This project is awarding scholarships to academically talented and financially needy junior year students who plan to transfer to the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Seattle University (SU) from two- and four-year colleges. The main goal of the SU ECE Scholars program is to enhance the number of skilled electrical and computer engineers in the State of Washington. SU ECE scholars receive financial, academic, and professional development support to ensure their successful progression toward the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Student support services include peer tutoring and mentoring, study partners, industry mentorship program, professional development seminars, and social activities. An innovative feature of this program is a recruitment plan that targets academically-talented students who do not have the necessary preparation to be admitted to a highly competitive program at one of the state's research-intensive universities. Because of the S-STEM financial support, instead of abandoning their plans to study electrical engineering, such students are able to continue their education in SU's nurturing environment which balances academic challenges with individual attention. The project also recruits students from the extensive network of Washington State's community colleges. This project is contributing to a broad understanding of how to recruit, transition, and support academically talented and financially needy electrical and computer engineering students at a small, private, liberal arts college. The proposed program will also serve as a model for collaboration between large research institutions and small teaching universities to ensure that capable students, who do not have the necessary preparation, can still major in their chosen field of study and successfully enter the STEM workforce.
