Board # 148 : Stones in the Road: Analysis and Response to “Roadblock” Courses in the SEECS Program

The Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) program is a National Science Foundation sponsored scholarship granting program at Gannon University. Through the first seven years of scholarship granting (2009 – 2015), SEECS helped 77 students pursue the goal of graduation from college with a STEM degree, specifically a degree in an engineering or computer science related field. This paper analyzes data from current and previous SEECS students confirming previously-published data pointing to “roadblock” courses which most often lead to GPA trouble (i.e. cumulative GPA less than 3.0), and investigates techniques which are or have been implemented to improve student academic success. Strong correlations have been noted between specific letter grade thresholds in identified courses and eventual separation from the SEECS program for low GPA. Intervention strategies for students who have stumbled in one or more roadblock courses, as well as generally-implemented practices conducted by the university and the SEECS program, are discussed. Consideration is given to intervention techniques presented in previously-published literature, with respect to feasibility for inclusion in an honors-type engineering program such as SEECS. Keywords—academic performance, retention, intervention strategies, academic support Factors Affecting Retention of STEM Students A commonly-held perspective within the United States urges for an increased pool of qualified workers in the STEM fields. Aligned to the perception is the conviction that the number of STEM-major students in universities is far short of the projected demand for STEM workers. In response to this problem, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has created the program “Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM)” seeking to increase the number of domestic students in STEM fields by providing financial support to promising students who have limited financial means. The SEECS program, detailed in the next section, is one program sponsored by the NSF through the S-STEM grant program. S-STEM addresses one side of the problem: The number of STEM students is increased by providing lower-income students with the financial wherewithal to enter into STEM studies. The funding does not directly address another key problem of graduating STEM majors: attrition of matriculated students. Causes of attrition among STEM students have been the subject of numerous studies [1, 2]. An excellent survey of those studies and their conclusions has been provided by Geisinger and Raman [1]. The paper reviewed 50 studies addressing reasons for student attrition, supplemented by 25 additional studies of methods attempted to improve retention. The major causes of attrition are reported to be (1) an unwelcoming academic climate, (2) conceptual difficulty with core courses, (3) lack of self-efficacy or self-confidence, (4) inadequate high school preparation, (5) insufficient interest or commitment to engineering or a change in career goals, or (6) racism or sexism within the field. The SEECS program already has programmatic features which address three of these stated attrition factors, namely (1), (3), and (5). Furthermore, the selection of students for participation in SEECS in part eliminates factor (4). SEECS does, however, suffer attrition related to factor (2), conceptual difficulty in foundational courses. In particular, the SEECS faculty members have noted student performances in the first calculus and physics courses are strongly correlated with eventual dismissal from the SEECS program due to poor GPA (i.e. defined, for SEECS membership, as below 3.0). This observation seems to be corroborative of previous work; 23 of the studies cited in [1] report factor (2) as a significant source of attrition. Difficulty in foundational courses poses a series of roadblocks – multiple stones in the road – hindering a student’s progress to graduation. If help can be given to the student to remove the stones blocking their progress, the educational goals of the student may be reached. The SEECS Program: Scope and Structure The Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) program at Gannon University is a National Science Foundation S-STEM scholarship program [3], awarded through the Division of Undergraduate Education S-STEM program. The S-STEM program seeks to increase domestic representation in STEM fields by offering tuition assistance to US citizens and other eligible permanent US residents. Scholarship recipients are required to demonstrate both academic merit and financial need. Scholarship amounts have varied from year to year and sometimes from student to student, but the program has been awarded approximately $1.1M in scholarship funds to date. SEECS uses a seminar-based instruction method to provide professional and personal development opportunities and practical design experience as a means to create a professional learning community and to prepare students to succeed post-graduation. The community includes students of all majors within the School of Engineering and Computer Science and of all academic levels. Activities enable students to work together across disciplines and across levels. Anecdotal evidence portrays the efforts of the SEECS program as being very helpful in preparing students for life after graduation. Specific requirements for receipt of SEECS scholarship funds include a minimum GPA of 3.0, measured with respect to core classes of the student’s discipline only. The requirement for a high GPA level is in response to the “academic merit” provision of the NSF S-STEM goal and promotes the image of participation in the SEECS program as a mark of distinction among students. In conjunction with the NSF provision, a 3.0 GPA is typically the minimum GPA required for internships. Preparing students for professional endeavors such as internships is at the heart of SEECS; therefore, the requirement enables students to be competitive. One of the three goals of SEECS is: “through a program of scholarships and rigorous academic support, assist students to continue their STEM education through graduation.” But this goal has not been met for all SEECS students. In particular, SEECS scholarships have had to be revoked in several cases due to student failure to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Note, while SEECS demonstrates a number of characteristics that are defined hallmarks of an honors program [4], SEECS is not so designated by the university or by NSF. SEECS is viewed by students and SEECS faculty members as an “honor,” and students are recognized at commencements in a way similar to receipt of a cum laude designation, but it carries no designation on student transcripts or diplomas. A comparison of SEECS to engineering honors programs at other universities, in fact, shows significant differences in the level of faculty-student interaction and the level of attention spent to provide personal and professional growth, and in the prominent presence of intervention strategies used to assist students to maintain high GPA. Hence, given this nature of the program, SEECS is a one-of-a-kind program. Total Student Enrollment in SEECS Through the first seven years of SEECS funding, a total of 147 one-year scholarships were awarded to a total of 77 students. Continuance of the scholarship is guaranteed so long as the student remains in good standing. In the first year of awarding, 12 scholarships were granted to existing Gannon students at the sophomore level and above in order to create a fully populated SEECS community and to realize the strategies of the grant. When necessary to maintain class and major balance, additional scholarships have been awarded to qualified Gannon students from outside SEECS. A total of nine additional non-freshman students were added to meet this goal. After the first year, most scholarships have been awarded to incoming freshmen. Of the 77 scholarship recipients, 56 are students who entered the program as freshmen. As of the end of the 2015-2016 academic year, 30 of those students have graduated as SEECS members, 6 have lost eligibility due to insufficient GPA, and 22 were still in the program making progress towards graduation. Assessment Based upon GPA Vernaza et al. [5] previously presented data indicating that, of high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores, GPA is a far better predictor of successful completion of the SEECS program. The finding has led the current authors to view college GPA as the best available predictor of eventual SEECS completion. Working from that perspective, a qualitative study of particular grades in courses taken as college students has been undertaken to determine whether specific courses are more or less impactful on GPA than others. This study included all SEECS students admitted as freshmen or sophomores between fall 2009 and fall 2014. Students admitted at higher than sophomore level and students admitted beginning in fall 2015 are omitted from the analysis. That is, the study included only students who had completed at least their sophomore year of studies. The longitudinal nature of the study required at least two years of college work for each student included. In all, the analysis is of 54 individual student transcripts. Since inception of the SEECS program, four classes of students, specifically students entering into college between fall 2009 and fall 2012, have had the opportunity to participate for an entire fouryear cycle. Hence, a pool of 31 students is defined and is called the four-year (4Y) group. Of the 4Y group, six lost scholarship eligibility due to low GPA. Another eight either transferred from Gannon or switched to a non-SEECS-eligible major. Two students left the program in good standing, due to loss of financial need. Transcripts of 4Y students, omitting those students who transferred or changed major, were reviewed. The analysis was done seeking to determ