This project provides scholarships for academically talented students with financial need to study computer science, engineering, or mathematics at Hope College, focused on recruitment and retention. The objectives of this project are to increase the number of students, especially members of minority groups and women, pursuing majors in computer science, engineering, or mathematics at Hope College; to increase the retention of students in these majors; and to attract students to these majors after they arrive at Hope College. The scholarships continue until the end of the student's fourth year of undergraduate study as long as the student meets eligibility requirements, including continuing progress toward a degree in one of the three target disciplines. Recipients are selected after personal interviews and a review of their work, and are based on the promise for academic success and potential for the scholarship to influence the candidate's career choice.
Recruiting activities are focused on high schools in western Michigan with high minority enrollments, and are initiated through contact with mathematics teachers at those high schools. Retention scholarship recipients are recruited from among students enrolled in introductory computer science, engineering, and mathematics courses at Hope College and selection will be based on nominations from the instructors of those courses. Students receiving CSEMS scholarships are supported by intensive faculty advising, timely and appropriate academic assistance, peer mentoring, career counseling and education, internship and research opportunities, and a program for building community among all CSEMS scholars.
