Underrepresentation in engineering disciplines remains a significant issue in higher education and the workforce. This paper presents a quantitative analysis comparing the academic success of participants in an engineering-focused Summer Bridge Program (SBP) to non-participants with similar characteristics. The study evaluates first-year mathematics grades to determine the program's impact on academic performance. Specifically, it examines the outcomes of 431 first-time Black engineering students, including 116 SBP participants, enrolled at a public land-grant institution in the United States from 2012 to 2022. The research aims to identify key factors contributing to success in first-semester math courses by analyzing differences between these groups. Findings reveal that SBP participation is a significant factor for success in Calculus I and overall first-semester GPA. This study demonstrates that proper preparation through SBPs contributes to academic success during the first semester and throughout undergraduate matriculation, offering insights into their effectiveness in supporting underrepresented engineering students.
Brumfield et al. (Tue,) studied this question.