WIP: College-Wide First Year SeminarBuilding the Foundation for Career Success
- Conference
- Location
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2025
- Start Date
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June 22, 2025
- End Date
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August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)
- Page Count
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10
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/57386
Paper Authors
Cheryl B. Schrader Wright State University
Cheryl B. Schrader retired as president and rejoined full-time professor ranks in Wright State’s Department of Electrical Engineering. Prior to Wright State she served as chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology and associate vice president for research and dean of engineering at Boise State University. Professor Schrader earned her BSEE degree from Valparaiso University and MSEE and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Over her career she received several best paper and presentation awards; authored approximately 100 publications; and delivered more than 100 invited presentations and keynote addresses. Her grant and contract funding exceeds $11 million.
A Fellow of both the ASEE and IEEE, Professor Schrader has served ASEE in myriad technical, regional and institute-level elected leadership positions and committees and has been recognized for her many contributions. She was most honored to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the White House, enhancing participation of individuals who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in STEM.
Craig Baudendistel Wright State University
Craig Baudendistel has been teaching for 10 years in the Mechanical Engineering department at Wright State University. He has been heavily involved in first year courses focused on retention. This includes courses in applied mathematics, first-year seminar, programming, and computer aided design. Additionally, he advises 2-3 senior capstone groups per year related to SAE competitions or industry partners like GE Aerospace.
Abstract
This Work in Progress paper was motivated by understanding the unique challenges facing Generation Z (Gen Z) students who now cross the spectra of undergraduate and graduate college degree offerings. Of note is that members of Gen Z experienced the events of September 11, 2001; they lived through a recession and high unemployment; they are familiar with a world at war; their learning and formative years were interrupted by a pandemic; and they are the most racially diverse and technically savvy generation of all.
Research on this generation sets them apart in many ways from previous generations who influenced the development of college courses, program curricula and support infrastructure. Gen Z’s unique experiences, needs, loss of learning, and potential creates a clarion call for universities to assess how they are best supported and retained. This study addresses the creation, development and implementation of two pilot First Year Seminar (FYS) courses offered college-wide for engineering and computer science students in the 2024 fall and 2025 spring semesters as a high impact practice for student success.
Results are promising. Student focus groups, faculty focus groups, pre- and post-course surveys and mid-course progress surveys were conducted to provide insight into student development and design effectiveness. Institutional Research at Wright State University produced initial quantitative assessment comparisons during the 2025 spring semester on DFW rates (percentage of students earning a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ or withdrawing compared to the total enrollment), persistence, significance testing, and pre- and post-course learning outcomes.
The time is right in the development of this FYS Work in Progress study to solicit feedback from renowned researchers and colleagues through the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Work in Progress process to help guide a permanent, rich and impactful experience for a new generation of engineering and computer science scholars.
Schrader, C. B., & Baudendistel, C. (2025, June), WIP: College-Wide First Year SeminarBuilding the Foundation for Career Success Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/57386
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