This S-STEM project supports students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science/Computer Information Systems (CS/CIS) at The College of St. Scholastica (CSS). The number of scholarships provided coincides with the development of enhanced recruitment efforts - 12 scholarships in Year 1, 16 in Year 2, 20 in Year 3, and 24 in Year 4 (with an average scholarship award of $7,200). The scholarship program is being designed to aid in recruitment and retention, particularly of women, an underrepresented group in the computer science field. It also complements The College of St. Scholastica's current interdisciplinary S-STEM program, which has served over 82 students to date, and has allowed for retention and graduation of 100% of the scholarship students. The objectives of this computer science-focused S-STEM program are to: 1) enhance relationships with area high schools and community colleges as a means to more effectively recruit potential scholars; 2) establish a process by which undecided majors at the College can explore the CS/CIS program in a way that actively engages them in the technology field; 3) create strong, sustainable mentoring programs for women in computing at CSS (that will also work well for any CSS S-STEM scholar); and 4) effectively prepare the scholars for the workforce or for graduate school. The College admissions office assists in recruiting students from area high schools and community colleges by hosting open houses on campus, distributing program materials, and other various methods; recruiting efforts are also targeted at undecided majors at the College. Additionally, a consultant from the National Center for Women and Information Technology is helping to develop a strong recruiting program to engage women in CS/CIS; to assist in this recruitment effort, an online exploratory course is offered to introduce women to the computer science field. This project builds upon student support services already in place, including career exploration, job fairs, and interview and résumé preparation. Beyond that, this project is instituting a number of mentorship opportunities, including an online mentoring course. Scholars also are participating in workshops designed to help them find employment within the field or attend graduate school, made possible through extensive collaboration with the College's Career Services center. This project is advancing knowledge and understanding in the computer science field by helping to develop models for ensuring that women will be well-prepared for completing an undergraduate degree and subsequently entering the workforce or graduate school, thus helping to decrease gender disparities within the field of computer science. The combination of activities and services constitute a comprehensive program that is necessary to meet the needs of this target population of female S-STEM scholars, while still meeting the needs of the male scholars.
