College of Engineering enrollment increases
Graduation rates have dropped over the past 10 years for the College of Engineering, but the associate dean of the college, Dean Adams, said the college is expecting to increase the rates for this year and in years to come.
Enrollment in the college reached a low in 2006, and consequently, graduation numbers have dropped. Christine Hailey, dean of the College of Engineering, said she believes this was partially caused by Utah House Bill 331, which in 2002 reduced the number of out-of-state tuition waivers the university granted and required someone to live in Utah for two years before they could gain residency for in-state tuition. After the bill was repealed, enrollment throughout the university increased.
Hailey said despite fears that enrollment would drop again due to the missionary age change for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, enrollment numbers have held strong. Adams said there was a university decision to increase the amount of out-of-state tuition waivers in order to attract students from outside Utah.
The College of Engineering worked to recruit students from both in and out-of-state. In Fall 2013, engineering was the only college at USU to see an increase in enrollment numbers. Enrollment has reached more than 2,000 students, the largest number Hailey remembers since 2002.
“This should translate into good graduation numbers if we retain them,” Hailey said.
Kristina Glaittli, the retention specialist for the college, said undergraduate research experiences are important for retaining students. She said students in the program start taking a lot of math and science classes, but research experiences help expose them to engineering at an early stage.
Adams said most of the time, students don’t realize what engineering is and become intimidated when they realize how much math and science is required in addition to the engineering courses. An engineering degree requires 126 credits, sometimes more, and students can find the workload overbearing, Hailey said.
“Engineering requires that you always keep up with the work,” Hailey said. “There is no cramming.”
The college has a tutoring center that covers all the math, science and engineering so students can get the help they need, and this helps considerably, Glaittli said.
Advising and mentoring is another focus of the college in retaining students. The college tries to provide opportunities through its professional societies and a new mentor program that connects students to the engineering ambassadors during common hour forums.
“We try to connect students with other students and mentors who will, in a down moment when you think you can’t go on with yet another calculus assignment, will turn to you and say, ‘Come on, if I can do it, you can do it,'” Hailey said.
Hailey said she went into engineering because of the mentors who encouraged her and told her she was good at math, though few women study engineering. Glaittli said Hailey now teaches a women in engineering seminar course that is key in retaining women in engineering.
“I’ve known (Hailey) for many years and I’ve seen her skills and abilities, and she’s an agent for change and improvement here,” Glaittli said.
Hailey is the first woman dean of the College of Engineering at USU.
Ten percent of undergraduate majors in engineering at USU are women, and that percentage has remained consistent for years, Hailey said.
“When the numbers are small like that, I think women find themselves asking the question, ‘Do I belong?'” Hailey said.
Besides retaining women in engineering, Adams would like to improve that 10 percent and thinks the number can increase with some effort. One of those efforts is through the Society of Women Engineers, which does outreach to K-12 students.
On March 29, the Society of Women Engineers will hold one of its biggest events, an Engineering Extravaganza, Glaittli said. Young women in high school are invited to come and explore labs, meet professors and professionals and gain a better understanding of engineering.
– mburnett@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @BurnettMaile