Conference Session

Continuous Improvement in Engineering Leadership Development Programs

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marnie V. Jamieson, University of Alberta; John M. Shaw

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Leadership Development

, 2016). Society is transitive. Thecultural, moral, technological, economic, environmental, and safety realities of individuals                                                                                                                1  The  definition  of  methodology  used  here  is  a  collection  of  methods  used  to  perform  the  research  and  analysis.      2  The  definition  of  complex  as  outlined  in  Clark,  et.  al.  2012.      along with human beliefs have evolved over time. Students, instructors, and engineers are alla part of society and experience this reality from their own perspective. Case studies, such asthis one, are inherently rooted in Critical Realism.We use a Situative Theory framework to deliver our capstone

Conference Session

Technical Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John B. Troy, Northwestern University; Pei-Ji Liang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

International

for all students tohave their questions addressed fully, we organized tutorials in which approximately 12 studentsworked with a junior SJTU faculty member with experience in writing scientific papers inEnglish (Figure 1). To ensure consistency in teaching across the different tutorial groups anSJTU Professor of Biomedical Engineering, a co-Director of the course who had obtained herdoctoral degree at the University of Oxford and who has many years of experience publishingscientific papers in English, oversaw and monitored the material covered in tutorials. A Chineselanguage version of The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White [1] was used asa textbook for the tutorials. Different tutors adopted somewhat different approaches

Conference Session

Mathematics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott W. Campbell, University of South Florida; Carlos A. Smith PhD, University of South Florida; Silvia M. Calderon, Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 A Course in Differential Equations, Modeling and Simulation for Engineering StudentsIntroductionA course in differential equations generally is taken at a critical point in engineeringcurricula – where a turn is made away from basic math and science courses towardscourses in which basic skills and knowledge are synthesized and applied. This raises thequestion of whether the course should be a mathematics course, an engineering course, ora hybrid. It has been argued [1], with supporting results, that the teaching of differentialequations through the modeling of physical and chemical phenomena is effective becauseit allows students to overcome the cognitive

Conference Session

New Directions for ET

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gene L. Harding, Purdue Polytechnic Institute; Stuart P. Raeburn, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

the majority of users in the US). Since itsversions are backward compatible, and content is never really deleted, its 17 years of operationprobably make it the longest-running learning management system around.The previous paper described Radio Button Response, Option Response (i.e., multiple choicewith more than one correct answer), and Numerical Response problem types, as well as how tocombine them into multi-part problems with calculations that carried forward through some orall of the constituent problems. It also touched on available templates and how to use capabilitiesof the Maxima algebra system, R statistics package, gnuplot plot engine, and Perl scripting [1].Other topics covered by the first paper include pedagogical benefits, such

Conference Session

Energy Conversion and Conservation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Emery Mertz, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

includeincorporating predictive modelling, entrepreneurial mindset, and just-in-time learning. Therationale behind how this project was designed and modified will be discussed in relation to thecourse goals and course format and some successes will be highlighted. Finally,recommendations will be given for how this project or a similar version of this project could beimplemented in different contexts.IntroductionIn recent years, first-year engineering design courses have received a lot of attention in literatureas a mechanism to increase retention within engineering programs and build an identity as anengineer [1-4]. It has been considered a best practice among introductory engineering designcourse developers to choose projects which highlight the engineering

Conference Session

Insights for Teaching ECE Courses - Session I

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bryan A. Jones, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

understand the operation of any other programming language, or the operation of amicroprocessor. Furthermore, assembly has grown in popularity, ranking as the 10th most popu-lar programming language of 2018 according to the IEEE Spectrum [1], making it an importantjob skill. Time-critical sections, such as interrupt service routines or frequently-executed loop,often benefit from optimization in an assembly language.While some textbooks present assembly without reference to higher-level languages, a commonpedagogical approach consists of teaching students to translate from C to assembly [2] [3] [4] forseveral reasons. First, the widespread adoption of the C language [1] means that C is availablefor most microprocessors and microcontrollers, while C

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Division: Design Mental Frameworks

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenni Buckley, University of Delaware; Sara Bernice Grajeda, University of Delaware; Amy Trauth, University of Delaware; Dustyn Roberts P.E., Temple University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

of Delaware, and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2014) from New York University. She is passionate about translational research and engineering education. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 A FRAMEWORK FOR QUANTIFYING STUDENT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND TASK CHOICE IN ENGINEERING DESIGN-RELATED ACTIVITIES Jenni M. Buckley, PhD1,3, Sara Grajeda, PhD2, Amy E. Trauth, PhD1, Dustyn Roberts, PhD4,1 1 University of Delaware, Department of Mechanical Engineering 2 University of Delaware, Center for Research in Education and Science Policy 3 University of Delaware, College of Education and Human Development

Conference Session

BME Laboratories and Projects

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachel C. Childers, University of Oklahoma; Stefan Wilhelm, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical Engineering

effectiveness of the lab sequence was evaluated in both a qualitative and quantitativemanner. The performance of students in the lab course (n=21) can be compared to performanceof a control group of students who did not opt into the lab course (n=7) and only attended thetraditional lecture course. Assessment of learning was evaluated in three ways: 1) self-perceivedaccomplishment of lab learning objectives reported by students in the lab course through ananonymous survey, 2) instructor evaluation of learning objectives assessed via lab reports, and 3)student performance on the final exam in the traditional style course, ~10 weeks after the labexperiences concluded. The third assessment technique allows us to evaluate the effect ofparticipating in the

Conference Session

ECCD Technical Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hossein Salehfar, University of North Dakota; Michael Klein, University of North Dakota

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

professional work experience closely related to their academic focus area.This simultaneous combination of academic and professional work experience has proven tohave a tremendous positive impact on students’ learning and enables them to fully develop theirprofessional identity as engineers early before they graduate. At the completion of the courses,students submit a written report and give an oral presentation to a broader audience on details ofthe work performed and their findings and learning. The experience that students gain throughthis program directly contributes to the new ABET-EAC Student Outcomes (1) through (7).Using a set of rubrics designed based on the ABET-EAC Students Outcomes and in consultationwith the students’ academic advisors

Conference Session

Technical Session 7: Online and Distributed Learning

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mahmoud K Quweider, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Ala Qubbaj, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Liyu Zhang, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Fitratullah Khan, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Hansheng Lei

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

distribution of faculty on each campus at the time of the merger because theyare indicative of the relative size of each institution regarding human and physical resources andthe number of courses offered on each campus. Table 1. Campus Enrollment (2014) UTB UTPA 8,200 21,000 91% Hispanic 89% Hispanic Table 2. CS Faculty at the time of the Merger UTB UTPA 8

Conference Session

Innovative Course Structures and Learning Environments

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Neda Melanie Bassir Kazeruni, Columbia University; Henry Hess, Columbia University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical Engineering

education.Prof. Henry Hess, Columbia University Henry Hess received the Dr.rer.nat. in Physics from the Free University Berlin, Germany, in 1999. He is currently a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, New York, a member of the External Advisory Board of Nano Letters since 2010, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience since 2014. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 A hybrid engineering course combining case-based and lecture-based teaching 1. Abstract Engineering and business school courses both aim to teach students to solve problems, but theapproaches they use to reach that objective are traditionally perceived as

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session 13: Student Learning and Contexts

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eleanor Leung, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

learning in bothprograms.IntroductionThis evidence-based practice paper outlines how to implement aspects of kinesthetic learningeffectively in the classroom through an ”escape room” activity for small-sized engineeringprograms.In today’s engineering classrooms, students are often sedentary for the majority of the classperiod. Learning usually occurs visually, auditorily or through reading and writing. Even asactive learning such as a class discussion is going on students are sitting in their seats. However,some students may require movement of some form in order to learn which can also be known askinesthetic learning. VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic) is one approach used tocategorize these different types of learning styles [1

Conference Session

First-Year Programs: Work in Progress Postcard Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Corey Kiassat, PhD, MBA, PE P.E., Quinnipiac University; Ruby ElKharboutly, Quinnipiac University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

framework is analogous to healthcare environments where a nurse meets with a patient first inquire on the patient’s symptoms and to measure the vitals. The notes are then passed on to the medical provider as a high-level summary in order to save the medical provider’s time. After running a first semester pilot of this ongoing study, the proposed process has resulted in shorter and more streamlined advising sessions. It has also resulted in higher advisor and student satisfaction.1. Introduction First-year student advising is critical to student’s retention and path to success [1]. Significant work has been done to enhance the advising process in multiple universities [2]. Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering

Conference Session

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nebojsa I. Jaksic, Colorado State University, Pueblo

Tagged Divisions

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies

lifecycle ofdynamic products, which are part of the technology push market drive. Then, an example of a lablifecycle is provided using programmable logic controllers. The intended audience for this workincludes professors designing new labs, lab technicians, lab assistants, lab coordinators, andadministrators. They need to understand the importance and implementation of all these stages forscheduling, personnel planning, and funding purposes.IntroductionThe importance of experiential learning, active learning, and project-based learning throughlaboratory experiments and exercises is well documented in educational research and practice [1-8]. Also, the lifecycle of a product is analyzed in many design textbooks [9, 10]. The engineeringdesign process

Conference Session

Technical Session 2: Embedded Systems

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J.w. Bruce, Tennessee Technological University; Ryan A. Taylor, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 A Long-Term Study of Software Product and Process Metrics in an Embedded Systems Design CourseIn response to input from advisory employers, market demands, and academic studies [1], manycomputer engineering programs have increased focus on embedded computer systems.Embedded systems form a rich application through which computer engineering education canbe made relevant. Embedded computer systems are a timely subject that is immediately useful tostudents in their senior capstone design projects. Furthermore, a large number of our computerengineering graduates currently use or design embedded computer systems in their jobs.A team-based progressive embedded systems

Conference Session

Interest & Identity

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy Annette Rogers, Delaware State University; J. Jill Rogers, University of Arizona; James C. Baygents, University of Arizona

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Pre-College Engineering Education

engineering whereas teachers with themaster’s in engineering were preferred by male students.1. IntroductionDual credit and Advance Placement (AP) courses have been around for decades. Typically, thesetypes of courses have focused on core subjects such as Mathematics, English, Economics andHistory. While some might question the value of AP courses in predicting college success, thereis no doubt that these types of courses are enriching and popular with college-bound, high schoolstudents [1]. For 11 years, the University of Arizona (UA) has offered an award winning, dualcredit, introduction to engineering course to high school students. Results collected from courseevaluation surveys have shown that after course completion, nearly 80% of students

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Technical Session 5

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Joseph Priem, Northeastern University; Caroline Ghio, Northeastern University; Hannah Boyce, Northeastern University; Sydney Anne Morris, Northeastern University; Emma Kaeli, Stanford University; Tyler Byrne Cole, Northeastern University; Paul A. DiMilla, Northeastern University; Rachelle Reisberg, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

academic preparation, first-semester experiences, study habits,and gender. Identifying these factors and the extent to which they affect student success is crucialto understanding how to increase retention rates. Supplemental instruction (SI) has been usedsuccessfully in academic settings to limit attrition in challenging programs, especially amongfemales. The College of Engineering at Northeastern University has implemented a SI programfor first-year engineering students, and our group has identified factors that may predict the useof SI in a required first-semester general chemistry course by these students [1]. For example,students who used SI in high school were more likely to use SI during their first semester incollege, showing a correlation

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer A Gatz, Stony Brook University; Angela M. Kelly, Stony Brook University; Monica F. Bugallo, Stony Brook University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

Conference Session

Best In DEED

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elisabeth Kames, Florida Institute of Technology ; Devanshi Shah, Florida Institute of Technology; McKenzie Carol Clark; Beshoy Morkos, Florida Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Cornerstone Design, Senior Capstone Design,Engineering Education, Engineering Retention1. IntroductionEngineering curriculum at the university level typically culminates in a senior design capstonecourse. The goal of the senior capstone design course is to challenge the students with an exampleof a real-world project, preparing them for industry. University curriculum used to focus heavilyon design and design challenges, typical of industry level engineering. Due to increasing systemcomplexity, engineering curriculums were prompted to add more science and mathematics classesto help students understand needed tools and methods.1 However, over time this produced studentswith a decreasing understanding of the practical applications of engineering and

Conference Session

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Renee M. Desing, Ohio State University; Krista M. Kecskemety, Ohio State University; Rachel Louis Kajfez, Ohio State University; Deborah M. Grzybowski, Ohio State University; Monica Farmer Cox, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

astudent’s education and have subsequently been revising curricula, including adding moreengineering design [1]–[4]. In collaboration with KEEN [5], a network of engineering facultyfocused on enhancing engineering education through the entrepreneurial mindset, a large mid-western university decided to embark on the journey of incorporating entrepreneurial mindedlearning (EML) into an existing first-year course.This paper details the faculty-focused results of the first phase of a four-phase pilot project aimedat understanding the impact of EML on motivation and identity in first-year engineeringclassrooms. In the first phase, we investigated the current practices of select KEEN institutionsthat have already incorporated EML into their first-year

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 6

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ron Averill, Michigan State University; Sara Roccabianca, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

for Engineering Education, 2019 A Multi-Instructor Study of Assessment Techniques in Engineering Mechanics Courses1. IntroductionThe authors have conducted a three-year study to explore the effects of a new assessment modelon student outcomes in a sophomore level Mechanics of Materials course. Preliminary resultsfrom the first two years were discussed previously [1]. The most recent set of results andconclusions are presented here, along with further discussion and lessons learned regarding itsimplementation. A key component of the latest phase of the study is the transition of the controlinstructor to the new method. For this instructor this paper includes a control / methodcomparison of student

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Education Division: Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University; William F. Resh, Michigan State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

levels of students including freshman through seniorlevels. Topics covered include objectives, administration challenges, project selection,management and execution, as well as survey data from student participants.1. IntroductionMechanical Engineering at Michigan State University has a 25 year history of using capstonedesign projects in the curriculum. These experiences have been very useful in giving students anapproximation of an industrial design experience to help prepare them for the transition toworking in industry. But the location of the capstone design experience in the curriculum andthe time (credit hours) available for it provide constraints that limit its pedagogical value [1].This has led to the initiation of a unique multi-year

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Courses

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nima Lotfi, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; Jacob Allen Novosad, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; Huan Phan-Van, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, and a teaching assistant at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA. He is interested in researching Mobile Autonomous Robotics, and getting knowledge base on real-world applications of control systems, especially in Autonomous Transportation. Dr. Lotfi is his mentor. Email: huanphan206@gmail.com c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 A Multidisciplinary Course and the Corresponding Laboratory Platform Development for Teaching the Fundamentals of Advanced Autonomous Vehicles Nima Lotfi1 , Jacob Novosad2 , and Huan van Phan1 1 Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department and

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering Design II

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Giancarlo D'Orazio, University of the District of Columbia; Jijuan Xu, University of the District of Columbia; Sasan Haghani, University of the District of Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

ExplorationAbstractFew problems in engineering can be solved with a single tool. According to the WashingtonAccord [1], skills to solve complex problems in engineering are important to include in thecurriculum of engineering education programs. To provide more experiential learningexperience, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of the District ofColumbia (UDC) is modernizing its curricula by offering complex engineering training to itsstudents through curricular and extracurricular activities.The design of autonomous vehicles requires a collaborative effort from nearly all STEM fieldsand hence provides an excellent opportunity for engineering students of variousbackgrounds to collaborate on. During the Summer of 2018, a group of

Conference Session

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division Technical Session 6

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Haryana Yosef Thomas, Calvin College; Charles E. Holwerda, Calvin College; Jeremy VanAntwerp, Calvin College

Tagged Divisions

Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies

paper is to describe the software selection and design of thecyber layer. This is intended as a guide or example for other instructors who want to create anapparatus with communication and control capability.Cyberphysical systems have been a focus for research in the engineering community recently, inpart because of the promise these systems offer for improving quality-of-life, and in part due tojustified fears that cyberphysical systems are too vulnerable to malicious attack through internet-connected cyber layers [1]. Researchers seek to understand the complex interactions of the“cyber” and the “physical” to design methods to detect and thwart cyberphysical attack. TheFebruary 2015 issue of IEEE Control Systems [2] has several articles that

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics Division Technical Session - Classroom Practices

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heng Li, Zhejiang University; Yanjie Xie, Zhejiang University; Shuxin Yang, Chinese Society for Engineering Education (CSEE); Ruixue Xu, Zhejiang University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

tenet is achieved throughinterdisciplinary courses, technology development and community activities. In the end,engineering students can play the role of “product/service designer” and “technologypromoter” in inclusive innovation, and provide affordable products and service to poor areasthrough “knowledge creation” and “product innovation”.In conclusion, this paper offers suggestions for integrating inclusive innovation intoengineering ethics education in four aspects: (1) constructing the curriculum content systemsolving the poverty problem; (2) building a high-quality interdisciplinary teaching team; (3)using multi-functional collaborative external support network; and (4) innovative teachingmethods to expose engineering students to the “real

Conference Session

New Developments in ECE

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Son Nguyen, University of California, Davis; Andre Knoesen, University of California, Davis; Hooman Rashtian, University of California, Davis

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, the workin [1] proposes an interesting course in digital design and image processing to help students work withvideo systems while the course in [2] focuses more on software design for internet-of-things applications.Freshman or sophomore students usually have problems in finding their interests and they wonder whichbranch of electrical and computer engineering they should follow in their junior and senior years. To helpstudents determine what they are interested in, this course is designed to provide students with a basicknowledge and hands-on experiences in different disciplines of electrical engineering and to teach themhow engineering systems are designed and implemented. Unlike senior design project courses such as [3-7], the most

Conference Session

Graduate Student Support

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael A. Matthews P.E., University of South Carolina; Darin Freeburg, University of South Carolina; Kevin Brock, University of South Carolina; Gina M. Kunz P.h.D., University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

ofgraduate-level engineering research [1, 2]. The overall hypothesis of this effort is that the two-course sequence we will describe, which utilizes the Richard Paul/Linda Elder framework of CT[3], will effectively and consistently facilitate students’ acquisition of information literacy andwriting skills, and speed the development of intellectual independence.The two courses are designed for just-in-time intervention to graduate students at key juncturesin their programs of study. The first course is for new graduate students who have selected aresearch project and who are expected to begin developing breadth and depth of understandingthereof. Course 1 focuses on information literacy: finding, assessing, and critically reading theresearch

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session 16: Faculty Development and Teaching Contexts

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sivakumar Krishnan, Vishnu Educational Development and Innovation Center

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

to participate in ‘teachingsquares’. In these ‘teaching squares’, the faculty members participated infacilitated discussions on class session planning, observed each other andcollected learning assessment data as evidence of attainment of studentlearning outcomes. In this paper, results from these interventions on theattainment of specific workshop outcomes among faculty includingimplementation of some best practices in teaching will be reported. Specificattitudes and misconceptions related to teaching among higher educationpractitioners in India will be discussed.BackgroundAll India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) dashboard [1] shows 3124approved engineering education institutions in India with a total faculty countof 338,193

Conference Session

ERM Technical Session 21: Student Grades and Feedback

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wan Kyn Chan, Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette (College of Engineering); Edward J. Berger, Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 (WIP) A preliminary exploration of student attitudes about a continuous grade point average schemeIntroductionThis Work-in-Progress (WIP) paper explores student attitudes about and impact of different GPAschemes. Grades have always been a large area of research because development of a fair andtransparent grading system to communicate a student’s mastery is critical for students,instructors, universities, and employers or graduate schools. As implied in recent literature,employers have recently adopted GPA as a means of thresholding [1] for a student’s academiccompetencies and future potential [2]. Currently, most institutions employ a cumulative GradePoint Average (GPA