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A Statewide Effort to Diversify the Undergraduate Engineering Student Population

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Conference

2019 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity

Location

Crystal City, Virginia

Publication Date

April 14, 2019

Start Date

April 14, 2019

End Date

April 22, 2019

Conference Session

Track: Collegiate - Technical Session 1

Tagged Topics

Diversity and Collegiate

Page Count

14

DOI

10.18260/1-2--31737

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/31737

Download Count

326

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Paper Authors

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David Jones University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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David Jones is a Professor and Head of Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

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Sohrab Asgarpoor University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Jen Skidmore University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Lance C. Pérez University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Dr. Lance C. Pérez received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He is currently the Omar H. Heins Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he directs the Perceptual Systems Research Group. His research interests include information, video and signal processing, engineered healthcare and engineering education. He was appointed Dean of the College of Engineering in May 2018.

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Trish Wonch Hill

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Dr. Trish Wonch Hill is an applied sociologist who collaborates with scientists across STEM disciplines to investigate how to spark STEM career interests during childhood and adolescence. She is particularly interested in how to find STEM pathways for youth who belong to historically underrepresented groups (girls, rural youth, race/ethnic minorities).

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Michael Loehring

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Emily Griffin Overocker University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Abstract

Keywords: Engineering, Undergraduate, 1st Generation, Race/Ethnicity

Undergraduate engineering education is being transformed at every level of curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences which requires an institutional shift in examining and redefining what it means to provide students with equitable access for student admission, and engagement, and success, in student admissions and graduation. Research shows that putting too much weight on high stakes standardized tests is resulting in a misrepresentation of actual student potential for academic success and may disadvantage students from historically underrepresented groups. This is especially true with undergraduate engineering programs where a minimum standardized test score is frequently required for admission. This dynamic is relevant in Nebraska where the demographics of the high school graduates, and in particular the growth of the Hispanic/Latino/a population, is changing quickly. In response to this, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering (UNL-COE) is exploring admitting students who would not ordinarily be admitted under the college’s current guidelines, particularly with respect to minimum ACT score. Students admitted using this alternative screening are being directed to engagement, training, and enrichment activities designed to increase their success. This paper will report baseline data related to state demographics, diversity profile of the UNL-COE undergraduate student population, strategies being deployed to broaden admission considerations, student support systems, and student success. Of particular interest is the understanding of student perception and realization of academic and professional support in engineering and understanding academic pathways of alternately admitted students.

Jones, D., & Asgarpoor, S., & Skidmore, J., & Pérez, L. C., & Wonch Hill, T., & Loehring, M., & Griffin Overocker, E. (2019, April), A Statewide Effort to Diversify the Undergraduate Engineering Student Population Paper presented at 2019 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity , Crystal City, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--31737

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