The engage program: results from renovating the first year experience at the University of Tennessee

Abstract

An innovative new freshman engineering initiative called engage has been fully implemented at the University of Tennessee. This is a comprehensive approach to meeting the educational and developmental needs of our freshmen. Extensive data on student performance was collected during the two-year phase in of this new program.Results presented include retention rates (engineering college and university), progression through the program, performance on common final exams and performance in sophomore courses. Comparisons are also made between the engage program and nationally administered surveys i.e. Pittsburgh survey on engineering student attitudes.In all these areas students in the new program did as well or better than those in the traditional curriculum.

Work in progress - implementing a freshman mentor program

“…The courses include design teams each of which has an upperclassmen coach. Results from this program have indicated improved retention rates and increased preparedness for students entering their desired major engineering department [1].…”

Early Exposure To Engineering Practitioners Provides Informed Choices For Students Continuing Engineering Programs

“…Many reports on first-year programs describe integrated curricula to support students through math and science prerequisites that account for much of the early attrition. [4][5][6][7][8] Other reports illuminate programs that concentrate on design practice to give students "hands-on" experience and stimulate interest and retention. 6,7,9,10 This study fills a missing gap in the literature by assessing the effectiveness of a unique first-year experience concept: teaching new students about the careers of practicing engineers.…”

First-Year Student Persistence and Retention Influenced by Early Exposure to Engineering Practitioners Co-Teaching Entry-Level Courses: A Four-Year Indirect Assessment

“…Current literature reports curricula that present initial math and science prerequisites in a more student-friendly fashion to reduce early attrition as well as programs that provide students with early exposure to design practice providing hands on experiences in engineering. [4][5][6][7][8][9] One study discusses a curriculum requiring each department to present on "their engineering", allowing students a more educated view to base their career decisions. 10 By contrast, the study reported here provides a longitudinal perspective in assessing the effectiveness of a novel first year student experience: acquainting students with the careers of practicing engineers.…”