Ho, H. T., & Tippens, S. J. (2025, March), Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi. 10.18260/1-2--54162

\bibitem{asee_peer_54162}
  Ho, H. T., \& Tippens, S. J. (2025, March), \emph{Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories}
  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi.
  10.18260/1-2--54162

Hai T Ho and Scott J. Tippens.  "Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories".  2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 2025, March.  ASEE Conferences, 2025.  https://peer.asee.org/54162 Internet.  24 Apr, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_54162}
  Hai T Ho and Scott J. Tippens.
  "Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories".
  \emph{2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 2025, March}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2025.
  https://peer.asee.org/54162 Internet.  24 Apr, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_54162
author = "Hai T Ho and Scott J. Tippens"
title = "Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories"
booktitle = "2025 ASEE Southeast Conference "
year = "2025"
month = "March"
address = "Mississippi State University, Mississippi"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/54162}
number = {10.18260/1-2--54162}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Abstract
Engineering programs face persistent challenges in student retention, particularly during the crucial first two years of undergraduate study. This research proposes an innovative approach to increasing retention rates by strengthening engineering students' identity, motivation, and commitment through a structured "onboarding" program inspired by corporate practices. Our study integrates Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to design and implement a comprehensive set of activities aimed at fostering a strong engineering identity while fulfilling students' basic psychological needs.
The proposed onboarding program includes orientation sessions focused on engineering culture, mentorship pairings, professional development workshops, and team-building exercises. These activities are strategically designed to enhance students' sense of belonging to the engineering community (SIT) while supporting their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (SDT).
Using a mixed-methods approach, we will track retention rates and conduct surveys and interviews to measure the program's impact on students' engineering identity, motivation, and commitment. The study will follow a cohort of first-year engineering students over their initial two years, comparing outcomes with a control group not participating in the onboarding program.
This research aims to contribute to the field of engineering education by demonstrating how corporate onboarding principles can be effectively adapted to academic settings. By grounding our interventions in established psychological theories, we seek to provide a replicable model for improving student retention in engineering programs. The findings of this study have the potential to inform best practices in engineering education and support the development of a more robust and diverse engineering workforce.
AU  - Hai T Ho
AU  - Scott J. Tippens
CY  - Mississippi State University, Mississippi
DA  - 2025/03/09
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Engineering Student Retention: Integrating Corporate Onboarding Practices with Social Identity and Self-Determination Theories
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/54162
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--54162
ER  -