First-Year Initiatives for Retention Enhancement (FIRE)

LeTourneau大学工程与工程技术学院的年度留校率和毕业率明显低于标准水平，这促使人们对其潜在原因进行研究。对表现和预测数据的分析，以及对文献和离校学生的调查，根据记录的最佳实践，提出了几项建议的纠正措施。提高留用率的项目举措包括为一年级学生开发一个协调的教师-同行-行业指导计划，以及一个新的两门课程序列，其主要目的是通过早期接触现实世界的工程实践来激发一年级学生的兴趣和参与。这些多方面的倡议包括几个最佳实践组成部分，即：。一年级教师辅导计划的发展；为一年级学生制定同侪辅导计划；为一年级学生制定行业接触指导计划；一年级重点课程学生群的形成；通过采用多学科项目的两门新课程接触工程实践，实习工程师的报告，参与合作教育的学生的报告，以及高级顶点设计项目学生的报告。该项目最具体和最直接的目标是将学院的毕业率从目前的五年平均水平42%提高到65%。按照目前平均每年120名大一学生的规模计算，工程和工程技术毕业生的总数将从每年50人增加到超过75人。在为期五年的计划内，将有超过125名毕业生加入工程专业行列。学院的保留率提高工作重点是“第一次进入任何学院”（FTIAC）的新生。为了达到65%的毕业率目标，一年的新生保留率将从目前的68%提高到85%。实施这些最佳实践不仅会增加第一年的保留率，而且会对随后几年的保留率产生积极影响，因为学生将继承他们改进的学习习惯，学术支持网络，以及更高水平的追求工程的承诺。

ABSTRACTA decline in the annual retention and graduation rates of LeTourneau University's School of Engineering and Engineering Technology to significantly subpar levels motivated a study of the underlying causes. An analysis of performance and predictor data, as well as surveys of the literature and of students leaving the school, produced several recommended corrective actions based on documented best practices. The project initiatives to increase retention include the development of a coordinated faculty-peer-industry mentoring program for first-year students, and a new two-course sequence whose primary aim is to stimulate first-year student interest and engagement through early exposure to real-world engineering practice. These multifaceted initiatives include several best-practice components, namely:. the development of the faculty mentoring program for first-year students;. the development of a peer mentoring program for first-year students;. the development of an industrial contact mentoring program for first-year students;. the formation of student clusters in key first-year courses;. exposure to engineering practice through two new courses employing multidisciplinary projects, presentations by practicing engineers, presentations by students involved in co-op education, and presentations by senior capstone design project students.The most specific and immediate goal of this project is to increase the School's graduation rate from its present five-year average of 42% to an improved five-year average of 65%. Based on the current average annual first-year cohort size of 120 students, the total number of engineering and engineering technology graduates will increase from 50 to over 75 per year. Over the five-year period comprising the project, more than 125 additional graduates will be queued to join the ranks of the engineering profession. The School's retention improvement efforts focus on "first time in any college" (FTIAC) freshmen. To achieve the target graduation rate of 65%, 1-year retention of new students will be increased to 85% from its present level of 68%. Implementing these best practices will not only increase first-year retention, but will positively impact retention in subsequent years, as well, since students will carry forward their improved study habits, academic support network, and higher level of commitment to pursue engineering.