A program to increase female engineering and science enrollments through NSF STEM scholarships

This paper describes a scholarship and student mentoring program created to increase female enrollment and graduates in our Schools of Engineering and Science. This program was developed and administered jointly by both of the schools, and the admissions, financial aid, student life, career development, and learning resource departments. Scholarship recipients were required to participate in a mentoring program in which they met regularly with an upper-division peer mentor. Student participants also engaged in academic preparation activities to help develop study, organization, and test-taking skills for academic success. Further, social activities, such as field trips and dinners, were included to build camaraderie. A team of faculty was highly involved as academic advisors to all students in the program and as an advisory board for the grant overall. The program has been effective in increasing female enrollments and improving retention in both schools, particularly in engineering.