Objectives

St. Ambrose University will increase enrollment and graduation rates in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics by

1. Teaching rural high school students about engineering and physics careers and creating more seamless matriculation pathways from rural community colleges to recruit more students;
2. Selecting qualified students to receive scholarships;
3. Developing an applied research program and augmenting current academic success initiatives to support students academically;
4. Continuing to partner with industry to facilitate our graduates' career placement or graduate school attendance; and
5. Developing the department and faculty by creating opportunities for advancement through undergraduate research.

 

These strategies target students from rural communities who are underrepresented in STEM fields with a goal of increasing enrollment by at least 75 students more than the 2011 baseline over the next five years.

Support strategies will help increase first- to second-year retention from 63% to 70% and help 90% of second-year students complete their degree; provide scholarships to at least 15 high-need, highly qualified students; and offer academic support to countless others.

In five years, this project will graduate at least 53 more engineers and physicists than the 2011 baseline.