Description of a ten year study of the preengineering program for under-represented, low income and/or first generation college students at The University of Akron

This paper summarizes ten years´ efforts of a preengineering program to improve the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) at The University of Akron. This study, evaluates The University of Akron´s successful operations of the special high school upward bound and the preengineering programs to increase the number of under-represented students in SMET. The programs are in collaboration with the College of Engineering´s Minority Engineering Program, Increasing Diversity in Engineering Academics (IDEAs). The effectiveness of the programs are measured by: (a) high school GPA before and after participating in the programs, (b) retention rate for students returning from previous year, and (c) percentage of students majoring in SMET upon graduation. The end results of these strategies are that the targeted students, who have expressed an interest in mathematics and science, are highly motivated and excited about SMET careers.