A Multi-Program Approach to Student Retention and Success

Programs that address the needs of first year engineering students have traditionally been designed to create community and facilitate inclusion. Students are more likely to be retained into their second year when guided by structures of engagement and support through purposefully-designed programs (Soldner, Rowan-Keyon, Inkelas, Garvey, & Robbins, 2012, National Academies, 2014; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). These programs can include living learning communities (Soldner et al., 2012), mentoring experiences (Baier, Markman, & PerniceDuca, 2016), and summer bridge interventions (Lee, Seimetz, & Amelink, 2014; Yoder, 2012). While research has underscored how these programs can encourage retention, much less is understood about how programs can work together to address the needs of at-risk student populations, particularly for those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. This paper will describe the first-year intervention programs designed for underrepresented students in engineering (i.e., African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and females of all races) at the University of Maryland, including a summer bridge program, mentoring program, and engineering specific living learning communities. Important implications about program design drawn from the longitudinal evaluation of these retention programs will be discussed. The Successful Engineering Education and Development Support Program The Successful Engineering Education and Development Support (SEEDS) Program is comprised of several multifaceted retention programs within the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. Funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE #0969232), the SEEDS program was piloted in 2010 and fully implemented in 2011. The goals of the SEEDS program include “(1) facilitating the first year students’ and new transfer students’ transition into the school of engineering; (2) increasing students’ commitment to engineering majors through career clarification and goal setting; (3) reducing the barriers to success that students may face, particularly those for women and underrepresented students; and (4) enhancing the positive personal and environmental factors for students in engineering.” (Smith, Fourney, & Pertmer, 2009) Ultimately, the SEEDS program seeks to promote persistence and success among engineering students, particularly through their first year in the Clark School of Engineering. The SEEDS program is comprised of a series of programs, including the Engineering Living & Learning Communities of Flexus (women) and Virtus (men), the Peer Mentoring Program, and the First Year Summer Experience (FYSE). Engineering Living & Learning Communities The Flexus Program. Flexus is a cohort-based living and learning community (LLC) designed specifically for female engineering students (refer to Samuelson, Litzler, Staples, & Smith, 2014 for a comprehensive overview of Flexus). The Flexus program was developed initially through a generous grant from a former Associate Dean of the Clark School, gifted to the University of Maryland’s Women in Engineering Program. In addition to promoting gender diversity in the field of engineering, the primary goal of Flexus is to cultivate community among first-year and second-year female engineering students (Tinto, 2003). Living and learning communities, such as Flexus, not only increase support through peer interactions, but increase students’ likelihood of being retained through their second year (Seymour & Hewitt, 1994; Soldner, Rowan-Kenyon, Inkelas, Garvey, & Robbins, 2012; Samuelson et al., 2014). The living and learning programs extend over students’ firstand second-year in the Clark School. Students are recruited to become a part of the program throughout the spring recruitment season. Upon enrollment in the Flexus program, students are housed together in the same residence hall and registered for a one-credit seminar course, which continues each semester for the first two years. The first year Flexus seminars are specifically geared toward facilitating success during the college experience through core engineering courses and in future careers in engineering. The curriculum is structured for technical, professional, and personal development. While the majority of the seminar classes are held exclusively for Flexus, there are several cocurricular classes that are combined with the male LLC, Virtus. This allows for a broader community to be built among men and women across the male and female LLCs. The first year Flexus seminar focuses on adjustment into engineering and the university, addressing skills necessary to succeed in college, such as time management, study skills, critical thinking, and awareness of various resources for students on campus. In addition, the class emphasizes the importance of teamwork through engaging in several group activities. The first year course also provides dedicated time in class to address challenges in the first two engineering courses students take, and provides an opportunity for students to work in groups to solve practice problems in challenging content areas of these courses. Furthermore, the Flexus program offers regular tutoring hours for its students within their shared residence hall. In the latter half of the year, the emphasis changes to professional and career development, such as interviewing skills, and how to research companies. The second-year Flexus course is geared more toward personal, professional, and leadership development, and preparation for careers in the field of engineering (Seymour et al., 1994). One aspect of the course focuses on the experiences of women in the field, addressing experiences of sexism and gender discrimination, and the ways in which to promote gender equality in STEM fields. Throughout the second year, Flexus students develop an awareness of self through completing instruments such as the StrengthsQuest for leadership development, beginning to explore information about potential career opportunities and professional development experiences. Other topics include ethics and diversity within the context of engineering leadership development. The program incorporates local engineering-related field trips and visits from speakers, including research presentations from faculty members and/or local women engineers. Each semester, the program staff members offer mid-semester advising to members of the living and learning communities. Outside of the classroom, students participate in various extracurricular, social, and volunteer activities with a focus on community service and engineering outreach. These include mentoring and leadership opportunities designed to contribute to their leadership development and selfefficacy (Seymour et al., 1994). Part of the Flexus membership requirement includes engaging in activities with students outside of the classroom. At the beginning of the semester, LLC staff provides suggestions for activities, speakers, volunteer opportunities, and events on campus, in which students are encouraged to participate. The program staff also encourages Flexus first-year and second-year students to attend events with one another. This facilitates cross-cohort relationship development and provides first-year students with exposure to the experiences of second-year students, while also allowing second-year students to take on mentorship roles (Tinto, 2003). Another important aspect of Flexus is the opportunity it provides for leadership development. Students within the program elect an executive board (including a President, Vice President, and a few committee leaders) who plan and implement various social activities throughout the semester. The shared residence hall and student lounge are common gathering spaces for Flexus events, which makes attending the events together easy and convenient. These events, which range from field trips to Washington, DC to ice cream socials, have the goal of promoting community and friendship among the students (Seymour et al., 1994; Soldner et al., 2012). The Virtus Program. Following the implementation of Flexus, Virtus was added to the SEEDS portfolio. Virtus was developed to provide a living and learning community for male engineering students. Aligned with many of the goals of Flexus, the primary focus of Virtus is on promoting community and support among firstand second-year engineering students. Through academic, social, and professional support services, Virtus seeks to better retain male students, while facilitating success through graduation (Soldner et al., 2012; Tinto, 2003). In many ways, Virtus is aligned with the curriculum and structure of Flexus. For example first-year students are required to live in a common residence hall, participate in a one credit seminar each semester, and participate in various academic, social and professional development activities. Through various types of activities, programs, and services as living and learning communities, Flexus and Virtus facilitate both academic and social integration within the Clark School. All of living and learning students are required to participate in the peer mentoring program. SEEDS Peer Mentoring The SEEDS Peer Mentoring program was designed to be inclusive of all first-year engineering students and new transfer students in the Clark School. The primary goal of the program is to facilitate mentoring relationships among new engineering students with upper-level students. Previous research suggests that mentoring relationships among engineering students can encourage positive academic and social integration (Baier, Markman, & Pernice-Duva, 2016; Wallace & Haines, 2004). Each year about 50-60 peer mentors are hired and trained in preparation for their mentoring roles. They learn important skills, such as active listening, encouragement, and the balance between challenge and support, which are necessary in the development of ment