Curriculum Restructuring For Freshman Retention In The 1990s And Beyond

In 1994-95, freshmen in the Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) program at Oregon Institute of Technology began enrolling in a curriculum which had been restructured to improve student retention. During the first two years in which the new curriculum was in place, the number of students completing EET freshman courses and a sophomore semiconductor devices course with a "C" or better grade increased from 68% to 81%. This paper describes how OIT's freshman EET curriculum was modified, and encourages others to "stay the course" in terms of academic rigor in their programs, but to consider curriculum restructuring as a way to improve student retention.