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University of Colorado GoldShirt Program

University of Colorado GoldShirt Program. Creating Engineering Capacity and Expanding Diversity. Keith Molenaar 2012 ASCE Civil Engineering Department Heads Conference. Expected Program Outcomes. Increase in enrollment and retention of historically underrepresented students

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University of Colorado GoldShirt Program

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  1. University of ColoradoGoldShirt Program Creating Engineering Capacity and Expanding Diversity Keith Molenaar 2012 ASCE Civil Engineering Department Heads Conference

  2. Expected Program Outcomes • Increase in enrollment and retention of historically underrepresented students • First-year student success (post-GoldShirt) • Student confidence in their knowledge of and commitment to engineering as a career

  3. Program Overview • Designed to increase diversity/create capacity • Creating New Access Pathway to Engineering • Support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) • Students not completely prepared academically • Adds a performance enhancing year • Math, Science, Self-Management, Engineering • Admitted to the College of Engineering • Awarded $2500 scholarship annually • High Touch: requires frequent face to face contact Classroom contact hours, one-on-one conferences, GoldShirt Roundups, intervention, academic support • Fall 2012: 4th Cohort = 33; Total students: 90-100

  4. Student Enrollment Demographics n = 16 n = 33 n = 32

  5. Engineering GoldShirt Selection Process: Access and Enrollment

  6. GoldShirt 1st Year Curriculum 1st year Engineering projects Leadership & Self Mgmt Computing or Engineering Course Engineering Honors Critical Encounters Course • Designed to individualize student academic needs and develop a culture of scholarship • First-Year Engineering Projects: Mainstream with other first-year engineering students • Leadership and Self-Management Seminar – for GoldShirt students only • Engineering Honors Courses encourage academic excellence GoldShirt Prep Sequence

  7. Building Community • Two-Week Summer Bridge • Challenge Course • Teambuilding Activities • Study Groups • Peer Support • Two-week Engineering Design Project • Must reside in Andrews Hall for 2 years • GoldShirt Peer Mentoring • Student Societies (Leaders)

  8. GoldShirt Program Successes • Goal: Create an alternative pathway to attract more diverse students to engineering • Goal: Increase the retention of students historically underrepresented in engineering • Overall retention so far = 76% • URM retention = 72% • Women retention = 77% • 1st Generation retention = 78% • Goal: Increase student interest in, and knowledge of, an engineering future • First two cohorts at end of GS year, 97% planned to stick with engineering (confidence built, but skills not?)

  9. GoldShirt Program Struggles • Goal: Prepare students to subsequently perform and succeed in a traditional engineering program • Fall “good academic standing” results: Cohort 1 = 7/8 (88%) and Cohort 2 = 16/25 (64%) • Goal: Serve as a national model for expanded recruitment and retention of underrepresented engineering students • Not there yet; continuously tuning program design

  10. Academic Performance: Lessons Learned • Ramping up to the engineering academic pace is challenging “The transition from high school level classes to college level courses was the most difficult for me.” • Students need to develop a culture of scholarship. • Must keep the cohort together after the first year. • Requirement for a second year living on campus. GoldShirt student advice: “Stay close to your friends. You will find yourself depending a lot on them for help.”

  11. Conclusion • Designed for replication - Nothing unique to CU • Selection process – understand predictive criteriafor success • URM enrollment increasing • Need more support in academic performance • Cultivate habits of a successful student • Study skills, time management, integrate effectively into their departments • Reduce number of work hours (job) • Improve the peer mentoring program within the GoldShirt Program (among cohorts 3 and 4)

  12. Contact Information Tanya Ennis University of Colorado Boulder The BOLD Center Engineering GoldShirt Program Director Tanya.ennis@colorado.edu (303) 492-6473

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