Overview

In partnership with the University of California San Diego and the Georgia Institute of Technology, the purpose of this study is to increase the attainment of engineering degrees and improve four-year graduation rates in five engineering disciplines; a challenge that is increasingly difficult at four-year institutions. Using Kotter’s Change Model to guide this study, we (1) evaluate how various engineering disciplines differ regarding the curriculum and instruction they tend to offer, (2) measure how the differences in curriculum and instruction between disciplines impact time-to-degree and student success, and (3) evaluate barriers built into the respective engineering disciplines due to curricular structure and/or instructional design. Next this project utilizes learning communities to empower faculty to create impactful change in curricular structure and design to improve four-year graduation in engineering disciplines.

Impact

In a world where bachelor's degrees are increasingly critical to career advancement, there are also disparities in degree completion across factors such as social economic status, and first-generation status. Engineering programs in particular have some of the most complex curricula in higher education, which leads to students taking longer to complete their degree and paying more for their degree. This project aims to gain a better understanding of the factors that serve as barriers to degree completion. By understanding these factors, we will be able to identify areas to improve curricular structure and design resulting in increased access and graduation in engineering disciplines.