The goals of the Computer Science and Information Technology and Systems (CS/ITS) Cohort Scholarship Program are to recruit and graduate an initial cohort of academically-talented and financially-disadvantaged students; to improve the program for future cohorts, and to recruit new cohorts each year. Full scholarships are provided to an initial cohort of 12 eligible students. The college covers the remainder of the cost of attendance after all financial aid and NSF scholarships are awarded. Process and outcome evaluations are conducted. Results are used to modify the program as needed to benefit future cohorts that are enrolled each subsequent academic year. Planning focuses on coordinating academic and social support structures needed to recruit and retain students. A freshman year experience establishes the cohort as a learning community through a four-day summer orientation, a two-semester course in game development and design, a self-management course with an information technology focus, and shared housing. Throughout their college experience, supplemental instruction and tutoring, industry mentoring and career placement services, applied research and internship opportunities, and extracurricular activities are offered to cohort students. Students are paired with industry mentors and based on their skills and interests have opportunities to work directly with industry through internships and applied research. An existing game development program is expanded to a two-course sequence to introduce computer science and information technology concepts and best practices. Applications include scientific visualization, modeling, and physics and mathematical simulations, and training. Cohort students may choose to pursue further game studies through the Game Design and Programming Concentration or elect to pursue other concentrations within the CS/ITS major. The project broadens the participation of underrepresented groups in computer science and information technology systems and enhances the infrastructure for research, education, mentoring, and employment opportunities.
