This project will change the environment at UCSD to draw early undergraduates into the existing research culture of the CSE department, impacting not only the 40 students per year in the program but also those not directly engaged in the program. More broadly, this project will provide a model that can be replicated at large research-focused institutions for engaging and retaining early undergraduates in computer science research.
