2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The SUCCESS Scholars Program (SSP) is an NSF S-STEM project awarded in Fall of 2022 to Louisiana Tech University. The five-year project supports two cohorts of engineering students as they each progress through four years of academic study. A first cohort of twenty-four, first-year engineering students was selected for the 2022-23 academic year, and a second cohort of twenty-two students was selected for the 2023-24 year. Each year the students in the program receive scaffolded levels of financial support based on their unmet need.

Cohorts in their first year of the program are provided with concentrated academic support through an additional two hours per week with their engineering instructor and supplemental instruction led by upper-level peer mentors. Faculty mentors are introduced to the students through weekly lunches beginning after their first quarter. The lunches, which provide a venue for professional development discussions, are also leveraged to build community among the students and faculty. As the first cohort progresses into their second year of study and begins to branch out into more discipline-specific courses, the weekly lunches have become the primary connection point for the students and faculty.
Additionally, the faculty mentors meet with their students regularly and serve as academic advisors to guide the students as they progress academically.

This paper will discuss the SSP in detail by outlining the many activities implemented and highlighting lessons learned as the project moves into the second year of implementation. Preliminary data will be used to assess outcomes pertaining to retention and academic performance. Initial results indicate a positive impact on the student population participating in the project.