Triple Threat Collaboration: Increasing Minority Success In Engineering

Increasing enrollment in engineering programs is attained through creative partnerships. One such partnership is the Emerson Electric Minority Engineering Scholarship. This 13-year collaboration between the corporate world (Emerson Electric Co.), a four-year university (University of Missouri – Rolla (UMR)) and a 2-year college (St. Louis Community College (SLCC)) makes it possible for participating students to enroll in an engineering curriculum and maintain academic achievement that leads to degrees in engineering. These students, selected from underrepresented populations, follow a specific engineering curriculum at SLCC, with tuition and fees paid by Emerson for up to six consecutive semesters. Then, upon successful completion of this component, these students are eligible to transfer to UMR to complete their engineering degree, with tuition and fees paid by the UMR Minority Engineering Transfer Scholarship, for up to three years. The involvement of industry is key in this collaborative which is a unique program designed to increase recruitment and retention of minority engineering students. Another key component is the careful selection of a nurturing staff person to serve as counselor and mentor to the students. The successes of this program, as evidenced by student performance, transfer, retention and graduation, will be documented in this paper.