How poor is retention in Engineering?
In the United States, “less than half of the students who enter into STEM undergraduate curricula as freshmen will actually graduate with a STEM degree” (Wilson, et al., 2011). The attrition rate is one of the “highest in the overall population of undergraduate students in the United States” (Wilson, et al., 2011). In Canada the retention rates are similar. “Adult student retention is an issue of growing concern for many institutions” (Fincher, 2010). There is even “greater disparity in the national STEM graduation rates of students from underrepresented groups with approximately three-fourths of minority students leaving STEM disciplines at the undergraduate level” (Wilson et al., 2012). The National …show more content…
Some suggest “raising entrance standards, decreasing academic rigor, decreased pace, and learning enhancements” (Fincher, 2010) as answers to increasing retention. However the question is how practical would raising entrance standards be when it is difficult to attract students in STEM education in the first place? Furthermore, decreasing academic rigor would not help in the global demand and need for engineers. A decreased pace although helpful to some students may impact financial aid and other student needs that are based on short term educational need. Learning enhancements have some promise as they will “increase the pace of learning to allow for students with a greater range of skills and preparation to achieve a prescribed level of competency within a limited time period” (Fincher, …show more content…
The program’s basic design is the “belief that mentoring, education, and research are the key components that will result in college and post college persistence in STEM fields” (Wilson et al., 2012). Mentoring forms the foundation of the program as studies show that “undergraduate students who are mentored tend to have higher GPA, higher retention rates and more units completed per semester as compared to their un-mentored colleagues” (Wilson et al., 2012). Undergraduate research has been shown to be strongly “correlated with enhancement of the undergraduate education experience particularly reduced attrition rates and increased rates of graduate education for all students, especially underrepresented students” (Wilson et al., 2012). The final component of the three pronged approach by LSU is education. “Broadly speaking, education addresses issues such as learning styles, cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, group study, navigating competitive and collaborative academic settings, successful completion of gateway courses, recognizing racial and academic identities and their roles in student success, social integration, navigating the research enterprise, community service, effective presentations, service learning, and
In the United States, “less than half of the students who enter into STEM undergraduate curricula as freshmen will actually graduate with a STEM degree” (Wilson, et al., 2011). The attrition rate is one of the “highest in the overall population of undergraduate students in the United States” (Wilson, et al., 2011). In Canada the retention rates are similar. “Adult student retention is an issue of growing concern for many institutions” (Fincher, 2010). There is even “greater disparity in the national STEM graduation rates of students from underrepresented groups with approximately three-fourths of minority students leaving STEM disciplines at the undergraduate level” (Wilson et al., 2012). The National …show more content…
Some suggest “raising entrance standards, decreasing academic rigor, decreased pace, and learning enhancements” (Fincher, 2010) as answers to increasing retention. However the question is how practical would raising entrance standards be when it is difficult to attract students in STEM education in the first place? Furthermore, decreasing academic rigor would not help in the global demand and need for engineers. A decreased pace although helpful to some students may impact financial aid and other student needs that are based on short term educational need. Learning enhancements have some promise as they will “increase the pace of learning to allow for students with a greater range of skills and preparation to achieve a prescribed level of competency within a limited time period” (Fincher, …show more content…
The program’s basic design is the “belief that mentoring, education, and research are the key components that will result in college and post college persistence in STEM fields” (Wilson et al., 2012). Mentoring forms the foundation of the program as studies show that “undergraduate students who are mentored tend to have higher GPA, higher retention rates and more units completed per semester as compared to their un-mentored colleagues” (Wilson et al., 2012). Undergraduate research has been shown to be strongly “correlated with enhancement of the undergraduate education experience particularly reduced attrition rates and increased rates of graduate education for all students, especially underrepresented students” (Wilson et al., 2012). The final component of the three pronged approach by LSU is education. “Broadly speaking, education addresses issues such as learning styles, cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, group study, navigating competitive and collaborative academic settings, successful completion of gateway courses, recognizing racial and academic identities and their roles in student success, social integration, navigating the research enterprise, community service, effective presentations, service learning, and