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In this poster, we review the adoption of the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP), developed at the University of California San Diego, to our institution, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The program was designed to support retention of students from marginalized backgrounds in the field of computing especially during the second year of their major.
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Early Research Scholars Program Update and Reflection Study
This conference paper provides an update on the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP) background, structure, and implementation at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), developed at the University of California San Diego and funded by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. The program aims to support retention of students from marginalized backgrounds in the fields of computing as well as electrical and computer engineering. This paper provides program updates, including data from the 2022-2023 academic year and preliminary results from a reflection study that began in spring 2020. The reflection study examined the impact of the ERSP on a student's computing and engineering identity development based on student reflection responses. In this paper, we also discuss student demographics, retention rates, and changes made to the program's curriculum at UIC. The evaluation results from the last three years of the program are also shared, which show how students are impacted by the program, as well as areas for improvement. Preliminary results show that the program has positively impacted students' computing or engineering identity development for at least three identity dimensions: recognition, competence, and community.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1821501
- PAR ID:
- 10462317
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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