NSF Award
1458496
In order to address the increasing demand for engineers who need to be trained for multi-disciplinary product innovation, University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) launched a new undergraduate degree program entitled "Robotics and Mechatronic Systems Engineering." The objectives of this proposed S-STEM project is to attract talented students, particularly women and minorities, into this new program and increase the number of engineering graduates trained in interdisciplinary engineering through financial help, mentoring, improved student support, and retention efforts. The long-term strategy includes several components: (a) working with the extensive pre-college program that the college already sponsors to increase the interest of students in engineering disciplines, (b) working with high schools, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition teams and community colleges to attract more students into engineering disciplines, and (c) provide scholarships and academic support to qualified and financially challenged students who enroll in this new degree program.<br/><br/>The project has an aggressive retention plan including: strong academic support for the S-STEM scholars with comprehensive, focused, and cohort-based advising; cohort-based registration in most classes to help develop camaraderie within the group; tutoring in math and other challenging subjects, as needed; participation of all S-STEM students in a one-year paid co-op experience in industry; mentoring from alumni and industry leaders on the college advisory board; annual field trips and networking events to develop professional relationships with potential employers and develop career insights. This project will help develop the understanding of the effect of early cohort formation and mentoring on college success, enable formation of closer ties with specific industrial partners through the expansion of the co-op program, and improve the student support structure at UDM through evidence-based techniques of academic intervention. This project will also help establish a committed group of alumni from the new degree program who will make the program stronger for future generations of engineers. The results from this program will be presented at educational conferences such as American Society for Engineering Education Annual conference and the Frontiers in Engineering Education conference.
