Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Liberal Studies

Department

Liberal Studies

Committee Chair

Stephanie Ivey

Committee Member

Collin Chapel

Committee Member

Richard Sweigard

Abstract

The Engineering Redshirt Program (ERP) was designed to address the challenges first-year engineering students face when starting below Calculus 1. Students who are under prepared in math often struggle as engineering majors, and in turn, experience lower retention and graduation rates. The ERP aims to increase student success by utilizing peer mentors, a summer bridge program, academic support, and social connections during the student's first year of enrollment. The ERP was funded by a grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents. This study examines the implementation and preliminary outcomes of the ERP’s first cohort, which consists of eight students during the academic year of 2024-2025. The participants were primarily from underrepresented populations, with an average ACT Composite score of 21.63, an ACT Math score of 20.5, and a high school GPA of 3.85. The intervention included biweekly peer mentor meetings, industry tours, and academic check-ins. The key metrics assessed were student engagement, sense of belonging, academic performance, timely identification of student challenges, and retention rates. Findings showed that student engagement was strong in the summer bridge program (100% participation) and the small group gatherings (80% participation). However, the meetings with the peer mentors fell slightly short of expectations, averaging six meetings for the fall semester. Academic performance was solid, with a 3.14 GPA average, three students on the Dean’s list, and one student with a 4.0 GPA. The retention rate is tracking above the college’s average, at 87.5% of students retained through the second semester. There were issues with the timely identification of student challenges due to problems with the institution's early alert system. Sense of belonging is promising, but the inability to administer the survey promptly limited the interpretation of the data. Despite a smaller than expected cohort, the ERP shows promising student engagement and retention results for the Herff College of Engineering. Recommendations include initiating earlier recruitment efforts, developing a comprehensive long-term student support model, and enhancing data collection efforts. With some changes and improvements, the ERP has the potential to be a model for accepting under prepared engineering students academically and providing them with the support they need to succeed.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

PDF

Notes

Open access.

Download

Share

COinS