NSF STEP Award: The College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska

NSF STEP Award: The College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) College of Engineering (COE), inpartnership with Nebraska’s six community colleges, is endeavoring to increase thenumber and success of community college (CC) transfer students in engineering. Thiseffort is leveraged through the National Science Foundation Strengthening Transitionsinto Engineering Program (STEP). The core objective of this project is accomplished bybuilding an effective and recognizable pathway which includes the coordination ofselected courses at each CC and academic, social and professional support for transferstudents. The project has two primary components: (1) development and implementationof four introductory engineering courses taught at the CCs and will transfer to the COE,and (2) establishing a set of student supports that facilitate mentoring, communitybuilding, and retention at the COE. To date, 118 students have benefitted from STEP along with 172 students(multiple enrollments) who have taken at least one of the four STEP courses at the CC.Furthermore, as of the 2010 fall semester, a total of 65 engineering transfer studentscompleted the engineering transfer seminar which was designed as a way to establish theaforementioned student supports. Key findings include students’: (1) above averageinterest in pursuing specific engineering goals, (2) above average feelings of support andability to overcome barriers to pursuing an engineering degree, (3) above average levelsof self-efficacy and outcome expectancy for pursuing engineering careers and completingengineering goals, (4) display of high to moderate levels of confidence for completingtypical engineering problems, and (5) the COE recording slight increases in the numberof transfer, female, and minority students from 2008 – 2009. A significant challenge has been the matriculation of students from the CC to theCOE. To date, less than 25% of CC students who have participated in the STEP pathwayhave transferred to the UNL COE. We are assessing this challenge and the factors thatdirectly and indirectly impact the successful transfer of students to the COE.