CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY'S NSF HBCU-UP PROPOSAL

Quality Enhancement in Science Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (QUEST) Program

I. Project Summary

Central State University is proposing to enhance the quality of its Science, Mathematics Engineering, and Technology (SMET) programs and positively impacting its largely African - American student population through a program titled Quality Enhancement in Science Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (QUEST) Program, which NSF is asked to consider funding.

Central State University (CSU) is currently implementing a master plan for continuous performance improvement. The plan shares many common objectives with the NSF HBCU-UP initiative. It recognizes the need to increase student access and retention for all of the academic programs, and to enhance the undergraduate educational experience through an approach that will incorporate the best instructional delivery systems and student learning techniques in a holistic manner. The QUEST program will result in quality SMET programs at CSU that will attract more higher quality students with an interest in SMET education. Program activities fall into four major categories: (1) Quest will place a major emphasis on improving SMET instructional delivery systems. This will include improving the laboratory equipment and content for gate keeper courses in physics, general chemistry, and biology, including introducing kit based instruction in molecular genetics for the latter. Modernization of the Computer Science Laboratory will improve the instructional delivery of courses in Internet Web Essentials, Computer Networking, Software Engineering, and Introduction to Parallel Computing. Instructional delivery in Mathematics will be improved by modernizing the equipment in the Electronic Mathematics Classroom, and by acquiring appropriate software such as Mathematica and MATLAB. The curriculum in Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Technology will be strengthened by improving its laboratory content through enhanced and topical laboratory arrangements in the areas of Circuits, Instrumentation, Control System, Materials/Machine Shop, Construction Technology and CAD/CAM, and by establishing new laboratories for Electronic Systems and Digital/Communication Systems. The Engineering Emphasis Stream in Water Resource Management will be converted into a program in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering. The curricular content in Earth Science, Geology and Water Resources Management will be enhanced through the addition of a Geographic Information Systems component, including the establishment of a GIS laboratory. (2) QUEST will also improve the learning process by adopting a hybrid combination of the Learning Communities and the Peer-Led Team-Learning systems. (3) Student and faculty research opportunities and student internship opportunities will be significantly increased through arrangements that have been made with Kent State University (KSU) and the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (DAGSI). These arrangements include graduate student pipelining and providing access to advanced courses at those institutions. (4) To capitalize on the positive impact on both access and retention resulting from the above enhancements, CSU proposes to mount an aggressive marketing campaign involving proactive high school activities and a summer bridge program. It is anticipated that the increases in SMET enrollment and retention resulting from the proposed activities will, under the State of Ohio's funding formula, provide a primary basis for sustaining the proposed initiatives over the longer-term. CSU, with a current African-American student composition of 96% is well positioned to positively impact the education of this underrepresented group in SMET fields. Under this initiative, CSU is committing $1.5 million of its own funds to the QUEST project. The QUEST Program funding will enable CSU to provide a much needed resource base for systemic changes in access, retention, curricula, undergraduate research, graduate school channeling and faculty development. CSU expects to positively impact more than 1000 on-campus students and 150 high school students in the bridge programs during the project period of five (5) years alone, with continually growing impact in subsequent years. The activities of the QUEST Program are expected to result in a 60% increase in freshman SMET enrollment, an increase in freshman retention from 63% to 70%, and SMET graduation rates of at least 54 students per year above current rates after five years, including at least an additional 22 students per year graduating with GPAs of 3.0 or higher. CSU SMET students in the graduate school pipeline will increase by at least 7 students per year above current levels, an improvement of a factor of three. It is also anticipated that the number of students engaged in research projects and internships will increase by at least 20% per year.

Additional details related to the project can be found at the following URL: http://www.centralstate.edu/QUEST.