2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

First-year students frequently struggle with the transition from high school to college as they juggle academic requirements, new living accommodations, and social expectations. Transitional struggles can be amplified for engineering students due to the challenging mathematics, engineering, and science courses taking during their first term. First-year students are commonly ill-equipped to manage their time wisely and study properly. Structure and guidance can assist in fostering skills and behaviors that are vital for success.

The SUCCESS Scholars (SS) Program was developed to provide foundational support for 24 low-income first-year engineering students. The program was designed to provide academic support in the form of extra Fridays sessions for engineering and peer mentorship led supplemental instruction (SI). The 24 students were grouped into exclusive sections of a precalculus course and an engineering course. Two upper-level students were selected to lead the SI sessions while providing peer mentorship and community engagement for the first-year students. The faculty teaching both courses worked together with the peer mentors to develop a plan for the SI sessions.

This paper will detail the SS Program and analyze the performance of the students in their first quarter at the university. Data from common exams given in their precalculus and engineering courses will be used to examine the effectiveness of the program.