The Engage program: renovating the first year experience at the University of Tennessee

Abstract

A new initiative is being implemented at the University of Tennessee (USA) called the Engage program. This initiative is a comprehensive approach to the educational needs of entering freshmen, from personal development and socialisation needs to a new first year curriculum based on the educational lessons learned in the last eight years by the NSF Coalitions. The program establishes an environment of collaborative learning with faculty as mentors, it integrates the subject matter of the freshman year and teaches problem solving by application, and it also seeks to address the increased retention of engineering students with an emphasis on under-represented groups. Faculty approval has been obtained and the College of Engineering is in the process of implementing these changes.