UCSC has joined with Foothill College, De Anza College, and the Collaborative for Higher Education to launch a multi-year effort to increase the number of community college students completing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses and transferring to four-year degree programs. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, DEEP identifies and supports community college students from underrepresented populations to enter the field of engineering and provides ongoing advising, academic support, and enrichment opportunities to help students create a successful educational plan leading to a career in engineering. DEEP is designed to address the changing needs of engineering students as they move through the community college system, transfer as juniors to UC Santa Cruz, and graduate from the UCSC Jack Baskin School of Engineering. DEEP is part of the Educational Partnership Center’s ongoing, comprehensive student academic preparation efforts to improve student learning and increase college-going rates. Student services include:

• Monthly meetings and workshops
• Mentoring
• UCSC faculty presentations on engineering topics, such as nanotechnology, robotics, biomolecular engineering, and computer gaming
• “Introduction to Engineering” course with transferable credit to UCSC
• Field trips to corporations and research centers
• Campus visits and tours
• DEEP internships at places like the NASA Ames Center
• Engineering Summer Bridge Program at UCSC
• Tutorial Center with individual learning assistance in STEM-related courses
• Online Mentor provide online advising, mentoring, and tutoring to extend the Learning Community of Engineers across a broad range of academic and applied settings
• Specific sections of UCSC mathematics and computer science courses geared toward the needs of transfer students
• Cross-institution faculty-to-faculty connections develop relationships, improve articulation, and support a community of learners in engineering in addition to regular face-to-face meetings

UCSC Program Director: Marcella Grant, DEEP Interagency Manager

Program home page: http://deep.soe.ucsc.edu