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January 31, 2001

ULM receives National Science Foundation grant

Computer science students at the University of Louisiana at Monroe will be eligible for up to $3,125 per year in scholarships in addition to their other financial aid awards thanks to a $162.500 grant awarded the University by the National Science Foundation.

The Computer Science Scholarship Program (CSSP) at ULM is designed to address the shrinking numbers of women and underrepresented minorities in science, mathematics, engineering and technology careers. This program will attempt to improve the recruitment and retention of low-income, academically capable students, especially women and African-Americans.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• Increase the number of freshmen women majoring in computer science in the fall of 2001.
  
  
• Increase the number of freshmen African-Americans majoring in computer science in the fall 2001
  
  
• Increase the overall retention rate for computer science majors from freshman in fall 2001 to junior in the fall of 2003
  
  
• Increase the number of women graduating in computer science from 16.7% in 1998-2000 to 35% in the spring of 2005
  
  
• Increase the number of African-Americans graduating in computer science from 6.7% in 1998-2000 to 20% in the spring of 2005

To meet these objectives, ULM is establishing 25 scholarships to be awarded to beginning freshmen for a period of up to two years. Awardees will be selected on the basis of financial need and academic potential.

The funds provided to each student by the scholarship program will be complemented with funds available through the state of Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program Scholarships (TOPS). The TOPS funds, in conjunction with the amount provided by a CSSP scholarship and other sources of aid such as Pell Grants, will allow entering freshmen to cover all of the essential costs of attending ULM, including tuition, fees, room, board and books.

It is hoped that the CSSP project will significantly raise the number of graduates in the field and contribute to the region's economic development. It is widely accepted that further economic development in the region can only occur with an educated labor force. The successful placement of graduates in industry has the added positive effect of encouraging current and prospective students to pursue similar careers, thus increasing the project's long-term effects.

Dr. A. Dale Magoun, Department Head of Computer Science at ULM; Dr. Virginia Eaton, Professor of Computer Science and Dr. Jose Cordova, Associate Professor of Computer Science wrote the grant proposal for ULM and will oversee the implementation of the program.

Anyone desiring more information on the availability of scholarships may contact any of the project directors at (318) 342-1845 and information is also available at the computer science web site www.cs.ulm.edu.

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