Board 434: Work in Progress: Building a Sustainable Institutional Structure to Support STEM Scholars

Donald W. Mueller; Josue Njock Libii; Donna Dea Holland; Omonowo David Momoh; Peter A Ng; Reynaldo Pablo; Suleiman A. Ashur

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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: 17
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42799
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42799
Download Count: 153

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Paper Authors

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Donald W. Mueller Jr. P.E. Purdue University, Fort Wayne

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Don Mueller received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology and is currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at PFW. He served as chair of the IPFW engineering department for four years. Don is interested in engineering education from the first-year to graduate-level. He has taught many courses in the thermal-fluid sciences, including Sustainable Energy Sources and Systems, and has recently developed a new graduate course in Modeling and Simulation of Mechanical Engineering Systems. He is very active working on industry-academia projects within the Modeling & Simulation Lab. In addition, he is part of team that has been awarded a $650K NSF grant to study and improve retention and graduation rates of engineering students. Don is the author/co-author of over 50 technical publications and is currently working on modeling solar collectors, energy systems, and heat loss from buildings. He is a licensed professional engineer and is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society of Engineering Education.

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Josue Njock Libii Purdue University, Fort Wayne

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JosuÃ© Njock Libii is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. He earned a B.S.E in Civil Engineering, an M.S.E. in Applied Mechanics, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics (Fl

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Suleiman Ashur is a Professor of Civil Engineering and the Program Coordinator at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Dr. Ashur is a recipient of several honors and awards including the IPFW Student Organization Advisor of the Year ward, 2012

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Abstract

This paper describes activities, preliminary findings, and outcomes from a five-year, NSF-sponsored project at Purdue University Fort Wayne to increase the number of students who complete engineering, engineering technology, and computer science degrees. Purdue University Fort Wayne is an metropolitan, non-selective institution with a high percentage of under-prepared, first-generation, low income, commuter students, many of whom work. The objectives of this project are to (a) increase graduation rates of the STEM cohorts; (b) build the foundation for a sustainable institutional structure and support STEM scholars and other students; (c) carry out research designed to advance understanding of the factors, practices, and curricular and co-curricular activities that affect the retention of students and their degree completion; and (d) integrate the best practices into the educational culture of institution. This paper describes preliminary data from a survey of 304 students in the college of engineering, technology, and computer science taken over a three-year period that shows that a typical student receives financial aid, commutes, attends full time (at least when starting), and works. In addition, typical students report not being well connected with faculty, mentors, or student study groups. And, despite most students receiving financial aid, many still have financial difficulties. Based on these findings, three tools to enhance student success, designed by the faculty learning community, are described: 1. Success Assessment Tool—a Qualtrics-based risk assessment as means for self-evaluation of barriers (academic, time, or financial) to success and collaborative evaluation of students’ current status and needs with their faculty mentor; 2. Risk Indicator Survey—a Qualtrics instrument to flag students who are struggling in a particular class. Students who are flagged will be advised of support services and encouraged to develop a personalized improvement plan; 3. Engineer Your Success—a worksheet activity given to students to (a) monitor progress in a specific class, (b) assist students in self-identification of barriers to success that might exist in a specific class, and (c) provide a process for students to develop a personalized improvement plan. Finally, efforts to increase mentoring, tutoring, and career development are discussed.

Citation
Format

Mueller, D. W., & Njock Libii, J., & Holland, D. D., & Momoh, O. D., & Ng, P. A., & Pablo, R., & Ashur, S. A. (2023, June), Board 434: Work in Progress: Building a Sustainable Institutional Structure to Support STEM Scholars Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42799

TY - CPAPER
AB - This paper describes activities, preliminary findings, and outcomes from a five-year, NSF-sponsored project at Purdue University Fort Wayne to increase the number of students who complete engineering, engineering technology, and computer science degrees. Purdue University Fort Wayne is an metropolitan, non-selective institution with a high percentage of under-prepared, first-generation, low income, commuter students, many of whom work. The objectives of this project are to (a) increase graduation rates of the STEM cohorts; (b) build the foundation for a sustainable institutional structure and support STEM scholars and other students; (c) carry out research designed to advance understanding of the factors, practices, and curricular and co-curricular activities that affect the retention of students and their degree completion; and (d) integrate the best practices into the educational culture of institution. This paper describes preliminary data from a survey of 304 students in the college of engineering, technology, and computer science taken over a three-year period that shows that a typical student receives financial aid, commutes, attends full time (at least when starting), and works. In addition, typical students report not being well connected with faculty, mentors, or student study groups. And, despite most students receiving financial aid, many still have financial difficulties. Based on these findings, three tools to enhance student success, designed by the faculty learning community, are described: 1. Success Assessment Tool—a Qualtrics-based risk assessment as means for self-evaluation of barriers (academic, time, or financial) to success and collaborative evaluation of students’ current status and needs with their faculty mentor; 2. Risk Indicator Survey—a Qualtrics instrument to flag students who are struggling in a particular class. Students who are flagged will be advised of support services and encouraged to develop a personalized improvement plan; 3. Engineer Your Success—a worksheet activity given to students to (a) monitor progress in a specific class, (b) assist students in self-identification of barriers to success that might exist in a specific class, and (c) provide a process for students to develop a personalized improvement plan. Finally, efforts to increase mentoring, tutoring, and career development are discussed.
AU - Donald W. Mueller Jr. P.E.
AU - Josue Njock Libii
AU - Donna Dea Holland
AU - Omonowo David Momoh
AU - Peter A Ng
AU - Reynaldo Pablo
AU - Suleiman A. Ashur
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 434: Work in Progress: Building a Sustainable Institutional Structure to Support STEM Scholars
UR - https://peer.asee.org/42799
DO - 10.18260/1-2--42799
ER -