WIP: How the STEPS Program Enhances the First-Year Experience for Engineering Students

Cory Budischak; Shawn Fagan

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Conference: 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Publication Date: July 28, 2024
Start Date: July 28, 2024
End Date: July 30, 2024
Page Count: 5
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--48638
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48638
Download Count: 39

Paper Authors

biography

Cory Budischak Temple University orcid.org/0000-0003-0986-4297

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Dr. Cory Budischak, Associate Professor of Instruction at Temple University, focuses on transitioning to 100% renewable energy and advocacy for policy implementation at state and national levels. He's part of Delaware's GEAC, aiming to halve emissions by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050. Budischak champions a holistic view of energy systems in order to most effectively transition to a low carbon economy. A proponent of innovative teaching methods like flipped classroom problem based learning and design thinking, he also co-founded the STEPS program (funded through NSF S-STEM) to support low-income, high-achieving engineering students. Budischak holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and enjoys outdoor activities with his family.

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Shawn Fagan Temple University orcid.org/0000-0002-6107-0980

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Dr. Shawn Fagan is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering at Temple University. He received his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Temple University.

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Abstract

The Sustainable Energy and Power Scholars (STEPS) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the S-STEM program, offers scholarships alongside comprehensive curricular and co-curricular support to low-income, high-achieving students. The STEPS program, which admitted its first cohort of scholars in the Fall of 2023., has been designed to provide participants with cohort building activities, exposure to the sustainable energy industry and engineering career professions, and multi-tiered mentoring. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the program’s activities are designed to positively influence the scholars’ self-efficacy and outcome expectations in engineering while also fostering a sense of belonging within the engineering program.

The research questions include: (1) How might academic and career choice take shape for low-income, high achieving students in the STEPS program? (2) What roles do learning experiences, coupled with robust support programs, play in a low-income, high achieving student’s choice behavior and persistence? (3) How do low-income, high achieving students in the STEPS program overcome social and cultural barriers in engineering?

This paper will discuss the details of the comprehensive curricular and co-curricular support provided to the scholars and present the initial findings and insights from participants’ interviews and surveys. The support provided encompasses layered mentorship, participation in industry events, employing scholars in educational workshops and recruitment events, and proactive academic advising. While it’s not uncommon for cohort building to prove challenging for some S-STEM programs, the STEPS program has found success with the following strategies: (1) utilizing block scheduling for first-year engineering courses, which includes a 3-credit introductory engineering course and a 1-credit engineering first-year seminar course, to foster cohort building, (2) implementing regularly scheduled group and individual mentor meetings throughout the semester, (3) using targeted academic advising campaigns as a proactive outreach approach, and (4) employing scholars to participate in and develop renewable energy engineering activities for recruitment and educational workshops. To date, based on anecdotal evidence, the initial outcomes of these activities appear positive. The comprehensive collection and analysis of survey and interview data are currently underway, promising more definitive insights in the near future. The preliminary results and observations from this year’s activities will be presented at the conference. The paper will focus on strategies and results relevant to the first-year engineering education community, emphasizing insights gained on effectively supporting students’ transition from high school to college.

Citation
Format

Budischak, C., & Fagan, S. (2024, July), WIP: How the STEPS Program Enhances the First-Year Experience for Engineering Students Paper presented at 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts. 10.18260/1-2--48638

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The Sustainable Energy and Power Scholars (STEPS) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the S-STEM program, offers scholarships alongside comprehensive curricular and co-curricular support to low-income, high-achieving students. The STEPS program, which admitted its first cohort of scholars in the Fall of 2023., has been designed to provide participants with cohort building activities, exposure to the sustainable energy industry and engineering career professions, and multi-tiered mentoring. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the program’s activities are designed to positively influence the scholars’ self-efficacy and outcome expectations in engineering while also fostering a sense of belonging within the engineering program. 

The research questions include: (1) How might academic and career choice take shape for low-income, high achieving students in the STEPS program? (2) What roles do learning experiences, coupled with robust support programs, play in a low-income, high achieving student’s choice behavior and persistence? (3) How do low-income, high achieving students in the STEPS program overcome social and cultural barriers in engineering? 

This paper will discuss the details of the comprehensive curricular and co-curricular support provided to the scholars and present the initial findings and insights from participants’ interviews and surveys. The support provided encompasses layered mentorship, participation in industry events, employing scholars in educational workshops and recruitment events, and proactive academic advising. While it’s not uncommon for cohort building to prove challenging for some S-STEM programs, the STEPS program has found success with the following strategies: (1) utilizing block scheduling for first-year engineering courses, which includes a 3-credit introductory engineering course and a 1-credit engineering first-year seminar course, to foster cohort building, (2) implementing regularly scheduled group and individual mentor meetings throughout the semester, (3) using targeted academic advising campaigns as a proactive outreach approach, and (4) employing scholars to participate in and develop renewable energy engineering activities for recruitment and educational workshops. To date, based on anecdotal evidence, the initial outcomes of these activities appear positive. The comprehensive collection and analysis of survey and interview data are currently underway, promising more definitive insights in the near future. The preliminary results and observations from this year’s activities will be presented at the conference. The paper will focus on strategies and results relevant to the first-year engineering education community, emphasizing insights gained on effectively supporting students’ transition from high school to college. 

AU  - Cory Budischak
AU  - Shawn Fagan
CY  - Boston, Massachusetts
DA  - 2024/07/28
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - WIP: How the STEPS Program Enhances the First-Year Experience for Engineering Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48638
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--48638
ER  -