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LEADING LEARNERS TO THE NEXT LEVELMany colleges and universities, including Cal State L.A., have a strong support system in place to help freshmen overcome the academic and campus life obstacles they may face in their irst year.“However, when these supportive programs disappear in students’ second year, it creates a problem known as sophomore-year attrition,” says Gustavo Menezes, professor of civil engineering. “That’s why we’ve introduced the Sophomore Uniied Core Curriculum for Engineering Education (SUCCEEd) program, which uses innovative pedagogical practices to promote success among sophomore engineering students at Cal State L.A.”The SUCCEEd program is funded by a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Last summer, its coordinating faculty team worked to integrate the curriculum of four sophomore-level courses – Statics, Numerical Methods, CAD [Computer Aided Design], and Matrix Algebra. SUCCEEd’s core mission is to provide students with the tools and skills needed to be successful in college and later in their professional careers. It follows the pedagogical strategies of curriculum integration, increased time on-task with a deeper understanding of content, and the cohort model of collective work and progress in an academic environment.In the fall of 2014, SUCCEEd courses were block-scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (including mandatory hour-and-a-half tutoring and review sessions) and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. During those days, students were fully dedicated to SUCCEEd.“In the beginning of the quarter, students were presented with an overarching project, the structural modiicationof a house,” says Menezes. “Over the quarter, they had the opportunity to make connections among competencies learned in all disciplines. We received very positive feedback from students.”Menezes explains that students formed a strong community through SUCCEEd – a community he’s conident willhelp them continue to be successful. Because they were expected to think at a higher level throughout the quarter, he says many of the students changed their attitudes toward learning. •STUDENTS COMPETE IN FORMULA SAE ELECTRIC COMPETITIONStudents from Cal State L.A.’s Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) chapter competed in the Formula SAE Electric Competition at Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Nebraska, last June. During the competition, students developed a small Formula-style race car.InSights | 25“SUCCEEd is about setting higher expectations and standards for students and providing a supportive environment where they can develop a successful academic mindset,” says Menezes.