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Session 3470

An Innovative Program to Support Undergraduate Engineering Students from Underrepresented Groups

Amy E. Monte, Gretchen L. Hein

Department of Engineering Fundamentals Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI

Abstract

In the Fall of 2002, the Graduate, Undergraduate Initiative for Development and Enhancement (GUIDE) program was started at Michigan Technological University. GUIDE’s major goal is to provide first year engineering students from underrepresented groups with skills to succeed academically. To meet this objective, the program provides first year students with: • Undergraduate and graduate mentors • Seminars with Engineering Faculty where various aspects of engineering career options are presented • Career development workshops to develop interviewing skills, resumés and cover letters • Academic scholarships to help with tuition expenses (Undergraduate scholars receive an annual scholarship of $2,500 for two years; graduate scholars are awarded a $3,125 scholarship.)

In the Fall, the first year students are placed in teams with a second year student and a Masters student. The sophomore mentor is a person who participated in the GUIDE program the previous year and successfully completed their first year of engineering school. The graduate student mentor provides mentoring to both undergraduates and is the team leader. Throughout the year, these student/mentor teams meet weekly at the seminars and socially. The engineering seminars provide the GUIDE scholars with opportunities to meet faculty from different engineering departments. These contacts are a way for first year students to become acquainted with faculty in an informal setting. They also provide a contact person when students have questions regarding a given discipline. The topics for the seminars focus on different aspects of engineering careers (i.e.: engineering consulting, graduate school, undergraduate research opportunities, managing your career and personal life, working in industry, engineering for social change, engineering in your community). The seminars are informal and students are encouraged to ask questions and to give comments. The career development workshops are designed to give students skills they need to obtain summer internships or co-ops. The income from these jobs helps the students fund their education after they have completed the GUIDE program. This paper details the GUIDE program and outlines how the students have benefited from the program during its first year.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Educations Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Monte, A., & Hein, G. (2004, June), An Innovative Program To Support Undergraduate Engineering Students From Underrepresented Groups Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--14045