2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This complete evidence-based practice paper will describe the evolution of the first-year experience across the first ten years of an engineering program at a small, rural, liberal arts undergraduate institution.
Background This university is an undergraduate-focused, Baptist-heritage, liberal arts school of opportunity that serves its local rural community in the shadow of a large institution with a well-known engineering program. Ten years ago, a School of Engineering was started to diversify offerings and meet the needs of the local manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry. The program is built on a strong foundational year of classes and cocurricular offerings. Students take an engineering course every semester they are in the program. Hands-on active learning is at the core of what is offered, exemplified through the foundational two-semester introductory course where students use a toolbox, not a textbook. Community, teamwork, and the foundations of a high-quality technical education including engineering design and the basics of engineering problem solving are key to the first year experience at this institution.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share the development of the first year experience during the first ten years of an engineering program in a small, rural, teaching-focused liberal arts institution.
Methodology/Approach This paper is a retrospective case study looking at the development of the curriculum and cocurricular offerings. Student surveys, ABET course evaluations, and comparison of curriculum will be shared to support the faculty narrative describing the development of the current version of the hands-on curriculum.
Findings/Conclusions Hands-on projects support student learning and have evolved over the years based on student feedback and evaluations. Students begin to build a strong engineering identity in their first year courses and faculty build upon the foundational content in later courses.
Implications A high-quality hands-on education should be continuously evolving to provide quality education for all students. Infusing active learning throughout the curriculum can promote industry-ready students at all levels, including small, liberal-arts focused institutions. Even new programs that have been designed with best practices in mind can benefit from continuous improvement to better serve their students, future employers, and community.