Undergraduate Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education.

Overview & Synopsis

An analysis of the current condition and trends in United States undergraduate education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering is provided in this report. It contains suggestions for actions to be undertaken by academic institutions, the States, federal agencies, the private sector, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and reflects the opinions of a broad cross-section of persons knowledgeable in science and technology. Information is presented in four major sections. These are: (1) executive summary (reviewing the conditions of undergraduate education and outlining recommendations); (2) findings (presenting information on the overall condition of undergraduate education, on students, faculty, and their implements, and on disciplinary and institutional perspectives); (3) conclusions and recommendations (synthesizing findings related to the state of undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering education and offering a model and description of program elements that are needed for a balanced undergraduate program); and (4) appendices (containing information on programs and projects and citations to reference materials). (ML)