The Itasca Community College Engineering - Condensed Scheduling Effects on Persistence and Time to Graduation

Document Type

Conference Presentation

Publication Date

10-2010

Abstract

Groups within and outside engineering education are interested in student success rates and time to graduation for engineering students in order to meet the nation’s need for new engineering graduates. In 2002 Itasca Community College's Engineering program changed from a traditional 16 week semester to a "block scheduling" format with classes taught "one-at-a-time" in 4 weeks and then in the Spring of 2005 to a "two-at-a-time" in 8 weeks. This scheduling method is successful in providing students the ability to navigate through the pre-calculus and calculus sequences at different paces than in a traditional schedule yet have the ability to complete their engineering degree in four years. Students who have started their engineering education at Itasca in the block scheduling format average 8.7 semesters to completion of their bachelor’s degree in engineering with graduation rates higher than many comparable to institutions across the nation at 54% .

Department

Integrated Engineering

Publication Title

2010 North Midwest Section

DOI

10.18260/1-2-1114-36471

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