HOMMER: Holistic Model for Minority Education & Research

Department of Computer and Information Sciences May 5th, 2004

HOMMER: Holistic Model for Minority Education & Research

Outline

• Goal and objectives

• History

• Model


Project Goal

• Increase the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing advanced degrees in computer science


Holistic Model

• Holistic medicine says health comes from paying attention to the whole person.

• Holistic model should consider the entire nurturing environment of the student. – Computing resources– Curriculum– Faculty interaction– Student motivation– Choice of research experience


Recruitment Activities

FacultyResearch

MentoringActivities

Retention Activities

Improved Instruction

StudentResearchActivities

StudentsPotentialGraduateStudents

Pipeline


Project Objectives

• Engage undergraduates in research activities

• Strengthen research capabilities

• Strengthen instructional capabilities

• Strengthen and align the Computer Information Systems curriculum

• Increase graduate enrollment


Holistic Framework

RPE

CFE

IPE

SSA

Student Success Assurance

Instructional Program Enhancement

Research Productivity Enhancement

Computing Facilities Enhancement


Prior MII Successes

Before 1993• 3 of 10 Faculty w/ Ph.D.

• < 10 publications recorded (< 5

within previous five years)

• no research projects

Now• 9 of 12 Faculty w/ Ph.D.

• 83 publications since 1993

• Research projects for faculty

and students

• Collaboration with major

universities

RESEARCH Productivity


Previous MII Successes

Before 1993• no research related courses

• weak CIS admission policy

• weak CS option

• no graduate program

Now• research-related courses

offered every semester

• Calculus requirement

• ABET accredited CS option

• Masters program in Software

Engineering Science

INSTRUCTIONAL Enhancements



Before 1993• no Unix for general use• low computer-per-student

ratio• inability to have hands-on

laboratory classes• limitation on ability to have

programming assignments• one laboratory

Now• 80+ Unix network• higher computer-per-student

ratio• laboratory classes

• few courses classes without programming assignments

• four laboratories

COMPUTING Enhancements



Before 1993• 40 CIS (Science) majors

• 400+ CIS total majors

• 2 or 3 grads per year

entered grad school

Now• 140 CIS (Science) majors

• 500+ CIS total majors

with higher math entry

qualifications

• 90+ grads entered

graduate school since

1993

STUDENT Successes


Model Components

SSA

CFE

IPE





RPE



SSA

Recruitment

Retention

Recognition


Student Success Assurance Recruitment

•Advisement (preparation for research)

•Class Demonstrations/Presentations

•Professional Development Courses•Research opportunities•Graduate education

•Initial research experience



Retention

•Student Scholar Tutoring

•Student Peer Collaboration

•Peer-to-Peer Mentoring (CISMO)

•Faculty Mentoring


•Interfaces with FAMU Infrastructure• Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority

Participation in the Sciences (FGLSAMP)

• Florida A&M University Undergraduate Program (FAMU-UP)

• McNair Program



Retention


Recognition

•CIS Recognition Events•Professional Development•Research Colloquium•Web Pages•HOMMER Day



Improvements

•Research Colloquium

•HOMMER Day

•Presentation Opportunities

•CISMO


RPE

Time

Environment



•Academic Year (University Supported release time)•Research with students•Time for individual research•Time for collaboration

•Summer (NSF Funded)•Uninterrupted research •Planning for student research activities•Fostering of collaborations

Research Time



Research Environment•Equipment

•Advanced Hardware •Dedicated access to computing facilities by faculty and student researchers

•Software

•Research tools•Commercial tools

•Student Researchers



•More concentrated student research•Two rather than three students

Improvement



IPE

Curriculum

Program



•Offering of elective courses•Broader view of research opportunities•Current CIS research topics exposed•More choices

Instructional Program EnhancementCurriculum Improvement

Program Improvements

•CS Program Accreditation

•Level mathematical requirement


•Updating the CIS Systems Curriculum:•Replace COP2120 COBOL Programming as a core course with Introduction to software engineering •Replace CIS3040 Information Systems in Organizations, with software project management •Add Electronic business strategy: Architecture and Design & Information Systems Theory and Practice as electives

•Updating the CISystems and CIScience Curriculum:•Remove COP1215L fundamentals of Programming lab and introduce structured labs as recitations for the following courses

•COP1215 – Fundamentals of programming•COP2532 – Data structures•COP3610 – operating systems•CDA4503 – data communications



Curriculum Improvement

•Course Preparations Reduced•Reduced teaching load

•Research Areas Exposure Increased•Expansive view of research opportunities

Improvements



CFEResearch

Access




Enhanced SEREL

SEREL Enhanced

LaboratoriesCIS Research

Distributed Computing Laboratories

SERELComponent

Current Computing Facilities



•Security Lab•New area of research

•Set the pattern for replication

Improvement


Management Structure (Tab A)

Project DirectorDr. Evans

9 months 0.2FTE3 months 0.5 FTE

Dr. ChandraCo-PI

9 months 0.2FTE3 months 0.42 FTE

Dean of College ofArts and Sciences

Dr. Rivers

Co-Principal InvestigatorsDr. Jones Dr. Allen

Dr. HumphriesDr. Prasad

Ms. Chatmon9 months 0.1FTE3 months 0.3 FTE

Student Research Assistants

Student Tutors

AdvisoryBoard


Project Summary

• NSF MII + FAMU => Culture Change

– Teaching Load Conducive to Research

– Program Enhancement & Accreditation

– Graduate Student Pipeline

– Enhanced Student Experience

– Research Projects Self Sustained



HOMMER: Holistic Model for Minority Education & Research

Documents

HOMMER: Holistic Model for Minority Education & Research