Recruitment And Retention Programs For Minorities In Engineering Programs

The number of minority graduates with engineering degrees has declined during the past decade in comparison to those of non-minority and international students. This decline, coupled with the continued globalization of our economic markets, bears serious implications for the economic development and prosperity of the nation. For decades, one of the top priorities for America’s higher education leaders is to get more students into college. The second priority is to graduate students that are competent in their field of study. In a recent national study, only two of five minority students who enroll in engineering programs graduate with a baccalaureate degree in engineering, as compared to two of three non-minority students. Another national study found that 54 percent of students entering four-year colleges in 1997 had a degree six years later, with even a lower percentage for Hispanics and Blacks. The barriers to minority student retention continue to be: the cost of education, isolating campus environments, a lack of peer and faculty engagement, and inadequate math and science preparation. To minimize the impact of this disturbing trend of students not pursuing an engineering degree, a priority must be set to generate student interest in the field of engineering. In this paper, we outline strategies to increase enrollment through five programs: (1) increase retention by creating a coaching and future leadership program for freshmen and sophomore students; (2) increase retention by hosting a design competition for engineering students; (3) recruit high school students into engineering programs by enhancing and expanding summer camp programs; (4) generate awareness of engineering programs through workshops for students and teachers at their respective high schools; (5) generate interest in engineering for 5th through 12th grade students by offering Lego Robotics programs in middle and high schools to be run by teachers. From our five programs, mentoring and tutoring of students are known to improve retention. The mentoring and tutoring of students is best conducted in a form of coaching and future leadership. We illustrate a program to increase the retention rate of first and second year engineering students by providing them with academic and peer support to facilitate their transition into the College of Engineering. In addition, student recognition and academic competitions are provided as methods to increase esteem and competitive nature within students. In the area of recruitment, a method that has proven successful at some schools is the offering of engineering camps. Within these camps, students are introduced to and work with Lego Robotics in addition to preparatory skills from science, technology, engineering, and math. The use of these programs will create more opportunities to educate students about the fundamentals of engineering using innovative, fun and exciting projects. 1. HISTORICAL ENROLLMENT DATA Electrical engineering undergraduate program at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) had an enrollment of over 500 students in 1991. In 2001, our enrollment had decreased to 250 students. By 2004, our enrollment had increased to 307, however the next year we were able to maintain above 300. The programs we have in place currently to recruit and retain more students are: (1) Increase retention by continuing with the Infinity Program and by providing tutorials and P ge 12229.2 mentoring to students at risk; (2) Recruit high school students into Electrical and Computer Engineering programs by offering summer camps; and (3) Increase community college students transfer. The enrollment of the Electrical Engineering program from 2001 through 2005 is shown in Table 1. The enrollment has been broken down in terms of (a) Entering students, (b) Progressing students, (c) advanced student. Table 2 shows the gender and ethnic breakdown of students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering programs for the Fall 2004 semester. Table 1 Enrollment of Electrical and Computer Engineering students Year (Fall) Entering Students Progressing Students Advanced Students Total EE CompE EE CompE EE CompE 2005 65 35 98 21 80 5 304 2004 92 30 82 18 85 0 307 2003 87 10 99 5 60 0 261 2002 94 0 89 0 72 0 255 2001 90 0 90 0 70 0 250 EE and CompE stand for Electrical and Computer Engineering, respectively. The Computer Engineering program started in June 2003. Table 2 Ethnic and Gender Breakdown of Students during Fall 2004 semester Program African Amer. American Indian Asian Amer. Caucasian Hispanic Foreign Male Female EE 228 1 5 5 6 14 200 59 CompE 45 0 1 0 2 0 40 8 Two Progs. 273 1 6 5 8 14 240 67 Percent 2 progs. 88.93% 0.32% 1.95% 1.63% 2.61% 4.56% 78.18% 21.82% 2. STRATEGIES FOR REACHING EXPANSION GOALS 2.1 Increase Retention Rate The national retention rate for freshman engineering students is close to 48%. The strategies we want to employ to increase the retention rate are (a) mentoring and tutoring of students (b) design competitions and student recognition. Mentoring and tutoring of students are known to improve retention [2]. We intend to increase the retention rate of first and second year electrical and computer engineering students by providing them with academic and peer support to facilitate their transition into the College of Engineering. Additionally, we plan to provide student recognition and academic competitions, methods that have been used at other institutions and proven successful in retention. Objective: Offer work study positions as mentors to make a difference as role models within the Department of Electrical Engineering. P ge 12229.3 Strategy 1: First Year Initiative (FYI) – Transitioning High Students and Transfer Students through First Year; Year Two (Y2) program – Continuing with Engineering through Major-specific options. Timeframe: September through May (Orientations and information sessions in Fall) The goal of the First Year Initiative (FYI) is to increase the retention rate of first year electrical and computer engineering students after one year of engineering studies by providing them with academic and peer support to facilitate their transition into the College of Engineering. FYI includes workshops, design competitions and gatherings with industry mentors. The Year Two (Y2) program is designed to increase the retention rate of electrical and computer engineering students through two years of undergraduate engineering studies. The Y2 program provides academic and career support for second year electrical and computer engineering students and offers mentoring and exploration opportunities designed to connect students to their area of interest and career options. Assessment: Number of work study positions taken and meetings attended. Evaluation: The First Year Initiative and Year Two program was initiated with a meeting within the first few weeks of school. In this meeting FYI and Y2 students were introduced to Upperclassmen. The objective of the program was highlighted. The PI solicited help from upperclassmen to participate and encouraged them to fill out applications to be a Mentor. Feedback was received from those that were interested stating that they already had positions in other areas of the department and on campus. We continued to meet weekly and frequently discussed other alternatives to receiving financial compensation. Meetings were conducted with other professors within the department and others outside of the department for guidance. The best alternative was to implement a scholarship reward of $500 per student. The scholarship would give students the opportunity to pay back student loans and finance purchases needed for school, such as books and fees for joining professional organizations. During the meetings we stressed the importance of purpose of studying engineering, program requirements, and tools of success. We also engaged in discussions related to leadership development. The number of attendees were 16, including mentors. Throughout the semester those 16 students missed either 1 or no meetings. A survey will be disseminating at the end of the semester to the freshmen to better evaluate what steps should be taken for next semester. In an effort to gain more interest, more attention was given to tutoring in the Spring semester. The tutors were hired as undergraduate teaching assistants. These undergraduate teaching assistants are conducting weekly tutorial sessions, at least twice per week. They also assist professors with grading of homeworks, quizzes and labs. The sophomore and junior level courses within the department were targeted. The rationale for selecting sophomore and junior level courses was the need to better prepare students for their advanced year and increase our graduation rate. We are currently in the process of evaluating this procedure. Objective: Promote interaction between Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior and Seniors through a design competition between electrical and computer engineering students. P ge 12229.4 Strategy 2: Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Competition (ECEDC) – Promoting interaction among students. Timeframe: September through March (Orientations and information sessions in Fall) The Electrical and Computer Engineering Design Competition (ECEDC) is designed to increase the retention rate and interaction among students within the Department of Electrical Engineering. Student design contests have been proven to be very good models for design projects within the classroom and promote special interest and creativity. Learning to work in groups is a key way to become prepared for later life, and of developing communication, citizenship, leadership, and social skills. Assesment: Number of students and student teams participating in the competition. Evaluation: In January 2007, we introduced the 1 College of Engineering Student Design Competition. Based on the idea given in the proposal, an invitation for other departments to participate w