work to covertheir tuition costs. The program also includes a seminar for first time students and amentoring program, to enhance the academic success of transfer students. Page 24.724.2The USA-LINK seminar emphasizes academic success skills (such as time management andstudy skills). The students explore engineering majors through problem-based applications,gaining essential experience with engineering problem solving. The seminar also focuses onsocial involvement and interpersonal skills. Students are introduced to career andresearch/internship opportunities and to job placement skills so they are well prepared to enterthe technical workforce.An
outreach center of Alamo Colleges/San Antonio College (SAC). Mr. Lewis came to San Antonio College (SAC) in 2006 after a private sector career of designing, implementing and managing workforce and sustainability training projects in developing nations. During that time, he and his wife founded the nonprofit corporation Tools for Development, which undertakes sustainable development projects in indigenous villages of Mexico. In late 2008, he presided over the initial strategy sessions for what is now the Alamo Colleges Green Initiative. He and his assistants now coordinate the many environmentally related events and activities that take place at Eco Centro, which serves as a demonstration center for solar energy use in
profession. From the beginning its stated mission was: “The EarlyDevelopment of General Engineering (EDGE) Program is designed to increase high schoolstudents’ awareness of various engineering fields and sustain their interest in the study ofengineering. We recognize that Math is critical in the field of engineering; therefore, ourprogram focuses on increasing students’ math abilities so they leave our program with theknowledge, skills, and confidence that will prepare them for successful engineering careers.”Despite the excellent reviews our program received from students, parents, and teachers, theexpected enrollment numbers did not materialize as expected and the following years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7brought changes and new developments designed to adapt
2R = Recommended X = Required choose one combined course3 4 5 Careers/soft skills Design specialized Intro to Civil only6 7 specialized Civil Materials course only microelectronic circuits*Data obtained
under-represented students studying STEM at Ca˜nada College, including the Health Career Pathways Program, the Student On-Ramp Leading to Engineering and Sciences Project, the Veter- ans Employment Assistance Program for Engineering, and the National Science Foundation Scholarship Program. As Project Director for a $5.9 million Hispanic-Serving Institution-STEM Grant (CalSTEP), Danni collaboratively spearheaded the creation of The STEM Center, which promotes STEM education through programs, activities, academic/support services, and opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and the greater community. Danni earned a BA in Music from UC Irvine and an MA in Ethnomusicology from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa
thelatest tools and technologies, and (vi) provides increased career opportunities and job placementrates through mandatory co-op experiences.Designing the ET2 ProgramU.S. Department of Education defines 2-year institutions as postsecondary institutions that offerprograms of at least 2 but less than 4 years duration. Two-year institutions include communitycolleges, vocational and occupational schools, and serve almost half of all the undergraduatestudents (~17.5 million in 2005) in the USA by offering noncredit programs, providingworkforce development and skills training as well as preparing students for transfer to 4-yearcolleges1. Each year, approximately 45% of all full-time freshmen enroll in 2-year schools. Ofthese, approximately half declare
of the scholarship program (refer to Section 3 ofAppendix A). The results from the program assessment subscale were designed to be a directintrospective measure of the students’ opinions of how the scholarship program affected theirlives. This section consisted of open-ended questions regarding the most and least helpful part ofthe Pathway Scholarship program, and ratings of the level of support the program offered thestudents in six areas (academic, financial, social, career, professional development, andpersonal), rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The purpose of this section was two-fold: to assess theeffectiveness of the program and to determine weaknesses in the program that can be bettered inthe future.Survey Questions for Future
in the educational sector in both live and online environments as an adjunct instruc- tor in computer technology for Greenville Technical College and as a Career and Technology Education teacher. Kris earned a B.S. in Management from Clemson University, a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Business Education from the University of South Carolina, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Technology and online learning from the University of Florida. Her research interests include implementation of digital learning solutions in technical and vocational education, development of career pathways utilizing stackable certificates, educator professional develop- ment in communities of
workers need adequatefoundational competencies in math, science, reading comprehension, and technical writing2. Inorder to be successful in their careers, technical workers need strong work related competenciesincluding computer literacy, teamwork, and critical thinking skills as well as strong technicalcompetencies in quality and process control, production philosophies including lean, Just-In-Time, and integrated production systems. These skills need to be taught at the technical collegesby college faculty who are educated and trained in advanced academic and technical skills withhigh level of expertise and proficiency.The roles of technical colleges are becoming more active in the technology based economicdevelopment era of the present time
that "Participation in high-impact practices has been shown to improve both learningand persistence for all students, but especially for the historically underserved."8 This study alsoindicates that participation in more than one high-impact practice increases the benefits for thesestudents. Other specific strategies that have been proven effective in improving student outcomesfor minority students include mentoring programs,9,10 introducing context in introductorycourses,11 alternative instructional strategies,12 summer programs,13,14 and peer mentoring.15In 2008, to increase the participation, retention, and success of underrepresented, underpreparedand educationally disadvantaged students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields
amentor. The advantage to assigning all new students a mentor is that students who do not feelcomfortable asking for help, or who do not initially perceive a need for mentoring, have readyaccess to a mentor when a need arises.Mentor Recruitment and BenefitsPeer mentors are recruited on a volunteer-only basis and are unpaid, which is different fromsome other programs that may provide a salary, stipend, or other financial compensation. Thepeer mentor program uses forms of non-monetary compensation and benefits, such as mentor-specific training and access to exclusive events and activities. For example, the mentorsbenefited from a private resume workshop presented by Career Services in the week leading upto the College of Engineering Career Fair
College exclusively. After his college graduation in 1966, Garcia had a rewarding career in engineering and in business prior to retiring in early 2000. He used computers extensively throughout his career as a tool for solving engineering problems and for solving business problems as well. In 1986, he founded GCI Information Services, Inc. (originally Garcia Consulting, Inc.), with a staff of only four employees and with the objective of offering specialty engineering services to the Naval Sea Systems Command (U.S. Navy) in Arlington, Va. Over the following 13 years, Garcia expanded his Virginia-based company to offer information services as well as engineering services, which led to a dramatic growth of his company as
. Page 24.716.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Improving Engineering Curriculum and Enhancing Underrepresented Community College Student Success through a Summer Research Internship ProgramAbstractEfforts to remain competitive internationally in engineering and technology require a significantincrease in the number of STEM graduates in the United States. A recent report prepared by thePresident’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology states that currently less than fortypercent of students entering college to pursue a STEM career end up completing a STEM degree,citing that students typically leave the STEM field in the first two years of their program
course: 1) each instructor represents a unique engineeringdiscipline and collectively the team provides a foundation for a broad introductory curriculum,2) each instructor is physically located at a different regional campus, mimicking thegeographical dispersion of students and supporting student learning and engagement, and3) together, the interplay of the multi-disciplinary, geographically dispersed instructor teamrealistically depicts today’s engineering workplace and promotes the field as a viable,meaningful career choice through open discussion and learner discovery. Results from studentcourse evaluations and surveys, and instructor reflections are used to comment on and assess thebasic effectiveness of the instructional approach.Team
available enter college with very limited awareness of the excitingprojects and fulfilling careers the engineering profession offers as well as withapprehension about their ability to succeed in a demanding STEM curriculum. To thisend, the course covers academic success skills in engineering including mindset andmetacognition, academic pathways, career awareness and job functions in the engineeringprofession, team building and communications, the engineering design process, and abroad range of fundamental and engaging topics and projects in engineering includingelectronics, basic test equipment, programming in MATLAB and Arduino, robotics,bridge design, and materials science. The paper presents the results of a pilotimplementation of the teaching
underrepresented minority students, and her research in the areas of recruitment and retention. A SWE and ASEE Fellow, she is a frequent speaker on career opportunities and diversity in engineering.Dr. Armando A. Rodriguez, Arizona State University Prior to joining the ASU Electrical Engineering faculty in 1990, Dr. Armando A. Rodriguez worked at MIT, IBM, AT&T Bell Laboratories and Raytheon Missile Systems. He has also consulted for Eglin Air Force Base, Boeing Defense and Space Systems, Honeywell and NASA. He has published over 200 tech- nical papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings – over 60 with students. He has authored three engineering texts on classical controls, linear systems, and multivariable
describe key components ofthe efforts, share feedback from our NC CC colleagues and transfer students, and discuss bestpractices for other institutions seeking to create or strengthen their ties with community colleges.Background and motivation Page 26.296.2American students are more and more utilizing the community college system as a steppingstone to access four-year institutions. While students seeking a variety of bachelor’s degreesbegin at community college, the pathway has become a particularly viable means for studentspursuing STEM degrees. In fact, a 2005 study estimated that 20% of engineering degree holdersbegan their academic careers
college careers at a community college1. In light of theseissues, a statewide collaborative project among four community colleges and two universitieswas undertaken in Washington State in 2004 to increase the number of students earningundergraduate engineering degrees statewide, with special attention on URMs and females.Using assessment data, the assessment team examines how differing institutional settings impactstudents’ feelings of integration into social and academic engineering communities. Previousresearch suggests that students are more likely to persist to graduation if they are socially andacademically integrated into STEM disciplines23.Cross sectional data analysis of four years of the program’s Student Experience Survey(formative
career must acknowledge that two-year institutions or community colleges representthe fastest growing segment of higher education [4]. Recent data shows that 40% of individualsearning bachelor or master’s engineering degrees started higher education in a communitycollege. The trend is higher in some states such as California for which more than 48% ofgraduates with science or engineering degrees started at a community college [5].Despite this contribution to the nation’s engineering workforce, engineering education in a Page 14.746.2community college environment presents formidable challenges for both students andinstructors. Most community
substantial gain inaverage math skill grade level. Although the two courses were well suited for linkage in alearning community designed to provide knowledge, skills, and the peer support needed foracademic success and a technical career, many students had already attained mastery of somecourse content (computer literacy). In the final survey most of the students considered thecourses well coordinated and interconnected, and all declared that they would recommend theEDGE Program to other students.3) Students will experience academic success and student life in a college environment andbegin to accumulate college course credits towards an Associate’s degree at San AntonioCollege.Results: All but one student enrolled in the EDGE 2005 Program
curriculum to support students in math-based careers at the community college level for nearly 20 years. She has been Co-PI and PI on NSF grants that seek to increase the numbers of professionals in STEM with focused recruitments on the underrepresented minority populations. Page 26.949.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Increasing Success and Retention in Engineering and other STEM FieldsIntroductionThe two prominent and related needs for solutions to climate change and more STEM andengineering majors, brought about the Science, Technology
requirements to obtain an associates degree?” Determining the ability toanswer this question is central to determining the ability to answer several broad follow-onquestions that will allow us to more closely gauge the preparation and success of communitycollege students in baccalaureate engineering programs. For example, • Do engineering students who begin at community colleges perform as well, better than, or not as well as other students? What factors influence their success rate? • How many community college graduates are admitted to Research I Institutions? • How many obtain graduate degrees? • What career paths do students with A.S. degrees in e/et follow?Two critical steps in this project are (1) examining enrollments of
should beevident in students’ ability to understand and demonstrate mastery with these technologies.Rewarding careers are available for trained students in advanced manufacturing programs. Students mayseek jobs opportunities as a CAD drafter or 3D model designer, CNC or CAM programmer, CNCoperator or a composite of these technologies.Implementing required technology coursework in advanced manufacturing programs in South Texastechnical colleges will significantly improve educational standards and career opportunity for students inSouth Texas. The long term impact of integrating advanced manufacturing programs withCAD/CAM/CNC training will increase both science and technology literacy, while increasing standardsof living and improving the quality
FCS and the programs available thathave any relationship to engineering. The research bore out that the terminology varies greatlyfrom institution to institution, and focused exclusively on the AA degree. Thus, a studentdesiring to attend a FCS institution for the first two years and then transfer into an engineeringprogram does not necessarily have a clear pathway to success. What follows is a listing of allprograms related to engineering at each of the 28 FCS institutions.Table 3: Table of Colleges and the AA Degree Terminology and Program of Study Florida College System AA Degree Program of Study/Topics Institutions Alphabetically Terminology Broward College [15] AA by Career Separated into 8
Board. In her career, she appreciates seeing the confidence develop in her students. She believes one of the best compliments someone in academia can receive is being told by a student that your support and encouragement helped them persist and succeed.Dr. So Yoon Yoon, Texas A&M University So Yoon Yoon, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral research associate at Texas A&M University. She received her Ph.D. and M.S.Ed.in Educational Psychology with specialties in Gifted Education and Research Methods & Measurement from Purdue University. She also holds a M.S. in Astronomy & Astrophysics and a B.S. in Astronomy & Meteorology from Kyungpook National University in South Korea. Her work centers on P-16
higher education taking a sharper focus on reducing oreliminating the skills gap, and in creating more meaningful educational and trainingopportunities in general, potential employees can be well prepared with the skills and abilitiesthat are needed and in high demand by potential employers.Studies on the existence of the skills gap have often relied on surveys in which employers havecommunicated difficulty in finding qualified applicants for open positions. The ManufacturingInstitute, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Career Advisory Board of DeVryUniversity have all reinforced the difficulty of locating sufficiently qualified candidates for openpositions. Additionally, the consulting firm Accenture points to little or no
well correlated and useful in preparing students for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Results: At the end of the EDGE Program the students as a group showed a substantial gain inaverage math skill grade level, although many students appeared to have already attainedmastery of some course content (computer literacy). The two courses were well suited for alearning community linkage designed to provide knowledge, skills, and the peer support neededfor academic success and a technical career. In the final survey 27 students considered thecourses well coordinated and interconnected, and 26 declared that they would recommend theEDGE Program to other students.PO-3) Students will experience academic success and
in 4 years whetherthe students begin their academic careers at the 4-year institution or at the 2-year institution. Thispaper presents another means to address the 2-year program – an A.A.S degree that embeds lessgeneral education and more engineering relevant content courses in the curriculum in the firsttwo years. Specifically, Chattanooga State Community College and the University of Tennesseeat Chattanooga College of Engineering and Computer Science are teaming to provide studentsthe first two years of the engineering program in parallel.IntroductionMany states, including Tennessee, are actively addressing strengthening the ties between thestates’ 2-year and 4-year degree granting institutions. The stated purpose for this activity is
Institute of Technology Mike Eastman is Department Chair and professor of electrical, computer, and telecommunications engi- neering technology at Rochester Institute of Technology. His research interests include embedded systems design and development focusing on hardware algorithm implementation and sensing and control. Most recently, Eastman has been involved with curriculum redesign and academic calendar conversion at RIT. Prior to embarking on a career in academia, Eastman spent six years at Intel Corporation, where he was a Senior Systems Engineer. His work at Intel focused on custom embedded systems hardware design. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering technology and a M.S. in computer science from RIT.Dr
University inpartnership with NECC. The SBP was meant to encourage new STEM students to embraceSTEM careers as well as to improve retention at NECC. The hands- on activities allowedparticipants to apply mathematics to technical problems and to experience how engineering andmathematical skills are used within STEM majors. "Hands-on and learning by experience arepowerful ideas, and we know that engaging students actively and thoughtfully in their studiespays off in better learning.”1 Participants explored alternative energy systems with hands-on Page 25.1210.2activities that concentrated on wind and solar power design projects.Instructional TeamThe Program