About Assessing Distinctives of the New XXXX Engineering Program in Terms of Their Impact on Recruitment, Student Satisfaction and Employment Potential
| Authors | Jensen, Daniel; Jensen, Luke; Allison, William; Goodworth, Adam; Fontes, Douglas |
|---|---|
| Date | 2022 |
| Conference | 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition |
| URL | https://peer.asee.org/assessing-distinctives-of-the-new-xxxx-engineering-program-in-terms-of-their-impact-on-recruitment-student-satisfaction-and-employment-potential |
Type: Conference Paper
Abstract
XXXX college is a small Christian liberal arts college in XXXX California. In 2019 XXXX started an engineering program. XXXX Engineering grants a General Engineering degree with an emphasis on Mechanical Engineering. The engineering program incorporates the XXXX liberal arts core set of classes such that each engineering student is required to take the full liberal arts general education curriculum in addition to the engineering curriculum. The program has had a successful start, with great interest from students and also from prospective employers. XXXX engineering is built on three “pillars:” a Christian liberal arts foundation, excellence in technical competence, and integration of a Design Innovation thread throughout the curriculum. This paper will provide details of the three pillars and then proceed to show the impact of these pillars in three areas: impact on student recruitment, student satisfaction during the program and employment potential (from the perspective of prospective employers). Some additional aspects of the XXXX engineering experience are also evaluated including small class size, access to faculty, and geographic location. Assessment of the variables is ongoing, but initial results indicate that students choose XXXX engineering for a wide variety of reasons. This includes significant value placed in XXXX’s overall academic quality and XXXX’s liberal arts foundation. Student value in the Design Innovation aspect of the program has grown as the program has matured. Current students indicate that their experience in the engineering program is positive. Their positive experience is based significantly on small class size, engaged faculty, and aspects of Design Innovation such as group design projects, hands-on learning experiences and focus on innovation. Employers tell us that their likelihood for hiring XXXX engineering graduates is very high. This is based on their belief in the program’s technical rigor and their perception that the students will have good “soft skills”. They also indicated that the student’s exposure to the Design Innovation process and methods was seen in a very positive light.