Dr. Derek Riley

• Title: Professor, Computer Science Program Director
• Department: EECS
• Project Title: First Year Programming Seminar
• Proposed Deliverable: Executive summary of project execution and plan for future offerings
• Funding Total: $12,000
• Timeline: Fall 2023 Term

Project Description

This project supports development and delivery of a weekly 50-minute seminar for all first-year programming students in the fall term. The seminar is designed to expose the hidden curriculum and offer networking and confidence-building activities to support student success and retention in computing majors. Current and graduated students serve on panels in addition to a wide range of faculty and staff to deliver the content in a motivating format.

Dr. Sheila Ross

• Title: Department Chairperson and Professor
• Department: EECS
• Project Title: Peers Promoting Success in EECS Courses
• Proposed Deliverable: Improved understanding of course material and mentoring relationships, leading to improvements in student retention
• Funding Total: $18,900
• Timeline: Spring 2024 Semester

Project Description

This proposal funds peer assistants in EECS courses that have a history of high failure and withdrawal rates, equity gaps, and significant downstream effects of poor performance. Peer assistants provide our students with another human connection to help them meet with worthwhile challenges posed by the material in foundational courses. When the peer assistants spend significant time helping students in-person on a weekly basis, they become "part of the class" and provide another relationship that enhances student education.

Dr. Brian Slaboch

• Title: Associate Professor
• Department: Mechanical Engineering
• Project Title: Raider Select Program: A pilot program aimed at increasing retention for undergraduate students
• Proposed Deliverable: The primary deliverable for the project is improved student retention through the design and implementation of the Raider Select Program on a one-year trial basis, which includes documentation of the weekly activities along with reflections and lessons learned
• Funding Total: $14,866
• Timeline: June 2023 - August 2024

Project Description

The Raider Select Program is a pilot retention program that takes a team-based approach to undergraduate education. The program is implemented in the form of a cohort model, in which a faculty advisor meets with their advisees for one hour on a weekly basis throughout the academic year. Each week students participate in an activity meant to improve student engagement in their program, foster social interactions within and between grade levels, and create a culture of success by emphasizing the MSOE mindset in a fun and collaborative way.

Samantha Kammers

• Title: Director of International and Transfer Admissions
• Department: Admissions
• Project Title: International Admissions Strategic Initiative
• Proposed Deliverable: International student enrollment will increase by 5 new students each Fall. 20 new international students enrolled by FY2027. This will increase the total number of incoming new international students to 55.
• Funding Total: $60,000 per year
• Timeline: October 2023 - October 2025

Project Description

MSOE is in a good position to increase international enrollment in the next 3-5 years due to our program offerings that are highly in demand globally, and our top job outcome rates and starting salaries which are measurable outcomes that are attractive to international students. Due to the predicted domestic enrollment trends, it's important to MSOE to expand our international recruitment strategy to build an international student enrollment pipeline for the next 3-5 years and beyond. The Director of International Admissions and her team of international admissions counselors will utilize this investment to explore additional areas of international recruitment such as: international travel to key markets (India, SE Asia, Middle East), creating many new partnerships with education agents, virtual international student fairs, recruiting from U.S. high schools hosting international students, hosting on-campus events for international students, and/or paid marketing on international student recruitment platforms. International recruitment requires consistent marketing support within markets to keep them sustained, and this proposal put forth for the Strategic Investment Fund will begin to make MSOE a more recognizable brand internationally.