Equitable Attainment of Engineering Degrees: A Tri-University Study & Improvement Effort (Work In Progress)

In this paper, we describe a work-in-progress study, involving three universities, that considers various factors related to more equitable attainment of engineering degrees.”Equity” in this case, refers to students from all backgrounds having similar outcomes in terms of their ability to earn an engineering degree within four years. The need for an increasing supply of engineering graduates is well understood as a necessary component for sustaining innovative industrial growth, national security, and global competitiveness, among other areas of national need requiring engineering talent. In order to address these issues, this study design involves consideration of various instructional and structural complexity factors that may contribute to delays in student progression through engineering degree programs. The universities engaged in this work are the University of Arizona, the University of California, San Diego, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The study was designed around three principles: (1) collaboration through task forces across multiple institutions, (2) disciplinary focus using an asset-based approach, and (3) a student-centered approach to improving engineering student success through curriculum and instruction, leading to reforms in service of equitable outcomes. The primary analyses revealed the large variability in curricular structure and student success outcomes within each of these disciplines. Faculty and administrators formed subcommittees according to these disciplines and were asked to look for best practices and potential barriers and to consider avenues of reform for their own programs according to curricular structure or instructional practices.