2022 First-Year Engineering Experience

WIP: Effectiveness of Recruitment Strategies for Underrepresented Groups in an Engineering Bridge Program

Presented at Technical Session M1

The Academy of Engineering Success (AcES) program at *** University is an integrated supplemental academic success and professional development program, consisting of a week of activities prior to the fall semester (summer bridge program) and a semester-long professional development course in the fall. The program is specifically designed for first-year engineering students who are non-calculus ready, as an effort to promote the retention of these students in engineering. Some need-based scholarships were awarded with the intention of recruiting and retaining a larger number of underrepresented students (female, minorities, first-generation, and low-income). *** University is a predominantly white institution (PWI) where first-time freshmen engineering students are 80% of white non-Hispanic origin (Fall 2021 cohort).

In the academic year 2021 (AY21), the AcES program encountered challenges in recruiting underrepresented students. After two months of marketing the program, there was no first-generation, no low-income, and only one minority student that had signed up. Based on literature and recruitment results from the Energy Land Management (ELM) program at *** University, we learned that early intervention activities in K-12 and targeted marketing are important for the recruitment of underrepresented groups as well as that some recruitment methods are not as effective when recruiting underrepresented students. The AcES program then adopted an inclusive targeted marketing strategy. After this intervention, AcES program's student body was more diverse, resulting in 20% first-generation, 30% low-income, 30% female, and 20% underrepresented minorities (URM) in the enrollment.

This work-in-progress research aims to (1) analyze the past enrollment data in AcES program before and after applying this inclusive recruitment strategy, (2) conduct surveys to understand the reasons for the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies in diversifying the cohort, and (3) devise a plan at different levels to enhance the recruitment of engineering student from diverse background, particularly the underrepresented populations in the future.

Authors

Dr. Xinyu Zhang West Virginia University [biography]

Dr. Xinyu Zhang is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Fundamentals of Engineering Program of Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resource at West Virginia University. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering in 2012 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She is also a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina. Her research interests include STEM education, environmental engineering, and biomanufacturing.
Dr. Lizzie Santiago West Virginia University [biography]

Lizzie Y. Santiago, Ph.D., is a Teaching Professor for the Fundamentals of Engineering Program in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and has postdoctoral training in neural tissue engineering and molecular neurosciences. She teaches freshman engineering courses and supports the outreach and recruiting activities of the college. Her research interests include neural tissue engineering, stem cell research, attrition and university retention, increasing student awareness and interest in research and engineering, STEM education, and recruitment and retention of women and minorities.
Stefanie Paige Hines West Virginia University [biography]

Stefanie P. Hines is an innovative teacher, equality and inclusion activist, change agent, heirship expert, and energy professional. She received her B.A. from West Virginia University in philosophy and her Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law. While born and raised in north central WV, Stefanie has lived and worked across the US for various energy companies. In 2017, Stefanie took her dream job as a faculty member in the Energy Land Management program at West Virginia University where she teaches future energy professionals using innovative and exciting teaching methods. Stefanie strives to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of conversations, and brings together her dedication to change with her expertise in land and title. Stefanie is also the creator and Director of the E3 Camp for underrepresented minority students where she seeks to create a more diverse and inclusive future for the energy industry through a weeklong experiential camp. Stefanie chairs and sits on a number of committees that are focused on creating a more diverse and inclusive world.

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