Session T2A 0-7803-7961-6/03/$17.00 © 2003 IEEE November 5-8, 2003, Boulder, CO 33 rd ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference T2A-5 A RETROSPECTIVE PROFILE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATES FROM THE FAMU-FSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Leslie Inniss 1 and Reginald Perry 2 1 Leslie Inniss, Florida A&M University, Department of Sociology, Tallahassee, Florida, leslieinniss@earthlink.net 2 Reginald Perry, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tallahassee, Florida, perry@eng.fsu.edu Abstract – With the continuing interest in the successful retention of engineering students, particularly underrepresented minority students, many studies have been conducted on the students’ experiences while in college. The results of these studies have been used to identify factors that will enhance student retention. In this paper we take a slightly different perspective. We will present a retrospective look at 278 students who have successfully completed a bachelor of science in electrical engineering degree program between 1999 and 2002 from the joint Florida A&M University-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU) College of Engineering. Florida A&M University is a historically black university while Florida State University has a majority white student enrollment. Students complete their basic mathematics and science credits at their home university and then enter the joint FAMU-FSU engineering program to complete their remaining degree requirements. This exploratory study is not meant to explain why the students graduated, but rather to offer a comprehensive profile of a successful electrical engineering graduate. Index Terms – Engineering graduates, Minority students, Retention, Success factors. INTRODUCTION Although the total number of women and underrepresented minorities earning baccalaureate degrees in engineering has increased over time, the percentage of degrees earned by these groups continues to be lower than their general representation in the U.S. population. [1],[2]. In 2000 women earned approximately 20.5% of all engineering degrees although they are 50.9% of the population [1]. For those minorities underrepresented in engineering (African- American, Hispanics, and American Indians) the percentages are similar. The total number of engineering degrees awarded in 2000 was 59,445. Of these, whites and Asian-Americans earned 78.8%, compared to 6.8% for Hispanics, 5.2% for African-Americans, and 0.6% for American Indians. The remaining 8.6% of engineering degrees awarded in 2000 were earned by U.S. citizens of unknown race/ethnicity and nonresident aliens [2]. Thus, in the face of an increasingly diverse and multicultural society and despite several retention programs, the percentages of women and underrepresented minority students graduating with degrees in engineering are not at the levels one would expect. Diversity is not the only reason for concern about the numbers of minority students earning bachelor degrees in science and engineering. Student persistence has become increasingly important because of the current focus on accountability. In this climate, colleges and universities prove their value by the numbers of students who successfully graduate in the least amount of time [3]. Fueled by issues of retention and accountability, several studies have examined programs designed to retain minority students through graduation in an effort to identify those factors that are useful in producing success [4]-[8]. Published studies on retention have produced a number of results. Johnson and Sheppard tracked the progress of the high school class of 1990 and identified three critical decision points where women and minority engineering student attrition may be addressed because it at those points when there is a significant reduction in numbers of minority students. The critical points identified by Johnson and Sheppard are when students initially decide whether or not to enroll in a four-year undergraduate institution, then when they opt to enroll full-time in an engineering program, finally when they decide to remain until graduation from the program[4]. Fletcher, Newell, and Newton examine the effectiveness of summer bridge programs and found them to significantly increase the retention of female engineering students [5]. In her study of African-American students’ persistence, Robinson concluded that the student’s first year of college is crucial and that students who have academic difficulties in the first year are at the greatest risk of leaving college before graduation [6]. Other studies focus on college campus programs that increase student persistence, particularly during the freshman year. Anderson-Rowland found differences in retention depending on whether the freshman engineering course was offered in the spring or fall [7] while Reyes, Anderson-Rowland, and McCartney found an increase in retention when the freshman introductory seminar was coupled with a bridge program [8]. While these studies of students just beginning or currently enrolled in college provide insight into the college retention process, in this paper we take a slightly different perspective. We present a retrospective look at 278 students who have successfully completed an engineering program and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the joint Florida A&M University