Providing Connections Between Freshman And Senior Engineers

The typical engineering curriculum in most programs revolves around math, physics, and chemistry components. Students prepare for future engineering activities by building a foundation that will allow them to function at the upper levels of their majors. Little or no connection to those upper level courses is provided. Within an educational mode that may seem to be the correct way to prepare students; but when carefully analyzed, that singular focus of the curriculum may be incomplete. Most will agree that it is necessary to pique the interest of students in their future careers with material that is significantly important within that career. It is not enough to simply require courses that do not present specific connections to the future majors and hope that these same students will continue in the engineering programs. It is with that thought in mind that a new component of the Residential Option for Science and Engineering Students (ROSES) course was initiated in Michigan State University’s College of Engineering. The plan was to provide freshmen students with: