ERIC Number: EJ1255075
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jul
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1069-4730
EISSN: N/A
A Model of Co-Curricular Support for Undergraduate Engineering Students
Lee, Walter C.; Matusovich, Holly M.
Journal of Engineering Education, v105 n3 p406-430 Jul 2016
Background: Engineering student support centers (ESSCs) are common providers of assistance for undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups. However, ESSCs are relatively recent, and there are gaps in our knowledge about how they are intentionally designed to function alongside engineering curricula. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual model that graphically represents the practices of and intentions behind ESSCs. Design/Method: A multi-case study design was used to examine the efforts of six ESSCs housed at four institutions. Using qualitative methods, we collected data from student-support practitioners (those who provide support) and students (those who receive support). The data were analyzed through the development of a logic model. Results: The primary result of this study is an empirically based conceptual model, the model of co-curricular support (MCCS), for constructing and evaluating support systems and individual student interventions. The MCCS builds on Tinto's model of institutional departure and demonstrates the breadth of assistance required to comprehensively support undergraduate students at the college level. Conclusions: The MCCS indicates how a student's interactions with the academic, social, and professional systems in a college and the larger university system can influence a student's success in an undergraduate degree program. The model combines student-retention theory with student-support practice in a way that can facilitate future collaborations between educational researchers and student-support practitioners.
Descriptors: Engineering Education, Undergraduate Students, Student Needs, Academic Support Services, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Models, Intervention, Student Personnel Services, Academic Persistence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A