Strategies for Increasing IT Enrollment: Recruiting, Retaining and Encouraging the Transfer of Women and Underrepresented Groups to Four-Year Colleges

Through the support of the National Science Foundation,, The Community College of Baltimore County has begun two separate initiatives to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities enrolled in technological majors. Started in 2003, the Grace Hopper Scholars Program targets specifically women interested in careers in technology, regardless of their financial status, enrollment status or grade point average. The second of these programs, begun in 2004, is a Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship Program, that offers need-based scholarships for full-time students with a minimum grade point average, and U.S. citizenship or status as a permanent resident alien or refugee alien. Outcomes for the Grace Hopper Scholars Program comparing the success of GHSP students with respect to their enrollment status, will be provided. Attitudes of CSEM scholars according to gender and whether or not they are from underrepresented groups will be described.