Supporting Degree Completion in Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs through Experiential Learning and Self-Directed Professional Development

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at the State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 20 unique full-time first-year and transfer students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology.

First-year students will receive up to four years of scholarships while transfer students will receive up to three years of scholarships depending on the estimated time to degree. The project aims to increase first-year and transfer student persistence by linking scholarships with effective supporting activities, including enhanced pre-college mathematics preparation, a seminar series, academic advising, faculty mentorship, a self-directed professional development fund, and experiential learning opportunities such as internships and undergraduate research.

The project will identify the most impactful initiatives for first-year and transfer students regarding improved retention, degree completion, and increased identity and self-efficacy as an engineer.

The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. STEM graduates are tasked with solving the critical challenges of today and tomorrow, requiring a dedication to continued intellectual growth. Therefore, this project also aims to foster a dedication to self-directed professional development and continuing education through a series of programmatic initiatives.

First is access to a 1-credit first-year course that explores engineering ethics and the 14 Grand Challenges for engineering. Second is a series of seminars and workshops dedicated to explaining the process for obtaining and maintaining, through continuing education, a professional engineering license. Third is a 1-credit course to prepare for the fundamentals of engineering exam (FE) which is the first step in the licensure process.

Students will also be provided with a self-directed professional development fund which will: (1) provide additional financial resources to explore specific topics of interest to the student, (2) reinforce the concept that continued education requires dedication and commitment of financial resources, and (3) introduce professional resources that provide continuing education resources post-graduation. The effectiveness of these initiatives will be evaluated using results from institutional data, surveys, FE passing rates, and interviews of students, faculty, and project partners.

Results will be disseminated through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute website, presentations at conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields.

It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.