2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Louisiana Tech University has completed its sixth year via a no-cost extension of an S-STEM Scholarship Program to serve as a Sophomore Bridge for engineering majors [1-6]. The Fast-Forward Scholarship program supports engineering majors in the summer between their first and second years to take one engineering and one mathematics course in their major, along with a professional development (PD) course that includes a spatial visualization curriculum and opportunities to visit regional companies employing engineers. The purpose of the program is to provide students with scholarships and support as they transition into more challenging sophomore engineering and mathematics coursework. Additionally, completing this coursework early allows for more enriching experiences later in the curriculum, such as minors, internships, and undergraduate research. The professional development course content helps students develop a stronger engineering identity and prepare to search for internships.

The first three cohorts of Fast-Forward students from Summers 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively, have now had sufficient time to achieve a four-year graduation. This poster will examine the four-year graduation rates and job/post-baccalaureate placement of these cohorts, to the extent that information is available from post-graduation surveys. The fourth cohort of Fast-Forward students from Summer 2020 are presently enrolled in their senior design courses if they have remained on-track in their engineering majors. This poster will also examine the on-track success of this cohort.