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ECST’S ROLE IN EFFECTING CHANGE IN THE STEM WORKFORCE
Continued from page 7.
“These efforts certainly helped our students’ preparedness,” says Gustavo Menezes, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, “but we realized that some students needed additional support to make it through the ‘sophomore slump.’”
This led a group of faculty to introduce the year-long SUCCEEd (Sophomore Unified Curriculum for Engineering Education) program to help students in their second year. SUCCEEd’s cohort model offers participants an instant support system. Faculty work together to design an integrated curriculum in which the same problem appears in different classes, helping students to cross-reference other subjects, draw connections between them and internalize learning.
To provide further reinforcement to students, the pilot of ECST’s BOOST (Bridge Opportunities Offered for the Sophomore Transition) program launched this summer. With a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), BOOST students engage in a community-centered service-learning project where they apply engineering skills and knowledge.
While these programs align to the nation’s best practices, what’s different is the way they’re refined for ECST. “A lot of schools have a bridge-to-college program,” says Menezes, “but as soon as students leave that program, they start dropping out. Our hope is that students will go through the FYrE experience, to BOOST if needed and, if more support is required, to SUCCEED. By participating in integrated programs, students get a sense of continuity and community. We don’t see that in a lot of schools.”
To help students with their professional preparation, ECST has hired a new placement coordinator, who will strengthen the college's ability to partner with employers.
The Road Ahead
ECST's commitment to diversity and inclusion is clear. What’s required now is the inventiveness of our faculty, staff, students and community partners, and the generosity of our donors. Only by working together can we continue to support these programs, graduate more high-qualified engineers and make a positive impact on diversity in
the STEM workforce.
To learn more about how you can support ECST’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, contact ECST’s Development Director Dolores Ybarra at dybarra6@calstatela.edu.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
*American Society for Engineering Education
5 WAYS ECST STRENGTHENS THE STEM FUTURE
1 2 3
FYrE@ECST provides freshmen STEM skills and support.
Part of FYrE@ECST, STEP transitions pre-freshmen to ECST programs.
The BOOST bridge program transitions students into their second year with a community-based learning project.
4 Sophomore students SUCCEEd in a year-long faculty cohort model program.
The LaunchPad pilot program, starting in summer 2017, aims to surge ECST female student enrollment to 25 percent by 2020.
5
8
College of ECST: How We Stack Up in STEM
COLLEGE OF ECST
Students Enrolled (Undergraduates)
NATIONAL
Students Enrolled in Engineering (Undergraduates)*
56 % 19 % 8 % 3 % 8 % 14 % 86 %
Hispanic Asian American White African American International Female Male
10 %* 12 % 59 %
4 %
9 % 21 % 79 %