SWUTC Research Project Description
Title of Project: Encouraging Students from Diverse Populations to Become Actively Involved With a University Based Transportation Center or Organization
Project Number: 167175
Principal Investigator:
Debbie Jasek
(979) 845-5239
P.I. Affiliation: Texas A&M University
Project Monitor:
Bill Stockton
Texas Transportation Institute
(979)845-9947
Project Status: Active
Date Started: 9/1/07
Estimation Completion Date: 8/31/08
Estimated Cost - Current Fiscal: $45,000
Estimated Cost - Total Planned: $45,000
Project Summary:
Project Abstract:
Over the past nine years, the Southwest Region University Transportation Center, the Federal Highway Administration Office of Civil Rights and other entities have sponsored numerous outreach programs throughout Texas for students from diverse populations. These programs include the Summer Transportation Institutes in Texas, Go Girl!, On the Move!, Career Exploration, the Rural Transportation Institutes, and Students from Nontraditional Backgrounds. Many of these students are either currently attending a university or beginning their college careers. This project proposes to conduct a follow-up study to determine the status of these students. The study will document whether and where they are attending college as well as their course of study. If appropriate the team will then contact the student to gauge their desire for interaction with either a University Transportation Center or transportation program near them. It is envisioned that this project will provide further encouragement for these students through mentoring, internships, information about student worker positions or summer employment.
Project Objectives:
The project team will attempt to contact as many of the students who attended the programs as possible. The team will collect data on the status of each student, whether they are attending college, whether or not they are entering a transportation related field, and whether or not they are interested exploring further possible careers in transportation.
The project team will also approach University Transportation Centers or transportation programs located on or near campuses that the students are attending about possible partnerships. If the center or program agrees to participate, the project team will then work to introduce students to them. It is envisioned that this partnership can provide further encouragement for these students through mentoring, internships, information about student worker positions or summer employment.
Task Descriptions:
Task 1. Gather Information and Consolidate Student Databases
Information on students attending outreach programs conducted by TTI, Texas Southern University, and Prairie View A&M University will be gathered by the Project Team. The information will be placed in a database and then scrubbed for determining the number of students attending programs for the past decade.
University Transportation Centers and Transportation programs will also be contacted at this stage of the project. They will receive information on the program, the program’s goals, and solicited on whether they are interested in participating in the program.
Task 2. Create Survey and Complete the Institutional Review Board Process
A survey soliciting information on students’ high school status, college attendance, major, career outlook, and willingness to participate in additional contact will be created. A cover letter explaining the program and the need for the survey will also be drafted. These instruments will then be submitted to the Texas A&M Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Initial contact with IRB personnel, indicates that these documents will be eligible for an expedited review.
Task 3. Administer Survey and Collate Responses
The request for participation will be mailed to all respondents. The survey will be administered both by letter and website. Although it is anticipated that many of the students will answer electronically via the website; it is also envisioned that a number of students may respond through mail.
The responses will be collected and collated by participating university, program and total responses. This way the student success of each summer program and outreach program can be gauged.
Task 4. Contact University Transportation Centers and Programs
Once students have responded to the survey and if they indicate an interest in further contact and participation, they will be matched with the appropriate University Transportation Center. The project team will then contact the student and the appropriate transportation center.
Task 5. Introduce Students to Transportation Programs
After matches are designated in Task 4, a member of the project team will act as a facilitator to match the student and the corresponding transportation program. If a student desires a mentor and a program does not exist at the institution of higher education that they are attending the project team will attempt to facilitate a distance mentoring program.
Task 6. Analysis of the Project
The project team will document and analyze both the status of students for the various outreach programs, and any comments regarding the influence that those programs had on the student attending college or choosing a particular major. This documentation will be included in the final reports.
Task 7. Final Report
The project team will write a final report that documents the findings of the survey as well as the success for providing support for the targeted students through University Transportation Centers. The team will also write separate executive summary reports for each of the Summer Transportation Institute Programs and Outreach Programs which can be used to fulfill Federal Highway Administration requirements for follow-up studies of students.
Index Terms:
Workforce Challenges, Transportation Outreach, Transportation Summer Institutes, Diversity in the Transportation Workforce