2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mechanical engineering is one of the largest and most versatile engineering disciplines that offer graduates opportunities to work in fields that require basic engineering, energy conversion, energy resources, engineering and technology management, environment and transportation, manufacturing, materials and structures, and systems and design [1]. Retaining students to successful completion of their degree program to support workforce development in these various fields is a priority for mechanical engineering programs.

An ASEE survey measured average persistence from the first to the second year of first time, full-time engineering students to be around 80% with a six-year graduation rate around 60% [2]. These results indicate an average of 20% of students leave in the first year with an additional 20% leaving in the second year and later. The long-term interest of these authors is to increase graduation rates by focusing on why mechanical engineering students leave the program in the second year or later.

An important retention strategy for students is to develop their sense of belonging to a program by showing students that they are welcomed and supported – that the culture is inclusive [3,4]. An earlier study confirms through survey findings that students’ sense of belonging within an engineering program increase with time [5] which helps contribute to the 60% graduation rate.

The purpose of the proposed paper is to examine the extent to which belonging and inclusion are messaged to students through the study of syllabi prepared for Thermodynamics, typically a second-year course. Our state law requires undergraduate syllabi be publicly available on the university website making it possible to collect twenty current syllabi from ABET-accredited mechanical engineering programs from across the state.

Content from the twenty syllabi will be analyzed by comparing each syllabus components with the 26 most frequently found syllabus components that fall within four categories of professor information, course information, grading information, and policy information [6]. The syllabi will also be analyzed in light of the six principles of an inclusive syllabi including learner-centered content, inclusive course policies, supportive and inclusive language, effective visuals and images for broader communication, and application of universal design for learning standards [7].

Conclusions regarding the extent to which traditional teacher-student communication and expectations are conveyed on the syllabi as well as belonging and inclusion messages to students will be presented. In addition, observations of ways to develop syllabi that support students’ sense of belonging and inclusion in a Thermodynamics course will be presented. The syllabi study serves as a starting point to discuss additional ways to increase second-year and third-year retention of mechanical engineering students.

[1] Career Cornerstone Center, Mechanical Engineering, The Field at https://www.careercornerstone.org/mecheng/mefield.htm (visited December 6, 2019).
[2] American Society for Engineering Education. (2016). Engineering by the Numbers: ASEE Retention and Time-to-Graduation Benchmarks for Undergraduate Engineering Schools, Departments and Programs.
Washington, DC: Brian L. Yoder.
[3] Tinto, V. (2017). Through the eyes of students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 19(3), 254–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115621917
[4] Tinto, V. (2017) Reflections on Student Persistence. Student Success, 8(2), 1-8. DOI: 10.5204/ssj.v8i2.376.
[5] O'Hara, R. M., & Bolding, C., & Ogle, J. H., & Benson, L., & Lanning, R. (2020, June), Belonging in Engineering Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34202
[6] Doolittle, P. E., & Siudzinski, R. A. (2010). Recommended syllabus compo¬nents: What do higher education faculty include in their syllabi? Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 20 (3), 29-61.
[7] Heller, K. Six principles of an inclusive syllabus. Retrieved from https://www.umass.edu/ctl/resources/deeper-dives/inclusive-syllabus-design (visited October 30, 2023).