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.

Dr. Russ Meier & Dr. Sheila Ross

• Titles: Computer Engineering Program Director, ECBE Department Chairperson
• Department: Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering (ECBE)
• Project Title: Engineering and Computing Explorer Pathways
• Proposed Deliverable: Pathways for students to enter MSOE as undeclared engineering or computing majors, support for students including new courses which provide information on technical fields and specialized advising
• Funding Total: $78,500 in FY25
• Timeline: Courses and recruitment materials developed in FY25, students enter pathways in Fall 2025

Project Description

The Engineering and Computing Explorers programs are first-year curricular tracks designed to support students who are still deciding on their program of study.  These programs will provide students with a broad introduction to engineering or computing in their first term, and the opportunity to take authentic in-major courses in multiple majors of interest during their first year.  The Explorers pathways will also include advising to help students create a custom 4-year graduation plan and community-building activities to promote retention.  We anticipate that these pathways will retain students who otherwise would have left MSOE due to perceived lack of fit within the major chosen during the application process, and attract additional students who are specifically looking for this option when choosing a school. 

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.

Dr. Bob Strangeway

• Title: Professor and Interim Director of Academic Partnerships
• Department: EECS and Academics
• Project Title: Providing Institutional Support for Academic Partnerships
• Proposed Deliverable: 2 new articulation agreements per year starting in Fall 2025 and 10 new students per articulation agreement starting in Fall 2026
• Funding Total: $16,250 in FY24 and $177,500 in FY25
• Timeline: FY24-FY25

Project Description

The project seeks to develop and maintain institutional academic support structures that best serve the recruitment and retention of students who transfer to MSOE from other higher education institutions. The project will establish a Director of Academic Partnership position within the Office of Academics that will be responsible for managing and growing MSOE’s institutional relationships with other academic institutions in order to establish new and maintain existing articulation agreements that increase pathway options for students to enroll in MSOE’s academic programs.