May 10, 2013

UW and WSU collaborate to offer “Academic Redshirt” program

The University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) (along with eight other top universities) have been selected by the National Science Foundation to participate in the Graduate 10K+ program, a $10 million initiative to increase graduation rates in STEM fields, particularly engineering and computer science. The UW will receive $970,000 and WSU will receive $700,000 over five years to fund their projects. The initiative is funded by the Intel Corporation, the GE Foundation and prominent hedge-fund manager and White House adviser Mark Gallogly. While the funding for this program is limited, experts hope it will encourage innovative pilot projects at the selected universities and prompt other companies and individuals to donate.

The UW, in collaboration with WSU, will use its funds to implement an “academic redshirt” program for engineering. The program will enroll low-income high school graduates in a five-year engineering degree program. The first year will focus on solidifying students’ math and science skills. Students will receive individualized advising as well as assistance with acclimating to university workloads. This will help them to be better prepared for the rigors of engineering study at the UW and will remedy learning gaps they might have from high school, hopefully increasing freshman retention and degree completion. After successful completion of the first year, the students will be accepted into one of the UW’s engineering departments. UW and WSU each hope to enroll 32 freshmen in the program, reaching a total of 320 students in five years.

To read more about the Graduate10K+ program, check out the Higher Ed Chronicle’s article or read more about UW’s redshirt program here.