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1. Phase One Research Results from a Project on Vertical Transfer Students in Engineering and Engineering Technology

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--35053  

   Gupta, S. K.; Foltz, F. A; Moon, J. E.; Melton, R. W; Kuhl, M. E.; Valentine, M. S.; Lee, J. H.; Garrick, R.; Liu, R; Johnson, D. P. (January 2020, 2020 ASEE Annual Conference)

   This paper reports on the first phase of research on a scholarship program VTAB (Vertical Transfers’ Access to the Baccalaureate) funded by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that focuses on students who transfer at the 3rd year level from 2-year schools to the engineering and engineering technology BS programs at our university [1]. The goals of the program are: (i) to expand and diversify the engineering/technology workforce of the future, (ii) to develop linkages and articulations with 2-year schools and their S-STEM programs, (iii) to recruit, retain, and graduate 78 low-income students, and place them in industry or graduate schools, (iv) to generate knowledge about the program elements that can help other universities, and (v) to serve as a model for other universities to provide vertical transfer students access to the baccalaureate degree. 

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2. An Orientation Program for Vertical Transfers in Engineering and Engineering Technology

   Gupta, SK; Foltz, F; Moon, JE; Melton, R; Kuhl, M; Johnson, DP; Valentine, M; Lee, J; Garrick, R (June 2019, ASEE Annual Conference proceedings)

   This paper reports on a scholarship program funded by the National Science Foundation that focuses on students who transfer at the 3rd-year level from 2-year schools to the engineering and engineering technology BS programs at our university. The objectives of the program are to: (i) expand and diversify the engineering/technology workforce of the future, (ii) develop linkages and articulations with 2-year schools and their S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs, (iii) provide increased career opportunities and job placement rates through mandatory paid co-op experiences, and (iv) serve as a model for other universities to provide vertical transfer students access to the baccalaureate degree. The program is in its third year. It recruited its first group of 25 students in Fall 2017, and another group of 27 students in Fall 2018. We hope to recruit 26 more students in Fall 2019 for a total of 78 vertical transfers. The goal is to retain and graduate at least 95% of these scholars. To enhance the success of these scholars, a zero-credit six-week orientation course was developed in Fall 2017 focusing on four dimensions of student wellness: academic, financial, social, and personal. This paper describes the development of this course, its content, and the modifications that were made to the course for Fall 2018. The paper will also address the research conducted in order to generate knowledge about the program elements that will be essential for the success of vertical transfer programs at other universities. Two research instruments are described: an online survey and a focus group interview that were developed, and administered to the transfer scholars in their first year. Initial findings concerning students’ experiences at their 2-year schools, their reason for transferring, their experience in transferring as well as their initial conceptions of what life at a 4-year institution will be like are presented. 

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3. 2018 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings

   Gupta, SK; Moon, JE; Melton, RE; Kuhl, ME; Johnson, DP; Dunn, T; Lee, JH; Foltz, FA; Garrick, RE (January 2018, 2018 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings)

   This paper introduces two scholarship projects funded by the National Science Foundation that focus on students who transfer at the 3rd year level from 2-year schools to the engineering and engineering technology BS programs at our university. The objectives of both the projects are: (i) to expand and diversify the engineering/technology workforce of the future, (ii) to develop linkages and articulations with 2-year schools and their S-STEM programs, (iii) to provide increased career opportunities and job placement rates through mandatory paid co-op experiences, and (iv) to serve as a model for other universities to provide vertical transfer students access to the baccalaureate degree. The Transfer Pipeline (TiPi) project awarded 25 new scholarships per year from 2012 to 2014 to a total of 75 engineering and engineering technology transfer students. By the end of Fall 2017, 66 (88%) scholars have graduated, 5 (7%) are in process of completing their degrees, and only 4 (5%) left our university, for a 95% retention rate. The paper describes our successes and challenges. The Vertical Transfer Access to the Baccalaureate (VTAB) project recruited its first group of 25 students in Fall 2017 with the goal of recruiting a total of 78 vertical transfers over the next three years. An additional goal of the VTAB project is to conduct research and generate knowledge about the VTAB project elements that will be essential for the success of vertical transfer programs at other universities. The paper describes the research instruments, and the results from an online survey and a focus group interview of the first cohort of VTAB scholars. 

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4. Work in Progress: Institutional Context and the Implementation of the Redshirt in Engineering Model at Six Universities

   Knaphaus-Soran, Emily; Delaney, Ann; Tetrick, Katherine; Cunningham, Sonya; Cosman, Pamela; Ennis, Tanya; Myers, Beth; Milford, Jana; Llewellyn, Donna; Riskin, Eve; et al (June 2018, ASEE annual conference & exposition proceedings)

   Low-income students are underrepresented in engineering and are more likely to struggle in engineering programs. Such students may be academically talented and perform well in high school, but may have relatively weak academic preparation for college compared to students who attended better-resourced schools. Four-year engineering and computer science curricula are designed for students who are calculus-ready, but many students who are eager to become engineers or computer scientists need additional time and support to succeed. The NSF-funded Redshirt in Engineering Consortium was formed in 2016 as a collaborative effort to build on the success of three existing “academic redshirt” programs and expand the model to three new schools. The Consortium takes its name from the practice of redshirting in college athletics, with the idea of providing an extra year and support to promising engineering students from low-income backgrounds. The goal of the program is to enhance the students’ ability to successfully graduate with engineering or computer science degrees. This Work in Progress paper describes the redshirt programs at each of the six Consortium institutions, providing a variety of models for how an extra preparatory year or other intensive academic preparatory programs can be accommodated. This paper will pay particular attention to the ways that institutional context shapes the implementation of the redshirt model. For instance, what do the redshirt admissions and selection processes look like at schools with direct-to-college admissions versus schools with post-general education admissions? What substantive elements of the first-year curriculum are consistent across the consortium? Where variation in curriculum occurs, what are the institutional factors that produce this variation? How does the redshirt program fit with other pre-existing academic support services on campus, and what impact does this have on the redshirt program’s areas of focus? Program elements covered include first-year curricula, pre-matriculation summer programs, academic advising and support services, admissions and selection processes, and financial aid. Ongoing assessment efforts and research designed to investigate how the various redshirt models influence faculty and student experiences will be described. 

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5. Educating Engineering Students Innovatively: A Model for Improving Retention and Academic Performance of Black Upper-Level Students

   Caldwell, Charmane; Perry, Reginald (June 2023, ASEE Annual Conference proceedings)

   Educating Engineering Students Innovatively (EESI, pronounced "easy") is a student support program for sophomores to seniors enrolled in an engineering major offered at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The program is designed to: (1) foster a sense of community, (2) improve students’ engineering skill sets, and (3) provide each student with their direct path of interest from college to the STEM workforce. Universities spend much effort to provide student support programs for first-year students, such as summer bridge programs. However, sometimes upper-level students are not offered the same level of support and can fall off the STEM pathway. Introducing experiential learning experiences centered on the safe space (or community) of students provides a model to address underrepresentation in the STEM workforce and graduate school. This case study of an experiential learning program will provide an option for universities to consider underrepresented minority upperclassmen retention methods. We will present data for students enrolled in an engineering major between 2018-2021, considering students' gender, first-generation, and financial status. This paper will report the results of four (4) different cohorts of EESI Scholars who completed at least one semester in the student support program. We compare the retention rates, persistence, and academic performance of EESI Scholars compared with students that did not participate in the student support program as one measure of the program's success. Then we provide the best practices of the experiential learning program that led to students' persistence at ***** University. This paper could assist other colleges that would like to ensure Black students, who have been historically underrepresented in STEM, persistence in their engineering programs. 

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