The Women in Applied Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer Bridge Program is designed to prepare incoming female students for the transition from high school to the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at Arizona State University (ASU). This program offers academic reviews in courses such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Computer-programming tutorials are also offered in Excel and HTML to better prepare students for their freshman introductory engineering course. Participants acclimate to the campus by receiving general information concerning the university, financial aid, and departmental advising. Students attending the program become familiar with the campus, have a head start on their freshman engineering classes, and have a chance to meet other female students.An overview of the WISE Summer Bridge Program will be presented as well as retention data for 1998 and 1999 program participants. I n addition, the paper will discuss the need for and impact of bridge programs specifically geared toward female students. Further, the paper will investigate other lzye circumstances, such as level of involvement in student activities, living situation, and employment that impact retention of these students.Finally, future projections of implementation and direction of student retention programs will be explored.
For participating university programs, summer bridge outreach has helped to significantly increase student retention in academic majors. For female engineering students, bridge programs not only serve an academic need, but also serve to foster networking relationships between students prior to starting the semester. The Women in Applied Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer Bridge Program was designed to prepare incoming female students for the transition from high school to the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS). Since 1998, this program has offered academic reviews in courses such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In addition, computer-based curricula have been offered in Maple, Excel, and HTML to better prepare students for their freshmen introductory engineering courses.
The Women in Applied Science and Engineering (WISE) Student Success Program was designed as a comprehensive approach to increase the retention of female undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at Arizona State University (ASU). Goals of the program include establishing contact with at-risk female engineering students, providing information on college and university resources, improving students' GPA for current and future semesters, and ensuring that the students achieve semester goals by maintaining personal contact. Initially, sixteen female engineering students were involved in the Spring 1999 pilot program. The pilot cohort consisted of eight different engineering disciplines with Fall 1998 cumulative GPA ranging from 1.72 to 2.69. After individual interviews, students expressed three main concerns: financial aid/scholarships, tutoring resources, and the formation of effective contacts with other engineering students and professors. Overall program results indicate that 64% of the students showed an increase in their Spring 1999 semester GPA and 79% improved their cumulative GPA. Although results are preliminary, data received from the pilot program indicate that the student success program was effective. An overview of the WISE Student Success Program will be presented and will include a discussion of the need for and impact of retention programs specifically geared toward female engineering students. In addition, future projections of implementation and direction of WISE student retention programs will be discussed.
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