Wayne State University proposes a partnership with Focus: HOPE in Detroit, Michigan to implement an Information Management and Systems Engineering (IMSE) program, which is designed to guide and support disadvantaged students at critical junctures from a GED through the completion of a postsecondary degree. The IMSE program begins with multiple proven bridge and support activities provided by Focus: HOPE including a remedial math and reading program; an industry-certified training programs in network administration, network installation, and desktop and server administration; professionaldevelopment workshops; a student loan program; a community food bank; and an on-site child-care program. The second part of the IMSE program combines a Bachelor of Arts in Information Systems and Technology offered by Wayne State University WSU) with a coordinated support program. The coordinated support plan at WSU includes tutoring and mentoring programs, culturally sensitive advising, emerging scholars sections of introductory programming courses, social networking, and participation in industry internships and academic research.
To address the severe under-representation of minorities, women, and first-generation colleges students in the computing and information technology, an alliance between the Department of Computer Science at Wayne State University and Focus: HOPE in Detroit, Michigan has launched Information Management and Systems Engineering (IMSE) program, which has guided and supported disadvantaged students at critical junctures from a GED into an undergraduate computing degree program at Wayne State University. Currently 17 (88% African-American, 30% women) students are enrolled in the IMSE program, which begins with multiple proven bridge and support activities provided by Focus: HOPE; professional development and academic support workshops; a student loan program; a community food bank; and an on-site child-care program. The second phase of the IMSE program combined a Bachelor of Arts in Information Systems and Technology offered by WSU with a coordinated support program. The coordinated support plan at WSU included tutoring and mentoring programs, culturally sensitive advising, emerging scholars sections of introductory programming courses, social networking, and participation in industry internships and academic research. Students also were also employed in part time experiential learning positions which enhanced their learning while providing economic support. Outcomes of the project included the development of a broad and effective pre-college bridge program for talented but unprepared students in the computing disciplines. At the end of the project, the bridge program had been expanded to include pre-college mathematics, English composition, computer programming, Evaluation of the impact on the participating students showed that these students compared well to a matched group of WSU students with respect to interest in computing, academic performance, and persistence, despite their disadvantaged backgrounds. The initiatives which benefit under-represented students are also beneficial to majority students. As a result, the IMSE program is not a "special" program, but a catalyst for institutional transformation and improvement, at both the departmental and university levels. It has led to better integration and coordination of efforts to reach minority students across the campus and will serve as a model that can be copied by other departments. Moreover, the IMSE program, together with Focus: HOPE expertise has led to a greater "recipe of best practices" that has been expanded to support pre-engineering bridge training at Focus: HOPE. Moreover, the program is continuing with expanded institutional support from Wayne State University and Focus: HOPE.
