Special session — Using qualitative data to bring positive culture into engineering programs

The Research Institute for STEM Education (RISE) examines success in engineering from the perspective of achieving equity of outcome. Equity ensures that opportunities and formal and informal knowledge are available to all students for participation and success in engineering education. Using a qualitative research design that employs semi-structured student interviews as the primary source of data, our findings emphasize the importance of a positive academic culture on the recruitment and retention of engineering students, especially students from historically under-represented groups. The purpose of this session is to engage participants in qualitative data analysis as they review interview narratives and identify evidence in support of RISE research recommendations on positive culture. Participants will use their analysis to develop implementation plans that transfer the recommendations to their institutional contexts.