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Board 355: Outcomes & Observations in the Transfer Success Co-Design in Engineering Disciplines (TranSCEnD) Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Topic

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42994

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42994

Download Count

134

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Paper Authors

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Rachel McCord Ellestad University of Tennessee, Knoxville Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-5163-7675

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Rachel McCord Ellestad is the DIrector of Engineering Fundamentals and a Senior Lecturer and Research Assistant Professor in the Engineering Fundamentals Division at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech.

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biography

David J. Keffer University of Tennessee, Knoxville Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-6246-0286

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David Keffer received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Since 1998, he has been a member of the faculty in the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, where he is currently professor and associate head in the Materials Science & Engineering Department. Prof. Keffer is a multiscale materials modeler, using computational simulations to develop structure-property relationships in nanostructured materials. He was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Lectureship to teach at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea in 2010-2011.

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biography

Jennifer Retherford University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Dr. Retherford is an alumna of the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and received her graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University. She currently teaches a variety of courses supporting the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

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Mary Skidmore Kocak University of Tennessee, Knoxville Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-7292

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Abstract

The Transfer Success Co-Design in Engineering Disciplines (TranSCEnD) program was designed to assist in the transition of community college graduates to four-year undergraduate programs in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK). Graduation rates among transfer students are lower than students entering four-year programs in year one, and the TranSCEnD program was deliberately designed to provide these students with academic, social and financial support. Three major components were included to improve cohort-building and thereby impact success. Students admitted to the program (1) engaged in a group summer bridge project, (2) completed a single-term success seminar, and (3) were provided a scholarship for continued informal engagement with the comprehensive TranSCEnD team throughout their years at UTK. The NSF-supported project has entered the fifth and final year of the program and the results of the effort show positive impacts on transfer student success. Students participating in the summer bridge program built lasting relationships with one or more individuals in the same cohort, improving their sense of belonging and community in their initial transition to UTK. The seminar series introduced students to resources on campus and best practices for academic success, and students in the program were well prepared for job fairs. Many engaged in internships and other professional practice activities, and generally engaged with the professional development resources provided on campus. Each year, with the addition of new cohorts, occasional informal meetings with all students in the program were well attended. The financial support provided by the scholarship typically reduced the financial burden in transitioning to a more expensive institution; coupled with introductions to undergraduate research and paid internships, most students were better funded through the program, leading towards improved retention.

Ellestad, R. M., & Keffer, D. J., & Retherford, J., & Kocak, M. S. (2023, June), Board 355: Outcomes & Observations in the Transfer Success Co-Design in Engineering Disciplines (TranSCEnD) Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42994

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