The Expanding Participation in Computing through Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (EPIC) program is designed to motivate and enable low-income and academically talented students; especially women, members of minority populations, students with disabilities, first-generation college students and those from rural communities; to earn baccalaureate degrees in computer engineering technology, software engineering technology, and information technology. Within this population, women are special focus for recruitment because while women continue to be underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, the problem is greatest in computing fields. Computer fields are the only STEM fields to see a steady decrease in the percentage of bachelor's degrees granted to women over the last two decades.
Scholarships up to $6100 per year are being provided to underrepresented students to enable full-time study in computing majors. Freshmen and transfer students are eligible, and scholarships are renewable for up to four years. EPIC builds on the success of CSEMS program at the institution. Activities include having students participate in a three-term learning community, collaborating with student services, faculty mentoring, and community-building activities. Professional internships with regional partners are available to students preparing to enter their junior and senior years. Students are required to join the student chapter of a related professional organization with the dues paid by EPIC.
Intellectual Merit: EPIC is building a cohort of students in closely related majors, enabling them to develop social networks along with their academic skills as they prepare to become computing professionals. By providing a year-long learning community which links a career and personal growth seminar with courses in mathematics, communication, and computing, EPIC is increasing the retention and satisfaction levels of computing majors. The learning community is a model for other institutions that have lower-than-desired retention and graduation rates in challenging majors.
Broader Impacts: EPIC is enabling a diverse population of students to pursue and achieve baccalaureate degrees in computing. This helps to address the increasing shortage of new graduates needed in the computing industry while providing significant opportunities for the students to grow personally, financially, and professionally. EPIC students are role models, opening the door for other underrepresented students to pursue higher education. By targeting students from rural communities, EPIC helps economically disadvantaged regions diversify their future employment as graduates return to their home communities. These graduates enable local employers to be more successful in the "information age" and help develop opportunities for new firms to start up or relocate to these communities. As rural communities have higher unemployment rates and lower per capita income than urban or suburban areas, this provides an opportunity for greater social and economic equity.
