2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 139: Factors Affecting Enrollment, Retention, and Attrition of STEM Undergraduates at a Minority Serving Institution

Presented at Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND) Poster Session

Higher education institutions experience a paramount problem of enrollment, retention, and attrition, which is particularly acute within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Based on the NCES, 48 percent of bachelor’s degree students who began STEM programs between 2003 and 2009 had left them by spring 2009, 28 percent switch to a non-STEM major, and 20 percent left the program and exited the education institution without earning a degree. That said, nearly half of STEM students change majors to a non-STEM program, perform deficiently in comparison to their peers in other programs, or leave the education institution prior to completing their degree and/or not earning academic credentials. Students’ higher education attrition occurs most frequently in the first and second year of their academic programs; in fact, more than 60% of dropouts occur in these years. Several factors play a significant role in STEM undergraduate students’ attrition, such as poor-quality teaching and advising, curriculum difficulty, lack of belonging, lack of interaction between students and faculty, financial difficulties, and lack of hands-on project activities. The goal of this study is to identify the main factors that hinder undergrad STEM students’ interest, success, and perseverance, therefore, contribute to career change or dropout, as well as how education institutions can increase enrollment and retention, while decrease attrition. To achieve these objectives, this study: (1) identified the main factors contributing to these problems of utmost importance to academia from previous literature; (2) gathered and analyzed data regarding enrollment and retention rates from one of the largest minority serving institutions in the United States; and (3) proposed strategies aimed at addressing these paramount difficulties. The data collected regarding retention rates shows that approximately (a) 13 percent of STEM, Engineering and Construction Management students are not retained after their first year in the academic institution; (b) 20 percent after their second year; (c) 25 percent after their third year; (d) 30 percent after their fourth year; and (e) 35 percent after their fifth year. This research proposes several strategies including orientation programs, early academic advising, peer-to-peer mentoring and tutoring, math review sessions/courses, early warning systems to identify potential switch-outs or dropouts, equitable financial aid mechanisms, and creation of more hands-on project activities.

Authors

Ms. Claudia Calle Müller http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2023-9361 Florida International University [biography]

Claudia Calle Müller is a Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru ́ (PUCP). Claudia has over 4 years of experience in structural engineering designing reinforced concrete residential and commercial buildings in Peru; over 2 years of experience in entrepreneurship; and over 4 years of teaching experience. Currently, she is a Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant at the Moss School of Construction, Sustainability, and Infrastructure at FIU where she focuses on multidisciplinary research on sustainability, equity, resilient and sustainable post-disaster reconstruction, engineering education, circular economy, and well-being. Claudia holds professional credentials in LEED Green Associate for sustainable buildings and ENV SP for sustainable infrastructures.
Mais Kayyali Florida International University [biography]

Mais Kayyali is the Associate Director of Academic Support Services in the Office of the Dean at Florida International University’s (FIU) College of Engineering and Computing (CEC). In her current role, she oversees all aspects of Graduate Education and Admissions for the schools and departments under CEC. Her duties vary from admissions, recruitment, marketing, data analysis, graduate funding, etc. She also provides administrative support to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Prior to her current position, she was the Program Coordinator/Coordinator of Administrative Services at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and prior to that the Program Assistant at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the college. Mais holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Master’s degree in Hospitality Management, and is currently a doctoral student in the Engineering and Computing Education program at FIU. Her research interests are in graduate and postdoctoral education with a focus on mentorship and transitions as well as faculty development and the use of technology in engineering and computing education.
Mr. Mohamed ElZomor P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-9601 Florida International University [biography]

Dr. Mohamed ElZomor is an Assistant Professor at Florida International University (FIU), College of Engineering and Computing and teaches at the Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability. Dr. ElZomor completed his doctorate at Arizona

Download paper (1.07 MB)

Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.

» Download paper

« View session