Evaluation of a First-Year Retention Project: Findings at Halftime

Abstract

A decline in the annual retention and graduation rates of the engineering and engineering technology program at a small, private university motivated an internal study (summer 2009) of its underlying causes. Analyses of performance and predictor data, as well as surveys of the literature and of non-retained students, produced several recommended actions based on documented best practices. The resulting 5-year retention project, funded by NSF-STEP, began in August of 2010 and focuses on first-year retention initiatives, namely: a faculty mentoring program for first-year students; a peer mentoring program for first-year students; an industrial contact mentoring program for first-year students; exposure to engineering practice through two new freshman courses employing activelearning and multidisciplinary projects aimed at answering the question “What do engineers do?” During the first half of the project many assessment instruments have been developed and deployed to help determine the effectiveness of the initiatives. These instruments include: a pre-and post-engineering survey to determine attitudes toward the engineering profession and program during their first semester; a survey of first-year students to determine the effectiveness of first-year interest groups and the mentors; both a survey and focus group for the peer mentors; a faculty mentor survey; industrial mentor survey. This paper provides details of the retention initiatives employed, and then presents qualitative and quantitative assessment results of the project to date, with the intention of contributing our experiences and findings to the dialogue on retention initiatives. Assessment result details are included to help answer such questions as: “Of the three mentor types, which is the most important?”, “Is it important that a peer mentor have the same major as the first-year student?”, and “Which student attitudes toward engineering are most easily changed?” The project, entitled First-Year Initiatives for Retention Enhancement (FIRE), is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0969382. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 1.0 Project Activities 1.1 Overall Goal The most specific and immediate goal of this project is to increase the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET) graduation rate from its 2009 five-year average of 42% to an improved five-year average of 65%. 1 To achieve this target, 1-year retention of new students must be increased to 85% from its 2009 level of 68%. 1.2 Implementation of Best-Practice Activities The focus of the SEET’s retention improvement efforts is upon “first time in any college” (FTIAC) freshmen. The SEET’s multifaceted initiatives for increasing retention and graduation rate include several first-year best-practice components, namely: the development of a faculty mentoring program for first-year students; the development of a peer mentoring program for first-year students; the development of an industrial contact mentoring program for first-year students; exposure to engineering practice through two new freshman courses employing multidisciplinary projects, presentations by practicing engineers, presentations by students involved in co-op education, and presentations by senior capstone design project students. Implementing these best practices not only increases first-year retention, but positively impacts retention in subsequent years, as well, since students carry forward their improved study habits, academic support network, and higher level of commitment to pursue engineering. A complete model of the project inputs, activities and outcomes is shown in Figure 1. Activities Short-Term Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes Inputs First-Year Students (FTIAC) FIG Peer Advisors (PA) Faculty Mentors (FM) Industrial Mentors (IM) Support: NSF – STEP LETU First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS) PA group meetings PA individual meetings PA and FM social events Industrial mentor meetings Introduction to Engineering Practice I (F) Introduction to Engineering Practice II (S)