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African American engineering students at River City Community College: Factors that improve transfer to four-year engineering degree programs

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African American engineering students at River City Community College: Factors that improve transfer to four-year engineering degree programs

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Content
AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT RIVER CITY
COMMUNITY COLLEGE: FACTORS THAT IMPROVE TRANSFER TO FOUR-
YEAR ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAMS

by

Kimberlyann Tsai Granger

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2011

Copyright 2011 Kimberlyann Tsai Granger

ii

Dedication

I would like to thank my family, friends, colleagues, and students who have
supported me in completing this work as well as the faculty and staff at the University of
Southern California. I would especially like to thank John Granger, Margaret & Jack
Tsai, Mike & Alicia Tsai, Brittany Granger, Ivy Tsai, Alexander Tsai, Liliana Tsai, and
Louise Ryan who are my inspiration for nearly everything I do.

iii

Table of Contents

Dedication ii

List of Tables v

Abstract vi

Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Introduction of the Problem 1
Background of the Problem 3
Statement of the Problem 4
Purpose of the Study 5
Description of the River City Community College 5
The Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program 7
Research Questions and Hypotheses 8
Importance of the Study 8
Definition of Terms 10

Chapter 2: Literature Review 11
Introduction 11
Theoretical Framework 12
Interactions with Math and Engineering Faculty Members 18
Peer Support Groups 20
Time Working at Off-Campus Jobs 25
Academic Advising and Academic Support 26
Conclusion 28

Chapter 3: Methodology 30
Introduction 30
Purpose of the Study 32
Type of Study, Focus, and Research Questions 33
Methodology 33
Validity and Reliability Issues 44
Study Limitations 45
Background of the Researcher 45

Chapter 4: Findings 47
Overview 47
The Participants 48
Themes from the Focus Groups 50
Conclusion 65

iv

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 68
Introduction 68
Findings 69
Discussion 72
Implications for Practice 77
Future Research 78
Conclusion 79

References 81

Appendices 85
Appendix A: Qualifications for the ECMESP 85
Appendix B: Student Information Form 87
Appendix C: Interview Questions 89

v

List of Tables

Table 1: Definition of Terms 9
Table 2: Components of the Everbright Company Minority Engineering 30
Scholarship Program

Table 3: River City Community College (RCCC) Demographics: 40
Race/Ethnicity and Gender

Table 4: Study Participants Semesters at RCCC and Intended Transfer Date 46
Table 5: Study Participants‘ Off-Campus Hours Worked 47

vi

Abstract
This study examines a scholarship program at a community college that seeks to
increase the number of African American students earning a Bachelor‘s degree in
engineering. The scholarship program does more than provide students with money to
cover their college tuition and fees. This program also provides students with
engineering mentors, academic support, and peer support. This study revealed that
several of the scholarship program components affected students‘ decisions to persist
toward engineering degrees.
1

Chapter One: Introduction
Introduction of the Problem
The percentage of minority students earning bachelor‘s degrees in America has
increased over the past 35 years. According to the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) 2007‘s Condition of Education Report, the percentage of Hispanics
who obtained a bachelor‘s degree or higher rose from 5.11% in 1971 to 9.5% in 2006
(Planty, Provasanik, Hussar, Snyder, Kena, Hampden-Thompson, Kinkes, & Choy,
2007). Furthermore, the percentage of African Americans who obtained a bachelor‘s
degree or higher rose from 6.7% in 1971 to 18.7% in 2006 (Planty et al., 2007). Though
the percentage of minority students earning bachelor‘s degrees has increased, the gap
between racial/ethnic minorities and White students is still noteworthy as 34.3% of White
students earned the same degrees or higher (Planty et al., 2007).
This disparity is even more salient when considering differences between the
number of minority and White students obtaining bachelor‘s degrees in certain fields
such as the field of engineering (Bonous-Hammarth, 2000; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990;
Good, Halpin, & Halpin, 2001; NSF, 2008). In 2005-2006, 4.5% of all bachelor‘s
degrees were awarded in engineering fields (NSF, 2008). However, only 4.1% of the
bachelor‘s degrees awarded to under-represented minority students were in engineering
fields (NCES, 2008). In other words, the percentage of minority graduates who earned a
degree in engineering is lower than the percentage of white graduates earning the same
degree.
2

The disproportion of African American students in engineering is even greater
than that of other minority groups. Only 2.4% of the bachelor‘s degrees awarded to
African American students in 2005-2006 were in the field of engineering (NSF, 2008).
There were 1,075,561 white students and 142,420 African American students who
obtained bachelor‘s degrees in 2002-2003, and there was a differential of 75% between
white and African American students who obtained a bachelors degree in engineering.
The likelihood of a White student earning a bachelor‘s degree in engineering is much
greater than the likelihood of an African American student earning the same degree.
Consequently, the number of African Americans receiving a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering affects the number of African Americans employed as engineers or earning
graduate degrees in engineering. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF),
3.4% of the employed engineers with a bachelor‘s degree or higher in engineering in
America in the year 2003 were African American. In the same year, only 2.5% and 2.0%
of the employed engineers with a master‘s degree and with a doctoral degree were
African American, respectively (NSF, 2008). It is interesting to note that the percentage
of employed African American engineers drops as the level of degree increases, which
could result in African American engineers working at a lower pay rate than their white
counterparts. In sum, the data collected by NSF and NCES clearly illustrates the acute
under-representation of minorities, especially African Americans, in the field of
engineering.

3

Background of the Problem
The under-representation of minorities in engineering fields does not begin in
engineering; it begins in education. In the 1954 landmark case of Brown v. The Board of
Education, the Supreme Court ruled that the segregation of American schools was illegal
(Boozer, Krueger, Wolkon, Haltiwanger, & Loury, 1992). However, segregation still
exists in our country in the form of achievement gaps, particularly in the number of
students earning bachelor‘s degrees in engineering and other science related fields of
study (NSF, 2008).
Success in engineering is dependent on success in mathematics among other
things. While many researchers have suggested that minority student success in
mathematics has often been overlooked, several factors that affect the success of minority
students in mathematics have been identified (Fullilove & Treisman, 1990; Herzig, 2005;
Stevens et al., 2006). The two most frequently cited factors have been a lack of parental
involvement (Valdez, 2002) and lack of diversity among teaching faculty (Valdez, 2002).
Low self-efficacy, while less frequently cited, is another leading factor that contributes to
the lack of success for minority students in mathematics (Stevens et al., 2005; Koller &
Baument, 2001; Telesse, 1999; Ma, 1999). Students who are not successful in
mathematics are less likely to be successful in engineering (Good et al., 2001; Turner &
Bowen, 1999; Jackson et al., 1993). As a result, African American students who enter
college are more likely to be placed in developmental math courses than their white
counterparts (Hoffman, Llagas, & Snyder, 2003).
4

Two year colleges, however, can serve as an entry point for students into the field
of engineering and can assist students in getting through the developmental math courses
that will allow them to succeed in the upper level math requirements needed for
engineering degrees. Unfortunately, the success of minority students in entering
engineering degree programs after starting in two year colleges has been overlooked in
empirical research. The lack of research, in part, may be due to the low number of 2-year
colleges that offer engineering programs. As a result, this study explored indicators for
African American students‘ success in an engineering degree program at a two-year
college.
Statement of the problem

Data collected by both the National Science Foundation and the National Center
for Educational Statistics show that African American students are less likely to obtain a
bachelor‘s degree in engineering than their White counterparts. Research has found that
such factors as interactions with mentors, math and engineering faculty, peer support, and
academic support such as tutoring all contribute to an engineering student‘s decision to
persist towards an engineering degree. However, there has not been much research on
the success of African American engineering students at a two-year college or their
transfer to a bachelor‘s degree program.
Success in the context of this study is defined as students returning the following
semester and continuing to work towards a bachelor‘s degree in engineering. Students
transferring to a four-year university and continuing to work towards a bachelor‘s degree
in engineering are considered successful.
5

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of African American
students enrolled in the engineering transfer program at River City Community College
(RCCC) so as to identify indicators that promote their ―success.‖ Success in this study
was measured by (a) the completion of the two-year program at the community college in
three years or less and (b) transfer to a bachelor‘s degree program in engineering. More
specifically, this study examined the Everbright Company Minority Engineering
Scholarship Program (ECMESP), an academic recruitment and support program that
targets Native American, Hispanic, and African American students at RCCC. However,
due to the demographics of RCCC, which is located in the Midwest, over 90% of the
program participants are African Americans. Financially supported by the Everbright
Company, students who are accepted to the ECMESP receive financial support, academic
support, and academic advising to assist them in obtaining a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering. Using qualitative methods, this study explored which components of the
program students indicated as having made the strongest impact on their decision to
persist towards engineering bachelor‘s degrees.
Description of the River City Community College
The River City Community College is the largest community college in the state
of Missouri and serves an area that is 718 square miles (RCCC, 2008). The three-campus
college was approved by voters in 1962 and opened their doors within three years of one
another beginning in 1970. The Forest Park campus was opened in the city of St. Louis,
the Florissant Valley campus was opened in the northern part of the county, and the
6

Meramec campus was opened in the southern part of the county. In 2007, the college
opened a fourth campus, Wildwood, in the western region of the county to accommodate
the growing population of that area. Although the four campuses are still considered one
college, they each serve a diverse population and each have a specific program that they
are best known for. Wildwood is known for its Business Program, Forest Park is known
for its Hospitality Program, Meramec is known for its Horticulture Program, and
Florissant Valley is known for its Engineering Program.
There were 23,425 students enrolled in courses at RCCC during the Spring 2008
semester. According to the college website, 29% of the student body is African
American, and 56% is Caucasian (RCCC, 2008). The tuition rate per credit hour at
RCCC is based on residency, with State residents in the district paying $81 and state
residents from out-of-district paying $118. Out-of-state students pay $148 and
international students pay $158. In addition to tuition, students pay a $5 college activity
fee and a $3 technology fee each semester (RCCC, 2008).
RCCC places a high importance on diversity. The district has a diversity council
comprised of faculty members, administrators, and staff members (RCCC, 2008). The
purpose of the diversity council is to help the district adopt an inclusive curriculum, to
promote mutual respect through college activities, and to ensure that the diversity of the
student body, staff, and faculty reflect the diversity of the college‘s service area (RCCC,
2008). The ECMESP program contributes to this diversity and represents a significant
portion of the diversity in the engineering program. Although ECMESP participants
come from all four campuses and can take general education courses at all four
7

campuses, most of the students call Florissant Valley their home campus due to the fact
that the engineering program and a majority of the engineering courses are located there.
The Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program
Since 1988, The Everbright Company has partnered with RCCC and Rivertown
S&T to fund the Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program
(ECMESP), which aims to increase the number of St. Louis area minority students
earning bachelor‘s degrees in engineering. Dr. Jerry Smith, engineering faculty, and
Danielle Sparkle, academic counselor, coordinate the program at RCCC. A total of 185
students have participated in the program since 2005. Of the 185 participants, 103
(55.1%) graduated or transferred to Rivertown S&T within three years. Twelve
participants (11.7%) transferred to other four-year institutions, and four (2.2%) continued
at RCCC past the six semester limit of the scholarship. The remaining 66 participants
(36%) were dropped from the program due to poor academic records, switched their
major from engineering, or left college completely (Smith, 2010; Sparkle, 2008).
The ECMESP has several components, all of which are based on indicators found
in research to improve minority student persistence and retention (Battle, 1998; Bonous-
Hammarth, 2000; Brown, 2006; ; Cooper, 1997; D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993;
Datnow & Cooper, 1997; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
Participants in the ECMESP are given financial support, academic support, and
mentoring support. Financial support is given in the form of a scholarship that covers all
of the educational fees. Program participants at the community college level are expected
to attend four monthly meetings in both the Fall and Spring semesters. In addition to the
8

financial support and the monthly meetings, participants are also expected to meet one-
on-one with the program coordinator each semester they attend RCCC. Once students
transfer to Rivertown S&T, they are expected to maintain a 2.5 GPA if they are to keep
the scholarship for up to three years. Because the bachelor‘s degree in engineering
requires students to complete four consecutive semesters of mathematics courses and four
consecutive semesters of science courses during the first four semesters of enrollment,
ECMESP students are not usually able to earn an Associate‘s degree in addition to
meeting the engineering transfer requirements. The number of transfer requirements for
the engineering degree is too high to allow students the freedom to take additional
courses required for an Associate‘s degree.
Research Questions and Hypotheses

The following research questions guide this study:

1. What are the components of the ECMESP that have contributed to the retention of
African American students in the engineering degree program at RCCC?
2. For the students participating in the ECMESP, what factors contribute to their
decision to persist at two-year colleges? What factors have contributed to their
decision to transfer to the university and continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s
degree in engineering?
Importance of the Study

Although studies have been conducted on the retention of minority students in
college (Astin, 1982; Brown, 2006; Cokley, 2002; Datnow & Cooper, 1997; D‘Augelli &
Hershberger, 1993; Wild & Ebbers, 2002), very few studies have examined the retention
9

of African American engineering students at a two-year college. Because African
American students who enroll in college for the first time are more likely to attend a 2-
year college than their White counterparts (NCES, 2008), programs for African American
engineering majors at 2-year colleges could make a significant difference in the number
of African Americans entering the engineering field. The results from this study can be
used by educators to develop or improve retention/transfer programs for African
American students in engineering majors or to implement similar programs in other
community colleges.
The theoretical framework that was used in this study is Astin‘s Model of Student
Involvement (Astin, 1993) and Tinto‘s Model of Student Integration (Tinto, 1993)
because the components of the ECMESP have strong connections to both models. The
ECMESP attempts to retain African-American engineering students at the RCCC by
creating pathways for students to become involved with the engineering community as
well as with other engineering students, staff, and faculty and by creating pathways for
students to become integrated both into the college and the engineering communities.
This study looked closely at the ECMESP components and listened to students to
determine how well the ECMESP met this goal and how much of an impact this has had
on students‘ decisions to persist towards an engineering degree.

10

Definition of Terms
ECMESP: Everbright Company Minority Engineering Scholarship
Program
Rivertown S & T: Rivertown University of Science and Technology
Retention: Returning to the Engineering Program the following semester
RCCC: River City Community College
Transfer Success: Transferring from the community college to a bachelor‘s
degree program in engineering

11

Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
There exists a body of research addressing the retention of African-American,
Hispanic, and Native American students in institutions of higher education (Astin, 1982;
D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993; Wilson & Constantine, 1999). There is also a body of
research addressing the retention of this population of students in the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study (Bonous-Hammarth, 2000; Datnow
& Cooper, 1997; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). Yet, research addressing the retention of
minority students in the specific field of engineering is limited (Good et al., 2001).
This chapter provides a review of the literature on minority student retention in
engineering programs at institutions of higher education. Because there is a limited
amount of research on this specific topic, this review also addresses the retention of
minority students in other STEM fields. A selection of studies that examine minority
student retention in general is also addressed, particularly in cases where they have
connections with the Everbright Company Minority Engineering Scholarship Program
(ECMESP).
Following the introduction, there are two main sections in this chapter. The first
section provides a background on the theoretical framework of the study, which is
comprised of Astin‘s Theory of Involvement (Astin, 1993) and Tinto‘s Theory of
Integration (Tinto, 1993). The second section provides the review of the literature on the
six components to minority student retention programs that have been found, across the
12

literature, to have significant effects on retention of students in the field of engineering.
The six factors included in this study are as follows:
1. Interactions with math and engineering faculty members;
2. Interactions with African American engineers;
3. Peer support groups;
4. Time spent working at off-campus jobs;
5. Academic advising; and
6. Academic support (tutoring).
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework for this study is comprised of both Astin‘s Theory of
Student Involvement (Astin, 1993) and Tinto‘s Theory of Student Integration (Tinto,
1993). Together these theoretical models lay the framework from which to uncover
qualitative data about factors that minority students in the ECMESP report as affecting
their decisions to persist in and toward a bachelor‘s degree program in engineering.
Because both of these theories connect equally to this study, both theories are given equal
consideration.
Astin’s model of student involvement
Astin published his original college impact model in 1977 in his book Four
Critical Years: Effects of College on Beliefs, Attitudes, and Knowledge. In 1993, he
revisited this work and published the book What Matters in College: Four Critical Years
Revisited. Both works are based on the theoretical Model of Student Involvement. In his
revised 1993 work, however, Astin was able to modify some of his findings and either
13

confirm or reject other findings. Of particular interest to this study are the modifications
of his work on the effect that peer groups have on students and the effect that various
faculty characteristics have on students.
Astin‘s Theory of Student Involvement asserts that the quantity and quality of
energy (both physical and mental) that a student invests in their academic experience is
directly proportional to the student‘s satisfaction with their educational experience and
the amount of learning that takes place (Astin, 1999). Astin‘s research found that an
increased amount of high quality student involvement improves a student‘s retention in
an academic program (Astin, 1999). His research also addresses student-institution ―fit.‖
Students who fit in with their institution and their academic program will be more
involved and thus will be more likely to persist toward transfer or degree. Some
examples of a good student-institutional fit include African American students at
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), students at religious institutions
that hold the same beliefs as the student, and student from small towns who attend small
institutions (Astin, 1999).
Astin‘s Theory of Student Involvement (Astin, 1993) addresses a number of
factors that can be separated into two categories. The first category includes ―bridge‖
factors that are associated with student involvement at the initial point of entering
college. These factors are as follows: choice of major, place of residence, and financial
aid. The second category includes factors that are associated with student involvement
after being in college for a period of time. These factors are academic involvement,
14

involvement with faculty, involvement with student peers, and involvement in work
(Astin, 1993, p. 365).
Astin‘s Theory of Student Involvement provides the framework for this
particular study because several of the components of the ECMESP exist to support
student involvement with one another, with academic support programs such as advising
and tutoring, and engagement with engineering faculty members. Furthermore, Astin‘s
1993 study focuses on students that are similar to the participants of ECMESP in two
general ways. First, Astin‘s study focuses on students that are traditional-aged college
students who are recent high school graduates. Second, the study only includes full time
students. Most students who participate in the ECMESP are recruited from local high
schools their senior year and are traditional-aged college students. The ECMESP
participants are also full-time as one of the requirements of the program is that students
must be enrolled in 12 or more units each semester.
In addition to having similar students as the ECMESP, Astin‘s theory has been
empirically tested and his findings have been reaffirmed for at least fifteen years
(Feldman, 1994). Most of the research testing Astin‘s theory has relied on large data
samples, thus extending the generalizability of his findings and utility of his theory
(Patton, 1992). For instance, student data for the 1993 publication used a sample of about
twenty-five thousand students from more than two hundred institutions of higher
education (Feldman, 1994).
Although Astin‘s theory is applicable to this study, there are some limitations.
Much of Astin‘s research focuses on students at 4-year, residential institutions. This
15

study, on the other hand, examines a program at a 2-year, non-residential institution.
Although students at a 4-year residential institution have more opportunities to become
involved with their institution, students at a 2-year, non-residential institution can still be
involved at different levels (CCSSE, 2008). The premise of Astin‘s theory, that an
increased amount of higher quality student involvement improves a student‘s retention in
an academic program, would still hold at a 2-year non-residential institution.
Tinto’s model of student integration
Tinto‘s Theory of Student Integration was published in 1975 and was revised in
1993 (Tinto, 1993). Tinto‘s theory asserts that students are less likely to leave an
institution or degree program if they feel a sense of inclusion in the ―community‖ of the
institution or degree program (Tinto, 1975). Tinto‘s theory has been cited over 1,800
times (Bensimon, 2007) and is part of the theoretical framework supporting this study.
Tinto‘s Theory of Student Integration proposes that the background
characteristics of a student such as socio-economic status and parent education influence
the student‘s initial commitment to completing a degree (Tinto, 1975). After a student
enters college, however, it is the student‘s integration, with both social and academic
aspects of the institution, that influence the student‘s commitment to the institution and to
completing a degree. Tinto proposes three specific ways in which a student is integrated
into the social and academic systems of the institution: (a) participation in extracurricular
activities, (b) interaction with fellow students, and (c) interaction with faculty members
(Tinto 1975).
16

Parts of Tinto‘s theory have their roots in the theories of Durkheim and Van
Gannep (Tinto, 1975; Tierney, 1999). Durkheim states that some individuals commit
suicide as a result of a failure to be integrated into society (Durkheim, 1951). Tinto
asserts that some individuals depart an institution or fail to persist towards a degree
because of a failure to be integrated into the social and academic systems of the
institution (Tinto, 1993). Van Gannep‘s work addressed the topic of the ―rites of
passage‖ (Van Gannep, 1960) and Tinto extends this notion to student integration,
asserting that students become members of an institution through ―rites of passage‖
(Tinto, 1975). Tinto provides three stages in this process towards integration. The first
stage is when the student leaves the community of their high school and their family.
The second stage is the transition into the new community of the institution. The third
stage is when the student becomes integrated into the new community of the institution
and adopts the norms and behaviors of this new community (Tinto, 1975).
The notion of student integration through ―rites of passage‖ is of particular
interest in a study of first-year student attrition. When a student is in the first stage of
leaving their previous community, they are less integrated into the new community and
are therefore more likely to leave the institution (Tinto, 1975). As a result, students are
more likely to leave an institution as a freshman than as a junior (Tinto, 1975). This
finding supports this study, in that students in their first and second years of college
report factors that have an effect on their decision to persist towards a degree.
Though Tinto‘s theory of student integration is one of the most commonly
accepted theories on student retention, there may be some limitations to its transferability
17

to this study of the ECMESP. One critique of Tinto‘s theory is that research has not
shown if it applies to African American students, especially at a predominately white
institution (Tierney, 1999). However, Tinto‘s research was conducted with a diverse
group of students, which included African American students as well as other under-
represented minority students. Tinto‘s research did not point out any differences in the
application of his theory to students of different races (Tinto, 1993). Tierney states that
Tinto‘s theory implies that part of being integrated successfully into the institution
involves discarding one‘s cultural background (Tierney, 1999). However, the aspects of
the ECMESP that are being looked at in this study do not require a student to turn their
back on their cultural background. The aspects of the ECMESP that have to do with
students being integrated into the engineering degree program involve students becoming
part of a support network but not to the point of leaving one‘s family or culture behind.
Therefore, Tinto‘s theory can still be used as part of the theoretical framework of this
study.
Furthermore, at least one study has claimed that Tinto‘s theory is not as valid in a
commuter college setting as it is in a residential university (Pascarella, Duby, & Iverson,
1983). It is important to note that this study did not claim that the theory was invalid at a
commuter college, but rather that it may not be as valid. As a result, this critique of
Tinto‘s theory will not have a heavy bearing on this study.
Tinto‘s theory of student integration and Astin‘s theory of student involvement
are applicable to this study of the ECMESP at a two year college, regardless of whether
they are more applicable elsewhere. The components of the ECMESP were put in place
18

to assist minority students in becoming more involved with their institution and the field
of engineering as well as to assist minority students in feeling more ―included‖ in the
institution and in the field of engineering.
In the next section of this chapter, six factors that have been found in research to
affect student retention will be discussed. These six factors appeared frequently in the
research, and thus it seemed logical to organize the findings from prior research around
these six factors. The six factors are as follows: (a) interactions with math and
engineering faculty members, (b) interactions with African American engineers, (c) peer
support groups, (d) time spent working at off-campus jobs, (e) academic advising, and (f)
academic support (tutoring). The six factors are related to student involvement, student
integration, or both. When students feel connected to their teachers, spend more time on
campus, and are part of a peer support group at their institution, they begin to feel
integrated into the college community and are less likely to leave the institution (Tinto,
1975). As students develop relationships with advisors, tutors, faculty, engineers from
the community, and other students, they become more involved in the institution and in
the field of engineering. As students become more involved in the institution and in the
engineering field, they become less likely to leave the institution (Astin 1993).
Interactions with Math and Engineering Faculty Members
The review of the literature supports Astin and Tinto‘s theories. For instance,
Astin‘s Theory of Student Involvement reveals that college students are more likely to
persist in degree programs or at institutions of higher education when they are involved
with the faculty (Astin, 1993). Additionally, Tinto‘s Theory of Integration asserts that
19

positive interaction between students and faculty promotes learning and program
persistence (Tinto, 1993). Research suggests that college students benefit from adult role
models and mentors who help them develop socially and intellectually (Brown, 2006;
Good et al., 2001; Lee, 1988). Because many African American students attend
institutions that move them away from their family units and because many of these
students do not have parents who attended college (Battle, 1998; D‘Augelli et al., 1993)
the need for faculty mentors is even greater.
Research also suggests that African American students benefit most from having
African American faculty mentors (Bonner, 2006; Cuyjet, 2006; Brown, 2006; Cokley,
2002). However, many institutions do not employ an adequate number of African
American faculty members (Cokley, 2002; JBHE, 2001). Therefore the opportunity for
African American students to connect with African American faculty mentors can be
difficult. In this case, faculty mentors of other racial/ ethnic groups who are
knowledgeable about Black identity development (Bonner, 2006), African American
culture, and student development in general are the next best fit; it is better to have a non-
African American faculty mentor who is familiar with identity development theory than
to have no mentor at all (Bonner, 2006). Furthermore, non-faculty mentors such as
upperclassmen students, STEM professionals, and other college personnel can also serve
as effective mentors (Lee, 1988).
Brown (2006) sought to answer the question ―what programs do students view as
effective in creating a welcoming environment for African Americans on campus?‖
Brown held four focus groups and one-on-one interviews with 25 African American men
20

at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in the South. He used purposeful sampling to
select 25 participants who would be likely to provide detailed, descriptive information
about their experiences and involvement with campus activities. Brown‘s research
indicates that African American men in college benefit from positive relationships with
faculty, but especially with African American faculty. Many of the students in Brown‘s
research group indicated that they felt ―culturally and socially isolated‖ (Brown, 2006,
p. 59) on that predominantly white campus and stated that it would be helpful to have an
African American adult to talk to about the issues they face as minority students.
Interactions with African American faculty mentors have a greater positive effect on
students than interactions with non-African American faculty mentors (Bonner, 2006).
However, interactions with non-African American faculty mentors who understand the
plight and culture of African American students are still beneficial to students (Bonner,
2006; McEwen, Roper, Bryant, & Langa, 1990).
Peer Support Groups
Peer support groups have reportedly had a significant effect on African American
students‘ success in college (Brown, 2006; Battle, 1998). African American students
who pursue degrees in the field of engineering at predominantly white institutions meet
even more challenges, such as course difficulty, than students pursuing degrees in other
fields (Leslie et al., 1998; Brown, 2006; Battle, 1998). As a result, the need for peer
support groups is even greater. Two of the benefits of peer support groups are that they
(a) provide students with a place to improve academically and intellectually, and they (b)
21

provide students with a place to develop socially and deal with the added challenges of
being a minority on a PWI (Lee, 1988).
African American male students who participated in Brown‘s 2006 study
indicated that ―bonding and having friendships with other African American males
contributed greatly to their survival at a PWI‖ (p. 60). Because there are so few African
American students to bond with at a PWI, many African American students continued
their bonds with friends that were not from the college rather than bonding with fellow
students. As a result, students were less involved with campus activities and interacted
less with other students (Brown, 2006).
D‘Augelli and Hershberger studied 146 undergraduate students at a state
university (1993). In their study, they used four different instruments to measure a
number of characteristics having to do with social networks, minority experiences, and
student well-being. In this study, they matched African American and White students by
GPA in an effort to control for previous academic achievement. As a result of controlling
for past academic success, they were able to more carefully examine the effect of other
factors such as campus experience. D‘Augelli and Hershberger found that experiences of
racial discrimination on campus had a serious effect on minority students. Acts of
discrimination and the negative campus climate for minority students cause them to focus
less on academic activities (D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993). D‘Augelli & Hershberger
concluded that educators could help African American college students succeed by
providing them with peer support groups that would not only help prepare them for the
challenges that they would face as minorities on predominantly white campuses but
22

would also give them a place where they would be able to celebrate academic
achievement and strive for success without the pressures of appearing to ―act white‖
(D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993; Datnow & Cooper, 1997).
Another empirical study on peer networks among African American college
students was done by Datnow and Cooper (1997). Datnow and Cooper studied 380
African American students in grades 8–12

who were awarded BEST scholarships and
attended 20 different elite, private, predominantly white schools (Datnow & Cooper,
1997). The study is limited by the fact that all the study participants were awarded
scholarships based on merit and were therefore academically high-achieving. However,
the results of the study are still useful in understanding what factors in addition to
academic ability and prior success predicted continued academic success. Datnow and
Cooper explained their findings by stating that positive peer networks ―support these
students' academic success, create opportunities for them to reaffirm their racial
identities, and facilitate their adjustment to settings that are otherwise difficult for Blacks
to fit into‖ (1997, p. 56). Furthermore, Datnow and Cooper found that the peer networks
among African American students helped them overcome the specific barriers that
minorities often face in a PWI high school by helping them cope and acclimate to their
PWI (Datnow & Cooper, 1997).
In addition to supporting African American students directly, the peer support
networks that they formed also served another purpose: they improved the majority
students‘ awareness of the minority group. As a result of the peer groups, white students
became more aware of the African American students and the challenges they face
23

(Datnow & Cooper, 1997). Datnow and Cooper assert that this resulted in improved
campus climates for all students.
Similarly, Fullilove & Treisman (1990) found a connection between minority
student success and peer group interactions. Fullilove & Treisman collected data on the
Mathematics Workshop Program (MWP) at the University of California, Berkeley
(UCB). The UCB‘s MWP is an honors program for first year college students. Nearly
80 percent of the student participants are African American or Hispanic (Fullilove &
Treisman, 1990). Mathematics students participate in a workshop that supplements their
lecture. First-year African American and Hispanic students who enter UCB and indicate
an interest in a career that will require a lot of math, such as engineering, are invited to
join the program. Students self-select whether to participate in the program or not. As
part of the MWP, students spend about two hours twice a week in a group of 5-7 students
working on mathematics problems together. Fullilove and Treisman analyzed data that
included 646 African American undergraduates who entered UCB and enrolled in first
semester Calculus between 1973 - 1984. One of Fullilove and Treisman‘s findings was
that students who participated in the MWP were more likely to succeed in their math
class. Fullilove and Treisman state that this success is partially attributed to the fact that
the workshops provide students with peer groups comprised of other students who are
driven to succeed (1990). As a result, the students spur one another on to persist even at
the times that the material is challenging. The workshops create peer support groups that
apparently become important to students‘ success.
24

The University of Texas at Austin created a program that was modeled after the
MWP at Berkley. The program was called the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP).
Moreno and Miller (1999) found that the ESP had similar results at its respective
university as the MWP had at Berkley. As a result of the ESP, African American
Calculus I students were more likely to continue in and succeed in Calculus II than
African American students who did not participate in the program (Moreno & Miller,
1999).
A large land grant university in the Southeast has a program for minority students
in Engineering called the MEP (Minority Engineering Program). This is a one-year
program for first-year African American engineering students, and one component of the
program is the pairing of each student with an upperclassman mentor (Good, Halpin &
Halpin, 2001). Although this mentoring relationship is not equivalent to a faculty
mentoring relationship, it has some similarities. The peer mentors encourage the students
to continue in their program and offer the student participants an insider‘s view of the
engineering program. In the year that Good et al. studied a MEP cohort, thirty-four of the
fifty-eight African American freshmen in the engineering degree program self-selected to
participate in the MEP. Student participation in the program lasted only one year, but the
effects of the program continued in their second year. Over 75% of the participants
remained in the engineering program after the second year, while barely 50% of the non-
participants remained (Good et al., 2001). Several MEP participants attributed their
retention to the MEP. One specific result of the mentoring aspect of the MEP was that
student participants felt more connected to the Engineering field than non-participants
25

(Good et al., 2001). In fact, 66% of the participants who were interviewed stated that
they felt connected to the engineering field, while none of the non-participants who were
interviewed stated that they felt connected to the engineering field (Good et al., 2001).
One student stated that as a result of the program he felt that he was ―surrounded by
engineers‖ (Good et al., 2001, p. 359). In brief, research suggests that positive peer
support groups can have a noticeable effect on African American students. Some of the
outcomes found include an encouragement to persist in degree programs, academic
support, and social support (Battle, 1998; Brown, 2006; Lee, 1988; Datnow & Cooper,
1997; D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990; Good, Halpin &
Halpin, 2001).
Time spent working at off-campus jobs
Students who work more hours often have less time to devote to homework and
studying (Hammer, Grigsby, & Woods, 1998; Leppel, 2002; Trombley, 1998). Working
more hours, unless it is hours worked on campus which provides the student with more
college involvement (Tinto, 1999), has a negative effect on college persistence
(Trombley, 1998; Leppel, 2002).
Studies have found that students who work more hours, especially at jobs that are
off campus, do not do as well as students who either do not work or work fewer hours
(Trombley, 1998; Leppel, 2002; Hammer et al., 1998). In a study conducted in 1998,
Trombley found that students who worked more hours were more likely to be on
academic probation than the students who worked fewer hours (Trombley, 1998).
Furthermore, Leppel conducted an analysis of student data and found a statistically
26

significant relationship between college persistence and hours worked. Leppel‘s study
found that hours worked had a negative effect on persistence (Leppel, 2002). In a study
that included three hundred seventy-five college students, Hammer et al. concluded that
students whose work conflicted with their school were less satisfied with their college
experience (Hammer et al., 1998).
The students who participate in the ECMESP are given a scholarship that covers
their educational fees at RCCC as well as at Rivertown S&T. The purpose of the
scholarship is to provide students with the opportunity to work fewer hours at jobs and
thus spend more time on campus and preparing for classes. Based on previous research,
this should provide the ECMESP participants an opportunity to be more successful in
completing their degrees.
Academic Advising and Academic Support
College students are not always aware of what classes they should take or what
they need to do in order to graduate or transfer by a particular date. Students who are the
first in their family to attend college struggle even more with these challenges. Academic
advisors can help students by assisting them in creating an educational plan that they can
follow. An academic plan helps a student fit the classes they need into a schedule so that
they can graduate or transfer without losing time. Tinto (1993) states that students are
more likely to persist in a degree program when they have a plan and know when they
will be ready to graduate or transfer. A number of studies have found that effective
academic advising has a positive effect on college persistence (Lowe, A. & Toney, M.,
2001; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). For example, Lowe and Toney conducted a study that
27

showed a connection between college retention and the frequency of contact with
academic advisors. Those students who spent more time with academic advisors were
more likely to persist towards their degrees.
Academic advising is not the only student service that makes a difference in a
student‘s decision to persist towards their academic goal. Students often need help
beyond classroom time in such subjects as math and engineering. When students do not
get the academic support they need, they sometimes change their major or drop out of
college entirely (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). A study conducted by Yonhong, Hartman,
Uribe, and Mencke found that students who received tutoring assistance scored better on
their mathematics final exams than students who did not (Yonhong, et al., 2001).
Seymour and Hewitt (1997) began a 3-year study in 1990 that looked at what factors
caused students in science, engineering, and math majors to choose to either leave or stay
in the major. One of their findings was that students often left these majors because the
courses were too difficult, and they did not have the academic support that they needed
(Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
Participants in the ECMESP receive both academic advising and academic
tutoring. Previous research has found that both of these services have a positive effect on
a student‘s decision to persist towards an academic goal. Based on previous research, the
academic advising and academic tutoring that ECMESP students receive should provide
them an opportunity to be more successful in completing their degrees.

28

Conclusion
The empirical research shows that some of the factors that predict the success of
African American students in obtaining engineering undergraduate degrees are (a)
interaction with faculty, especially math and engineering faculty, (b) interactions with
minority engineering professionals, and (c) peer support groups. It is interesting to note
that these three factors are all related to one another by the fact they revolve around
relationships. Programs such as the Emerging Scholars Program (Moreno & Miller,
1999) and the Math Workshop Program (Fullilove & Treisman, 1990) that create, foster,
and facilitate these types of positive relationships for students, particularly African
American students, appear to be useful areas to examine when determining what
contributes to the retention and persistence of African American students in and toward
bachelor‘s degree programs in engineering.
Research has also concluded that mentoring relationships for engineering students
has a positive effect on their decision to persist towards an engineering degree. Although
a great deal of the research supports the effectiveness of faculty mentors, other people
such as upperclassmen students in the field and engineering professionals can serve as
effective mentors as well. Research suggests that the best mentors for African American
students are other African Americans. However, non-African American mentors who
understand the culture and plight of African American students in the engineering field
are also affective.
Positive peer support groups also have a positive effect on a student‘s decision to
persist towards a degree. Student life practitioners have reportedly been a significant part
29

of the solution by creating structures for peer support groups (Astin, 1993). Various
campus staff and faculty members have also worked together to foster both formal and
informal peer support groups for African American students.
Based on this review of literature, an increase in (a) interactions with math and
engineering faculty members, and (b) interactions with African American engineers, and
(c) peer support groups, as well as a decrease in (d) time spent working at off-campus
jobs, an increase in (e) academic advising, and an increase in (f) academic support
(tutoring) are all factors that have been found to positively contribute to the success of
minority students in persisting towards engineering degrees. The review of literature has
informed this study, which investigated the Everbright Company Minority Engineer
Scholarship Program, a program for minority engineering students at the River City
Community College who intend to transfer to the Rivertown University of Science &
Technology to earn a bachelor‘s degree in engineering.
The components of the ECMESP will be considered through the lens of Astin‘s
Model of Student Involvement and the lens of Tinto‘s Model of Student Integration. As
students are asked to share their perceptions of each component of the ECMESP, clues to
whether the components have helped them become more involved with the institution and
more integrated into the institution will be looked for. Students will be asked to share
whether these components helped them become more involved and integrated and if these
components thus affected their decisions to persist toward engineering degrees.
30

Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
In reviewing the literature on the success of African American students‘ degree
attainment in engineering, several factors emerged as having a positive effect on success.
These factors involve relationships with faculty members, engineers, and peers as well as
support from the institution in the form of advising, tutoring, and tuition assistance.
Academic support is important because the mathematics and engineering courses
that are required for an engineering degree are often challenging, and if students do not
receive the academic support that they need to be successful in their courses, they often
fail or drop out of those classes (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). Academic advising is
especially significant because the engineering degree program includes a rigid list of
required courses. The program does not leave room for taking extra classes that do not
count towards the degree. Peer support groups also affect students‘ decision to persist by
providing students with the encouragement they sometimes need. Because peer support
groups create an atmosphere where the success of other minority students is seen, they
impress upon students the fact that they can accomplish their academic goals (Bonous
Hammarth, 2000). Financial assistance in the form of scholarships affects a student‘s
choice of academic program, as well as the decision to continue in a program (Astin,
1982). Positive student-faculty relationships have also been reported to influence
students‘ retention in engineering degree programs. Such relationships provide minority
students with mentors who can provide support in ways such as answering questions
about the transfer process and assisting students with their coursework (Bonous
31

Hammarth, 2000). Each of these factors will be used to explore the successful transfer of
African American students from the River City Community College, a 2-year institution
with an engineering program, to the Rivertown University of Science and Technology, a
4-year bachelor degree granting institution.
In St. Louis, Missouri, the Everbright Company has partnered with the River City
Community College and the Rivertown University of Science and Technology to widen
the pipeline of minority students into the engineering field. The three organizations work
together to provide the Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program
(ECMESP), which has components that pair with each of the above mentioned factors
that research has found to have an effect on students‘ choice to persist towards bachelor‘s
degrees in engineering.
The ECMESP is more than a scholarship; it is also an academic program.
Students who are admitted to the program must participate in the program‘s events to
continue in the program. A scholarship covers all educational fees, which includes
tuition and registration fees. Books are not paid for by the ECMESP. Tutoring is
provided to all RCCC students by both the math department and the engineering
department. ECMESP students are encouraged by the program director to spend time
with the tutors. Students whose grades drop below a C by the midterm are advised by the
program director to work with the tutors on a regular basis. Students receive individual
academic advising every semester by the program director, who is an academic advisor
for RCCC. The ECMESP participants meet once a month, which provides an
opportunity for the students to get to know one another and for students who have been in
32

the program longer to share their experiences with newer students. This time is also used
to advertise the tutoring programs, to introduce students to ECMESP participants who
have transferred to 4-year institutions, to introduce students to minority engineers from
the community, and to introduce students with the recruiters from Rivertown S & T.

Table 2. Components of the Everbright Minority Engineering Scholarship Program

1. Financial scholarship covers tuition, books, and registration fees.
2. Participants are regularly encouraged to use the free tutoring offered by RCCC.
3. Participants must meet with an academic advisor at least once each semester.
4. Participants are paired up with a mentor from the engineering community.
5. Participants must attend four monthly meetings.

Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of African American
students enrolled in the engineering transfer program at the River City Community
College (RCCC) with the goal of identifying indicators that promote their ―success‖.
Success in this study was measured by (1) the completion of the two-year program at the
community college in three years or less and (2) transfer to a bachelor‘s degree program
in engineering. This study focused on the aspects of the program that research has found
to impact student persistence. The study contributes to the existing knowledge of
minority student persistence, retention, and success in transfer from a community college
to a four-year university. Although the amount of data that exists on minority students in
33

engineering is limited, even fewer studies have examined the retention and persistence
experiences of African American engineering students at two-year colleges. This study
helps fill this research gap.
Type of Study, Focus, and Research Questions
The method used in this study was qualitative, as this study focuses on the impact
the ECMESP has on the decisions minority engineering students make to persist in the
community college engineering degree program and transfer to the four-year institution.
The following are the research questions for this study:
1. What are the components of the ECMESP that have contributed to the retention of
African American students in the engineering degree program at RCCC?
2. For the students participating in the ECMESP, what factors contribute to their
decision to persist at two-year colleges? What factors have contributed to their
decision to transfer to the university and continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering?
Methodology
Approach.
The purpose of the study called for the collection of detailed information about
the elements of the ECMESP that students claim have affected their choice to persist in
the engineering degree program. Qualitative methods, particularly through one-on-one,
semi-structured interviews can ―produce a wealth of detailed information about a much
smaller number of people and cases‖ (Patton, 2002, p 14). Another reason for using
qualitative methods is the number of participants. Forty or fewer students participate in
34

the ECMESP in any given year; as such, qualitative methods were more effective than a
quantitative study for this number of participants (King & Minium, 2003). Finally, a
qualitative study was more appropriate because patterns and themes that point to
indicators for African American students‘ retention in the engineering degree program
informed this study (Patton, 2002).
Sample.
There were eleven participants in this study. All eleven participants are students
at RCCC who are currently participating in the Everbright Company Minority
Engineering Scholarship Program or the RCCC chapter of NSBE and have completed at
least one semester at RCCC. At the time the study was conducted, there were 12
ECMESP participants, and six of them chose to participate in this study. Each of the
participants in this study is a student on one of the four campuses of the RCCC. Each
student is working toward a bachelor‘s degree with a major in computer, electrical, or
mechanical engineering (Everbright, 2008), and ten of them intend to transfer to
Rivertown S & T. In order to provide a better understanding of the participants I will
provide more information about the selection of ECMESP participants and about the two
institutions. First I will describe the participants‘ qualifications according to the
ECMESP selection criteria, then I will provide information about RCCC, and finally I
will present information about Rivertown S&T.
Everbright Company Minority Engineering Scholarship Program Selection Criteria
Students who wish to apply for the ECMESP must submit an application and two
letters of recommendation (one must be from a high school math or science teacher) by
35

April 15. A selection committee then interviews the top candidates and selects 8 finalists
who are invited to join the program in the following Fall semester. Following is a list of
the qualifications for the program taken from the program application form, which can be
viewed in appendix A.
1. High School graduate with US citizenship or permanent residency status.
2. Member of an ethnic minority group that is under-represented in the field of
engineering (Black Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, or Native American Indian).
3. Residency in St. Louis City or St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, or Franklin
County, Missouri; Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair County, Illinois.
4. Three years of high school mathematics (Algebra I or higher) and two years
of science with a GPA of 2.5 or better.
5. Math and science ACT scores of 18 or better. Score on RCCC placement
test into Intermediate Algebra or higher and meet RCCC reading proficiency
requirement.
6. Two strong recommendations—at least one from a high school math or
science teacher. The second letter can be from a counselor
The interviewing panel looks for non-cognitive characteristics such as follow-
through, knowledge of the engineering field, self-concept, and self-appraisal. The
interview questions seek to get at these characteristics. Furthermore, the interview panel
―looks for‖ these characteristics in such actions as punctuality and taking the initiative to
take the placement exam (Sparkle, 2008).
36

Students who are selected for the program have their tuition covered at RCCC for
up to six consecutive semesters. Tuition at RCCC currently ranges from $81 - $158 per
credit hour based on whether the student is a resident of the district and a resident of the
state (www.RCCC.edu). To remain eligible for the program each semester, participants
must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above and attend various activities such as New Student
Orientation, Everbright Dinners, a group trip to Rivertown S&T, student meetings, and
study help sessions. It is important to note that students with a high school GPA of 2.5
and SAT score of 18 are not admitted to Rivertown S & T upon graduating from high
school. Therefore, for some ECMESP participants, the only way for them to earn a
Bachelor‘s degree from Rivertown S&T is to begin at the community college. ECMESP
participants in good standing are guaranteed admittance to Rivertown S & T upon the
completion of the first two years‘ course sequence.
Financial assistance for ECMESP participants at Rivertown S&T is based on a
student‘s GPA at RCCC. The scale of tuition assistance is as follows:
1. Students with a GPA of 3.0 and above at RCCC are awarded full tuition at
Rivertown S&T
2. Students with a minimum GPA of 2.75 at RCCC are awarded 75% tuition at
Rivertown S&T
3. Students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 at RCCC are awarded 50% tuition at
Rivertown S&T
Students who maintain a GPA of 2.5 and above during their first year at Rivertown S&T
are awarded the same tuition award their second year at Rivertown S&T.
37

Mission of the ECMESP.
The mission of the ECMESP is to increase the number of minority (Hispanic,
Native American Indian, and African American) students from the Greater St. Louis area
receiving bachelor‘s degrees in engineering. Although the program is open to Hispanic
students and Native American students, 89% of the participants thus far have been
African American students. This is largely due to the fact that African American students
make up the largest group of minority students at RCCC (RCCC, 2008).
The ECMESP program seeks to fulfill this mission in two ways. First, the
program seeks to recruit students into the field of engineering through a scholarship that
covers full tuition for a bachelor‘s degree. The scholarship covers educational fees for up
to three years towards the completion of an Associate‘s Degree at RCCC and for up to
two years towards the completion of the Bachelor‘s degree at Rivertown S&T. Secondly,
the program seeks to improve the retention rates of minority students in engineering
through the financial support, monthly meetings, and academic mentoring and advising.
Philosophy of program.
The ECMESP was designed based on research on minority student retention
(Sparkle, 2008). Three of the things that previous research has noted to influence the
persistence of African American students in the field of engineering are as follows: (a)
faculty and professional mentors (Bonner & Baily, 2006; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990),
(b) peer support (Lee, 1988; Brown, 2006; Leslie et al., 1998; Battle, 1998 ), and (c)
academic support (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Bonous-Hammarth, 2000; Brown, 2006;
Bonner, 2006). Furthermore, research has noted that students across the board are more
38

likely to persist towards engineering degrees if they have the financial support that allows
them to work fewer hours and thus devote more hours to schoolwork (Seymour &
Hewitt, 1997).
African American students in college benefit from faculty and professional
mentors (Bonner & Baily, 2006; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990). The ECMESP seeks to
create relationships between minority engineering students and math and engineering
faculty members as well as engineering professionals. Through the monthly ECMESP
meetings, students are given the opportunity to interact with faculty mentors on a
personal level. This monthly interaction creates an environment that allows students to
feel more comfortable approaching faculty members throughout the semester both during
scheduled office hours as well as through informal meetings in the hallways. Students
are also introduced to a number of minority engineering professionals from the St. Louis
area who attend some of the monthly ECMESP meetings. Most minority engineering
students do not see many engineers who are ―like them.‖ For some students, a
relationship with such a mentor provides them with a positive role model and self-
confidence that will help them decide to persist in their degree program (D'Augelli &
Hershberger, 1993).
In addition to mentors, peer support has been found in research to be an indicator
of success for African American students in college (Lee, 1988; Brown, 2006).
Rivertown S&T is a predominately white institution (RST, 2008), which makes peer
support networks even more significant to students when they transfer to Rivertown S&T
(Leslie et al., 1998; Brown, 2006; Battle, 1998). Research shows that when minority
39

students attend a predominately white institution and do not have a peer support system,
they are more likely to leave the institution (Lee, 1988; Brown, 2006; Leslie et al., 1998).
The ECMESP participants meet monthly during the Fall and Spring semesters. The
intent of this process is to build a community of peer support. Students from the
ECMESP report that they often attempt to schedule classes together and study together as
a result of the relationships they have formed through the ECMESP meetings.
In addition to peer support and relationships with mentors, research has found that
students are more likely to persist towards engineering degrees when they have
appropriate academic support (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Good, et al., 2001). In their
1997 study, Seymour & Hewitt found that a number of African American students
switched from engineering majors to majors in humanities fields because they did not
have the academic support they needed or because the academic support at their
institutions was demeaning or segregated (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
The ECMESP addresses many of the issues found in research to promote African
American retention in engineering programs. Minority students who are accepted to the
program are given financial support; are given the opportunity to develop mentoring
relationships with faculty members, practicing engineers, and engineering students; are
offered the opportunity to become part of a peer network of minority engineering
students; and are provided with appropriate academic support.

40

Program goals
The goal of the ECMESP program is to increase the number of African American
students from the Greater St. Louis area who earn bachelor‘s degrees in engineering. The
outcomes of ECMESP program are to:
 Create a sense of community among African American engineering students,
thus creating a peer support group. This social network is intended to assist
students at the community college. It is also meant to ease the transition to the
four-year university by providing a network that spans the two colleges (Lee,
1988; Brown, 2006; Leslie et al., 1998; Battle, 1998).
 Provide African American engineering students with faculty mentors as well
as mentors from the engineering field (Bonner & Baily, 2006; Fullilove &
Treisman, 1990).
 Improve the academic success of African American engineering students
through providing academic advising as well as free, quality, tutoring in the
areas of math and engineering (Seymour &Hewitt, 1997).
 Enable African American engineering students to devote more time to
studying by giving them the financial compensation that will allow them to
cut back the number of hours they spend working at jobs (Seymour &Hewitt,
1997).
River City Community College
There were 23,425 students enrolled in courses at the River City Community
College during the Spring 2008 semester. According to the college website, 29% of the
41

student body is African American, and 56% is Caucasian (RCCC, 2008). The tuition rate
per credit hour at RCCC is based on residency. State residents in the district pay $81 and
state residents from out-of-district pay $118. Out-of-state students pay $148 and
international students pay $158. In addition to tuition, students pay a $5 college activity
fee and a $3 technology fee each semester (RCCC, 2008).
Although ECMESP participants come from all four campuses and can take
general education courses at all four campuses, most of the students call Florissant Valley
their home campus because the engineering program is located there, and a majority of
the engineering courses are offered there.
The River City Community College is a multi-campus college. The college
serves the residents of an area that covers 718 square miles and includes both the city of
St. Louis and the county of St. Louis. There are currently four separate campuses located
in four areas of the district that are each very different from one another. The four
campuses are located in the Northern part of the county (Florissant Valley Campus),the
Central West part of the county (Meramec Campus), St. Louis City (Forest Park
Campus), and the Western edge of the county (Wildwood campus). The Wildwood
campus is the newest campus; its doors opened for classes in the Fall of 2007. The other
three campuses were all created simultaneously in 1961. Table 1 displays the number of
students enrolled in each campus in the Fall 2008 semester and the number of ECSMEP
participants from each campus.
Students who are enrolled at RCCC can take classes at any of the four campuses.
Each campus has one or more areas of specialty. The Florissant Valley Campus
42

specializes in Engineering and Technology. Although Everbright Scholars may be
enrolled in any of the four campuses, the majority of the Everbright Scholars take most of
their classes at the Florissant Valley Campus.
In Fall 2006, there were 24,565 students enrolled in classes at RCCC. The Full-Time-
Equivalent headcount in Fall 2006 was 14,700. Table 1 shows the demographics of the
students enrolled at RCCC.
Table 3. RCCC Demographics: Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Percentage of Total Students Enrolled
Race/Ethnicity Female Total

African-American 32.81% 28.13%
Native American 0.39% 0.35%
Hispanic 1.64% 1.67%
White 53.33% 57.27%
Other or Unreported 9.51% 10.14%

Rivertown University of Science and Technology
The University of Missouri system includes four universities, but the college
located in Rolla is the only one that participates in the ECSMEP. The four universities
are located in St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City, and Rolla. The University of Missouri
in Columbia (Mizzou) is known for its journalism programs, and the University of
Missouri in Rolla (Rivertown S&T) is known for its engineering programs. In 2006,
there were 4,515 undergraduate students enrolled in classes at Rivertown S&T and 4,198
43

Full-time Equivalent students, of which 75% of the students were white, and 4% percent
of the students were African-American.
Unit of Analysis.
The unit of analysis is the ECMESP. The ECMESP participants are either
students at the River City Community College or Rivertown University of Science and
Technology.
Data Gathering Tools and Analysis.
Data were gathered using a student information form, focus group interview, and
meeting observations. The student information form was used to collect data about the
students such as their high school experience, their family background, their job, their
study habits, and their commitment level to completing their degree in engineering. The
student information form can be found in appendix B. The focus group interview
provided data about the students‘ participation in the ECMESP. During the interview
focus group, notes were taken and recorded using audiotape with the consent of the
participants. Each of the audio taped interviews was transcribed to enhance accuracy of
information used in the study. Notes were taken during the ECMESP meetings, which
are a significant part of the program. It is at these meetings that students build
relationships with one another, with RCCC faculty and staff members, with Rivertown
S&T students and personnel, and with minority engineers in the community.
A number of steps were taken to protect the privacy of the participating students.
When the study was completed, audio tapes were destroyed. Pseudonyms were used
when presenting the findings of the study. All hard copies of notes from the interviews
44

and ECMESP meetings will be shredded, and all electronic copies of notes will be
deleted one year after the completion of the study.
Data Collection Plan.
I collected data in three different ways: surveys, a focus group interview, and
attendance at program meetings. I invited all current students in the program as well as
those who have left the program but are continuing at RCCC to complete an information
survey about the ECMESP. I held a focus group interview with students on the River
City Community College campus who have persisted towards an engineering degree.
Analysis
Once the data was collected, it was analyzed. Verbatim transcriptions of the
interviews with students were used to create individual case reports. After individual
case reports were created, I began a cross-case pattern analysis of the individual cases to
create a program case study (Patton, 2002). I looked for both patterns and themes
(Patton, 2002) in the responses students provided in the interviews and questionnaires
and grouped the responses to common interview items that came from individual
students. These responses were grouped by topics (Patton, 2002).
Validity and Reliability Issues
The validity of this study was achieved by data triangulation. Triangulation was
obtained by: (a) the combination of methods (Patton, 2002); (b) including both ECMESP
students and non-ECMESP students at RCCC in the sampling; and (c) providing an
opportunity for each of the participants to review their typed transcripts for accuracy and
clarity.
45

Study Limitations
This study had several important limitations. While the sample was small, the
findings of this study were not meant to be generalizable. There are less than 40 program
participants at any given time because the program limits the number of new participants
to 8 students each year over a five year period. Students leave the program for a number
of different reasons such as becoming ineligible for the program due to low grades,
switching majors, or leaving college, and are not always replaced with new participants.
In addition, not all students chose to participate in the study and those who chose to
participate self-selected to do so in response to my invitation. It is possible that this self-
selection has affected the results of the study.
Background of Researcher
It is pertinent that when doing research, one attempts to be as objective as
possible. However, it is possible that my own background affected the results of the
study by affecting how I interpret participants‘ responses. For that reason, I will provide
information about myself as the researcher in this section.
I am a White female mathematics professor at RCCC. None of the ECMESP
participants have been students in my math classes. This will allow me to be more
objective as I do not have any informal information about the program participants‘ study
skills or how they behave in their classes.
My race and background in mathematics may affect the response I get from
ECMESP participants. It is possible that they will not be as open as they would if I were
of the same racial background. I hope that by being involved with the monthly ECMESP
46

meetings, students will become more comfortable with me and will feel comfortable
enough to be open with me about their experiences.

47

Chapter Four: Findings
Overview
A focus group was held with eleven student participants. All eleven participants
are African American students at the River City Community College (RCCC) who intend
to transfer to four-year institutions to earn a Bachelor‘s degree in Engineering. Of the
eleven participants, six were currently receiving a tuition scholarship through the
Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program (ECMESP). All eleven
participants are involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter
that meets on their campus. Students who actively participate in NSBE receive all the
benefits of the ECMESP with the exception of the tuition scholarship.
The components of the ECMESP can be broken into three main categories:
tuition scholarship; tutoring; and mentoring and advising. ECMESP participants receive
a full tuition scholarship for up to three years at the RCCC and up to three years at RST.
Once admitted to the program, students must maintain a 2.5 GPA to remain in the
scholarship program. Although tutoring is accessible to all RCCC students, the ECMESP
participants and NSBE members are regularly encouraged to utilize the tutoring services.
ECMESP participants and NSBE members are also paired up with a mentor who is a
minority engineer in the community and are required to speak with an academic advisor
before enrolling in classes every semester. The purpose of the ECMESP is to increase
the success rates of minority students in the engineering degree program. ECMESP
considers each participant who completes a Bachelor‘s Degree in engineering a success
to the scholarship program.
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RCCC, in partnership with the Everbright Company, seeks to retain African
American engineering students through the ECMESP. The intent of this project is to find
what aspects of the ECMESP are making a difference in the engineering students‘
decisions to continue in the engineering degree program.
The focus group questions were based on the following research questions:
1. What are the components of the ECMESP that have contributed to the retention of
African American students in the engineering degree program at RCCC?
2. For the students participating in the ECMESP, what factors contribute to their
decision to persist at two-year colleges? What factors have contributed to their
decision to transfer to the university and continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering?
This chapter will present the reader with the findings of the study. First,
information is provided about the study participants. After information is provided about
the participants, the data is presented. The data is organized around three themes that
emerged from the study. The three themes are (a) academic resources such as financial
support, academic advising, and tutoring; (b) supportive relationships such as those with
family, faculty, peers, and engineers; and (c) and student wishes and desires such as the
desires for academic challenge and high paying jobs.
The Participants
Six of the study participants were male, and five were female. All eleven
participants intend to transfer to a four-year institution to complete a Bachelor‘s degree in
engineering. All but Adam intend to transfer to Rivertown S & T (RST); Adam intends
49

to transfer to a State University in Illinois. Three of the participants have one parent that
has completed a college degree. Two of the participants indicated that neither their father
nor their mother attended college. All eleven participants‘ parents both completed High
School or its equivalence.
The participants have been at RCCC for as few as one semester and as many as
seven semesters. Table 2 below indicates the number of semesters that each participant
has attended RCCC and their intended transfer date. The table also shows which of the
study participants are ECMESP participants.
Table 4. Study Participants Semesters at RCCC and Intended Transfer Date
Gender ECMESP Semesters at Intended
Participant? RCCC Transfer Date

Aaron Male Yes 3 Spring 2010
Alexis Female Yes 3 Fall 2012
Emily Female Yes 5 Fall 2010
Kayla Female Yes 1 Fall 2012
Meg Female Yes 1 Spring 2012
Michael Male Yes 2 Fall 2011
Adam Male No 6 Fall 2010
Jeremy Male No 5 Fall 2011
Kip Male No 3 Fall 2011
Meghan Female No 4 Fall 2010
Steve Male No 3 Spring 2011

50

Six of the study participants reported that they have jobs off campus. The
students who work off campus work between 10 and 29 hours each week. Table 3 shows
which participants are ECMESP participants and how many hours they work weekly.

Table 5. Study Participants‘ Off-Campus Hours Worked
No. Hours Worked Off Campus ECMESP Participant
Aaron 29 Yes
Meghan 25 No
Jeremy 20 No
Steve 15 No
Meg 15-20 Yes
Michael 10-20 Yes
Emily 5 Yes
Alexis 0 Yes
Kayla 0 Yes
Adam 0 No
Kip 0 No

Themes from the Focus Group
The participants in this study have made the decision to persist in the engineering
degree program at RCCC. The purpose of this study was to draw out the factors that
have contributed to their decision to persist. The following three themes emerged from
51

the data: academic resources such as financial support, academic advising, and tutoring;
supportive relationships such as those with family, faculty, peers, and engineers; and
student wishes and desires such as the desires for academic challenge and high paying
jobs. In the following section, I present the data that was collected around each of these
themes.
Academic Resources
Students reported several different academic resources that have helped them stay
committed to the pursuit of a degree in engineering. These resources include financial
support in the form of scholarships, as well as tutoring and academic advising. The
financial support that some students referred to came from the Everbright Company,
whose scholarship covers 100% of the students‘ tuition at the community college for up
to three years. Students who do not complete the required courses in three years are
dropped from the ECMESP. The academic advising is provided by the River City
Community College (RCCC) and is available to all RCCC students, but students who
participate in the ECMESP are encouraged regularly to speak with the advisors. The
tutoring is also provided by RCCC and is also available to all students. ECMESP
students are regularly encouraged to use the tutoring services provided by the college.
Financial Support
Students reported that the financial support of the Everbright Company has
affected their commitment to the engineering field in more than one way. Several
students reported that financial support has allowed them to work fewer hours than they
otherwise would have needed, and to therefore spend more time focusing on their classes
52

rather than focusing on earning the money they would need to pay for their classes
without the scholarship. They feel that this has allowed them to earn better grades as a
result, and therefore complete their degree in a shorter time frame. Several students
referred to this financial support as a burden being lifted from them.
Kayla entered the ECMESP program in her first year of college. Because of the
scholarship she receives through the program, she does not have a job. She plans to
transfer in the Fall of 2012 to RST. When asked how the financial support helped her,
she responded, ―Basically since I don‘t really have to focus on financial issues, I can
focus more on my studies and get better grades so that I can excel.‖ Kayla is currently on
track to transfer after spending two academic years at RCCC. Aaron is also an ECMESP
participant, but even though he is receiving the scholarship, he is working about 28 hours
per week at an off-campus job. His intent was to transfer back to RST in the Spring of
2010. Aaron spent one semester at RST before realizing that he was not ready for the
challenge. He returned to St. Louis to attend RCCC and has been there for 3 semesters.
When asked how the financial support of the ECMESP helped him, he replied, ―The
financial participation of Everbright has allowed me the time to focus on my grades, and
it gave me the opportunity to really excel in my studies because I was not worried about
how to financially pay for my books, my tuition, and fees.‖ Aaron feels that he would be
working more than 28 hours each week if he needed to pay for his tuition and books.
This may have delayed his transfer back to Rivertown S&T even further. Michael is
another ECMESP participant. He has been at RCCC for 2 semesters and plans to transfer
to RST in the Fall of 2011. Both of his parents completed high school, but neither have
53

gone to college. When asked how the scholarship has affected him, he said, ―It takes the
burden off you and you don‘t have to worry about the money part because that is stressful
trying to figure out where you are going to get the money from.‖
In addition to the burden that financial support lifts from some students, both
Aaron and Emily reported intrinsic benefits to the scholarship money. Aaron said that he
feels ―duty-bound‖ to succeed in school due to the fact that someone else is paying his
way. He feels that it is his duty to succeed so that he can help others succeed in the
future. Emily is another ECMESP participant, and she has been at RCCC for five
semesters. She intends to transfer to RST in Fall 2010. Both of her parents have taken
some college courses, but neither has earned a degree. Emily stated that the scholarship
money makes her feel as if others support her dream, and this is one of the things that
motivates her to continue towards her degree.
Academic Support
All 11 participants commented on the difficulty and demanding nature of the
engineering program. Most of the students came from high schools where they were able
to skate by with little effort yet still perform very well. The college math, science, and
engineering classes have been much more demanding than what most of the participants
were accustomed to or prepared for, and as a result, they have needed to rely on academic
support such as the tutoring center, academic advising, and study groups. Several of the
students made references to ―getting help‖ with their course work and to the RCCC
tutoring center. One student, Steve, mentioned that his mentor, who is an engineer at
Boeing, has worked with him on being more organized for his classes and has helped him
54

study for tests. Based on their responses, students rely on these different forms of
academic support to succeed in their courses.
Most of the student participants reported that the biggest change in their study
habits is that they have discovered the benefit of and necessity of studying with others.
Although some participants study with students they met in their classes, many of them
study with the network of students they have met through NSBE and the ECMESP. Meg
is in her first semester at RCCC and intends to transfer to RST in Spring 2012. She plans
to major in Electrical Engineering. She commented that studying with others helps her
understand the material better. Meghan is not an ECMESP participant, but is involved in
the RCCC chapter of NSBE. She has been at RCCC for four years and plans to transfer
to Rivertown S&T in Fall 2010. She described her frustration with studying really hard
for a test and still not doing well, thus realizing that for the first time she needed to study
with other students. Adam has already been at the RCCC for 7 semesters, but he intends
to transfer to RST in Fall 2010. By that time, he will have already been in college for
four years. He does not have a job, nor is he an ECMESP participant. When I asked
Adam about his study habits, this is how he responded:
In high school I did a lot of self study. I did not study with anybody because I did
not need any help or anything. It was easy. High school was easy to me. But
when I got to college, I saw the need to get into study groups. The work is harder
and you just can‘t sit down and get it by yourself. It‘s good to bounce ideas off
someone else. ―What do you think about this number? How did you do it this
way?‖ And seeing different ways to doing the problem has helped me out a lot.

Another form of academic support that students referenced is academic advising.
Ms. Sparkle is an academic advisor at RCCC. She is also a faculty advisor for both
55

NSBE and the ECMESP. Ms. Sparkle not only helps engineering students once they get
to RCCC, but she also plays a role in recruiting students to the ECMESP.
Adam was accepted to Howard University but could not afford to attend. One of
his high school teachers referred him to Ms. Sparkle, and as a result Ms. Sparkle
encouraged him to attend RCCC. Adam describes Ms. Sparkle as being like a mother to
him, saying that Ms. Sparkle helps him pick his classes and suggests which instructors he
should take. She also advises him on which courses to take together and which course
combinations to avoid.
Alexis is an ECMESP participant in her third semester at RCCC. She plans to
transfer to Rivertown S&T after her 6
th
semester in college in Fall 2012. Because of the
ECMESP scholarship, Alexis does not have to have a job, so she is currently not
working. Alexis also mentioned the influence that Ms. Sparkle has had on her decision to
stay in the engineering program. Alexis‘s friend attended RCCC and suggested that she
talk to Ms. Sparkle. Alexis commutes from the inner city and did not know about the
ECMESP until she talked to Ms. Sparkle, who helped her apply and helped her get
involved with NSBE. Alexis attributes her level of commitment to the engineering field
to the input that Ms. Sparkle has had on her education and her success.
The data collected in this study shows that the academic support provided by the
ECMESP has played an important role in the study participants‘ commitment to
completing their bachelor‘s degrees. In addition to the financial support that it provides,
the ECMESP has provided the participants with access to academic advising and
tutoring. The program has also provided them with a network from which to build study
56

groups and peer support groups. This finding is consistent with Astin‘s Model of Student
Involvement. Astin‘s research states that the time a student invests in their academic
experience is directly proportional to the amount of learning that takes place (Astin
1993). Thus, as students spend more time working with college tutors, they increase their
academic success.
Supportive Relationships
Throughout the focus group, students often referred to supportive relationships
that helped strengthen their commitment to completing an engineering degree. Meghan
attributed her desire to work towards a Master‘s Degree in Engineering to NSBE,
recalling a meeting when a guest speaker talked about graduate programs. Other students
referred to the supportive relationships they have with family and peers, which are
discussed in more detail below. Tinto‘s research found that a student is integrated into
the institution through participation in extracurricular activities, through interaction with
fellow students, and through interaction with faculty members. Students who are more
integrated into the social and academic systems of the institution are more likely to be
retained by the institution (Tinto 1975). Thus, the findings of this study support Tinto‘s
Model of Student Integration.
Family
Seven of the eleven participants shared that their families contribute to their
commitment to completing their degrees. In some cases, it is parents who encourage
students to continue. In other cases, students want to provide for their family or want to
set a good example for their family that has motivated them.
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Alexis and Meghan are both motivated to succeed by the children in their lives,
and Adam is motivated by the hope to one day have a family to support. Alexis shared
that she has a two-year old daughter. Her mother recently completed a bachelor‘s degree,
and Alexis has seen first-hand how difficult it was to complete the degree but even more
so, how difficult life was as a single mom without a degree. Alexis is motivated by the
desire to provide a better life for her daughter. Meghan is motivated to succeed because
of her desire to set a good example for her younger brothers and sisters. She is the oldest
child in her family and feels that her siblings look up to her. She does not want to
disappoint them or set a bad example for them. Adam shared that he is motivated by the
desire to one day have a family and be able to support them financially.
Steve, Jeremy, Kip, and Meg all shared that their parents support and push them
to succeed in school. Steve is not an ECMESP participant, and he works 15 hours a week
at an off-campus job. He has been at RCCC for 3 semesters and intends to transfer to
RST in the spring of 2011. Steve shared that his family taught him to never give up, and
they are counting on him to complete his degree in engineering. Jeremy is a member of
the RCCC chapter of NSBE, but he is not an ECMESP participant. He has been at
RCCC for five years and his plan is to transfer to RST in Fall 2010. He is not receiving
the ECMESP scholarship, and he is working 30 to 40 hours each week at a job off
campus. When I asked Jeremy how committed he is to completing his degree, he
answered, ―I am very committed to completing my degree because I have parents that are
pushing me. They say it is not an option. You are going. No breaks. No in between--at
least complete the bachelors.‖ Kip is a member of NSBE but not an ECMESP
58

participant. He has been at RCCC for three semesters, and his plan is to transfer to RST
in the 2011 Fall semester. Kip shared that his parents have also affected his level of
commitment. The motivation that Kip gets from his parents is in seeing how hard they
work without a degree and in wanting to make them proud.
Peer Support
One of the goals of the ECMESP is to help minority engineering students create
networking relationships with other minority engineering students. This goal is met in
part through encouraging students to be actively involved in NSBE in addition to
attending the monthly ECMESP meetings. The peer support that students receive
through NSBE and ECMESP provide them with a number of benefits. Students
participate in community service activities and campus life events through NSBE. One
example that Alexis described was a project that invited children from the community to
the campus for holiday activities that were sponsored by various student organizations.
She participated in the NSBE project, which was working with children to build edible
houses out of graham crackers, frosting, and candy. Alexis participated because she
wanted to volunteer her time with the children, but as a result she became better
connected to her fellow NSBE students. After the gingerbread house activity, Alexis
started to spend more time with other engineering students studying. These kinds of
experiences connect with Astin‘s Model of Student Involvement and Tinto‘s Model of
Student Integration. Because Alexis spent more time on campus with engineering faculty
and peers, she became more closely connected to people who became part of her support
network. Furthermore, she became more integrated into the college. Alexis reports that
59

this connection has impacted her decision to continue working towards her degree,
regardless of how difficult her classes are.
Students report that being part of a peer support group has helped them continue
to stick to the engineering program. Students also benefit from this network as others
share previous tests, class notes, and advice about courses that they have passed. Aaron
shared that the peer network created through ECMESP reaches even beyond RCCC.
We all help each other, even people that have left RCCC and gone to universities.
They still send us their previous tests and work and stuff so we can study so that
family the community really goes from RCCC to the university and back and it‘s
always working.

Alexis shared that before getting involved with NSBE, she was disconnected from the
RCCC community. She lives in the city and would only be on campus for class, but
would head to her car as soon as class is over. Here is how she describes her own
metamorphous:
NSBE is really, really fun. I like come attend the meetings and stuff. I am
laughing and joking with everybody and stuff. So that kind of makes school a
little bit better for me because I live in the city and I did not really know anybody
here. So I would just go to class and right after class I would run to the car and
leave because I did not want to be up here. Now I stay after and study and open
up a little more than I used to. Like I said, right after school I would just leave,
and now I try to volunteer to help with NSBE activities and do other stuff around
campus. Now after class, instead of running to my car, I stay up here and study.

Students in this study shared that their participation with NSBE has affected their
commitment and dedication to their engineering degree. NSBE students gather once a
week for an official meeting. In addition, they do service projects and participate in
campus events such as a holiday fair for children in the community. Students report that
their involvement with NSBE helps them feel like they are part of a community and
60

provides them with other benefits such as access to mentors from the engineering
community and networking with both current and past students. Students see NSBE as a
significant support group that encourages them to strive for success. Attending the
weekly NSBE meetings is also how students stay in the loop with scholarships and other
opportunities.
Participation in NSBE has helped students feel like they are part of the
engineering community. When I asked Michael about his participation in NSBE, he
responded:
It is just that with NSBE you get the knowledge that you are not the only one in
that pipe. You get other people‘s input on how to be successful. You get
introduced to new people that can help you get to where you want to get to that
have already been there and done that and can help you on that path. It just makes
a big difference on how you feel and your determination on getting to where you
want to go.

Kip stated that his participation in NSBE encouraged him to continue towards his
engineering degree. He stated that ―Seeing everyone else and how motivated they were
motivated me because I want to share the same feeling of success.‖
Kayla commutes from the inner city. Before getting involved with NSBE, she
used to head home right after class. Now she attends the weekly NSBE meetings and
volunteers for various NSBE projects. She reports that as a result, she now stays after
class and studies at school even when there is not a NSBE event. When asked about her
commitment to the engineering field and her involvement with NSBE, Kayla made the
following statement:
It‘s a lot of people depending on you. You have people around you who expect a
lot out of you. You don‘t really want to let them down. So they kind of help you
61

and motivate you and kind of give you that backbone support to where if you do
mess up or you do fall down they help you back up. They help you stay focused
and just keep you on the right path…NSBE is basically a support system to where
you have people around you say, ‗Ok I understand. I have been through that.
This is what I did‘. And you kind of take their experience and use it to make it
your own.

Adam describes NSBE as a family. He says that being involved with NSBE helps you be
a ―part of something.‖
With NSBE we are a family. We talk to each other. We tell each other about
different classes, what‘s going on. We go out together. But with some of the
Caucasian students they don‘t really talk. I mean, we can talk about our classes,
but not on the same level as with NSBE. With NSBE we have a voice. People
know us. We have a name. We are a group, and we are not just black kids in
engineering, we‘re NSBE. We are part of something.
The peer support group that the ECMESP and NSBE provide was mentioned by
10 of the 11 study participants sometime throughout the focus group. When asked what
advice they would give to a high school student who is considering a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering, more than half of the study participants mentioned something along the lines
of developing a support network of other students.
Engineering Experiences
Three of the participants shared how their commitment to the field of engineering
has been affected by various experiences they have had with either the engineering field
or with engineers. Kayla had an opportunity to participate in a summer program at
Rivertown S & T. The program gave the participants hands-on experience with
engineering such as building things, doing experiments, and holding contests. Kayla
shared that this hands-on experience is what drew her to the engineering field. She says
that when she struggles in here classes, she never considers quitting because she cannot
62

see herself enjoying any other field more than she does engineering. Kayla states that
this is a key reason that she continues to make the decision to stay in engineering.
Aaron shared that he had an opportunity to do an engineering internship. In some
ways, the internship drew him away from engineering because his internship involved
doing desk work and work that he described as ― gopher‖ work. However, as an intern,
he said that he was able to visit other engineering workplaces and saw that there was a
wide variety of work that engineers do. Steve attributes his commitment to staying in the
engineering field in part to his relationship with his mentor. Through the ECMESP and
NSBE, Steve was paired up with an engineer from Boeing. They meet once a month, and
Steve shared that his relationship with his mentor has helped motivate him to continue
towards his engineering degree.
Student Wishes and Desires
Students in the study made several comments, as described later in this section,
regarding an inner drive to succeed as an engineering student. I have labeled this inner
drive ―student wishes and desires‖. This begins with a passion for math and science, but
also includes the desire for a better life, which many of the students feel they will be able
to obtain with an engineering degree. In addition to the students‘ passion for the subject
matter and desire for a better life, the academic challenge of the engineering degree is
another example of the ―student desire‖ which has influenced the study participants to
persist towards their degree. In this section, the data around the theme of ―student
wishes and desires‖ is presented.

63

Passion for Math and Science
Three of the female study participants shared that their passion for math and
science has helped drive them to complete their degree. Meghan notes ―I choose to stay
in the engineering field because I love math and science and I just have a passion for it.‖
Alexis has a similar passion for math, saying, ―I love math.‖ She does not have a desire
to teach, so she feels that engineering is the best field for her to use math. Like Alexis
and Meghan, Kayla was also drawn to engineering because of her enjoyment of math and
science. Kayla shared that she has always done well in math and science classes; her
confidence in her ability may contribute to her enjoyment of the subjects.
Wanting a better life
One of the factors that motivate some of the study participants to persevere in the
engineering degree program is the desire for a better life. Both Adam and Alexis shared
that they live in neighborhoods in downtown St. Louis, and they see a career in
engineering as their ticket to be able to live in a better neighborhood. Michael shared that
he wants a better life than what he has had in the past and he sees the bachelor‘s degree
as the only way to get there.
Alexis and Kip shared that they have seen their families struggle and they do not
want to have the same struggles. Meg shared that she receives some of her motivation to
complete her Bachelor‘s degree from seeing the success of other people in engineering.
The study participants recognize that an engineering degree leads to an engineering
career, which leads to a life that is more financially secure than the life they have grown
64

up in. This desire for a better life has motivated the study participants to persist towards
their goal of becoming an engineer.
Academic Challenge
Several of the participants have considered leaving the degree for an easier
degree. The most common reason for considering leaving seems to be that the courses in
the program are so difficult. Although many of the participants reported that the
difficulty level has caused them to consider leaving, some participants credit their
decision to stay in engineering to the academic challenge. Meghan stated that she would
rather earn a degree that she knew she had really worked for, explaining:
I would rather not do an easy degree because I want to say that I worked for
something. I don‘t want to pay $100 an hour to go to some class that in essence I
really don‘t have to go to, because it is a waste of my time and a waste of my
money. So I would rather push myself as hard as I can to do something I am
striving for and prove a point instead of just following that wide path that
everyone else follows.

Aaron also shared that the academic challenge of the engineering field appealed to him.
He said that one of the reasons he has stayed in engineering is because he feels that if he
can earn an engineering degree he can do anything. The fact that the engineering degree
is academically challenging is a strong motivation for Aaron to continue towards the
degree.
Graduate Work
Several of the study participants have a desire and goal to do graduate work in
engineering, and this motivates them to strive to do their best in their bachelor‘s degree.
They know that they are laying the foundation to be able to succeed in graduate level
courses. Some of these participants have shared that it is their association with NSBE
65

and ECMESP that has given them the confidence and the idea to strive towards graduate
degrees in engineering. Aaron stated that his participation in ECMESP and NSBE has
―raised his level of expectation‖ for himself and has caused him to consider working on
graduate degrees.
Meghan referred to a particular NSBE meeting that sparked her interest in earning
a graduate degree in engineering. At this meeting, a guest presenter talked to the students
about graduate programs. Meghan shared that she was already pretty committed to
getting a bachelor‘s degree, but her involvement in NSBE is what has led her to go
further. Both Meg and Steve also shared that their goal is to complete a Master‘s degree
in engineering.
Conclusion
The data collected from the ECMESP student participants provides rich insight
into what institutions can do to help degree seeking minority students succeed at the
community college level. More than anything else, students reported that the peer
network of engineering students is what has helped them persist towards their degrees; all
11 participants made some mention of the positive effects of having a peer support
network. When asked what advice they would give to a high school student who is
thinking about the engineering degree, 6 of the 11 respondents advised that a new
engineering student should get involved with other engineering students such as through
an organization like NSBE. This is in keeping with Astin‘s findings, which show that as
students become more involved with one another and with their institution, their chances
of persisting towards a degree also increases (Astin, 1993). Students reported that being
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a part of the peer network has helped them by encouraging them to study more and as a
result to do better in their courses. Every student participant mentioned that the
engineering degree required a lot of work and was very difficult; students made several
comments about having a ―support system‖ and ―not wanting to let their peers down‖.
Prior research found that having a peer support group improves student retention (Battle,
1998; Brown, 2006; Datnow and Cooper, 1997; D‘Augelli and Hershberger, 1993; Lee,
1988). This study adds to this finding by revealing the strong effect student involvement
with one another had on their decisions to persist. Students in this study reported that this
peer support group played a very significant part in their ability to persist towards a very
difficult degree.
Next to peer support groups, the factor that students mentioned most as having
kept them motivated to persist towards their degree is their family. Of the 11
participants, 8 mentioned their families. Some shared that they had parents pushing them
to succeed, some have children or younger siblings that motivate them to want to
succeed, and others simply want to make their families proud of them or want to have an
easier life than that of their families.
Although students recognized that the tutoring and academic advising they
receive through both NSBE and the ECMESP benefit them, they did not readily credit
their success to either of these services as often as they did peer networks. Also, students
shared that the financial support has allowed them to focus more on their course work,
but only 2 of the 11 participants mentioned that the financial support they receive from
the Everbright Company actually motivates them to persist. With regards to such
67

resources as financial assistance, academic advising, and tutoring, it is important to
consider that these resources could have more of an effect on students than what they
notice themselves. All 11 participants commented on the difficulty of the course work,
such as the math and science courses that precede the engineering courses. It is difficult
to ascertain through this data collected how much these resources (tutoring, advising, and
finances that allow students to work fewer hours for pay) have actually affected student
success.

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Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction
The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of African American
students enrolled in the engineering transfer program at the River City Community
College (RCCC) with the goal of identifying indicators that promoted their success.
Success in this study was measured by (1) the completion of the two-year program at the
community college in three years or less and (2) transfer to a bachelor‘s degree program
in engineering. The research questions for this study were as follows:
1. What are the components of the ECMESP that have contributed to the retention of
African American students in the engineering degree program at RCCC?
2. For the students participating in the ECMESP, what factors contribute to their
decision to persist at two-year colleges? What factors have contributed to their
decision to transfer to the university and continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s degree in
engineering?
To answer these questions, a focus group was held with 11 engineering students
who are either Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program (ECMESP)
participants or members of RCCC‘s chapter of NSBE (National Society of Black
Engineers). All ECMESP students are members of NSBE, though many of RCCC‘s
NSBE members are not ECMESP participants. A critical change in the ECMESP took
place in the midst of this study. The Everbright Company withdrew a large portion of its
financial support. In addition to cancelling an annual banquet for ECMESP participants,
they cut the number of new scholarship from ten to five. As a result, there were fewer
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ECMESP participants to invite to participate in this study, thus NSBE participants were
invited to join the study. NSBE participants benefit from all the same resources as the
ECMESP with the exception of the scholarship.
Findings
Questions used in this research were adapted from Seymour & Hewitt‘s 1997
research on persistence in science, math, and engineering majors. The following three
themes emerged from the data: academic resources such as financial support, academic
advising, and tutoring; supportive relationships such as those with family, faculty, peers,
and engineers; and student wishes and desires such as the desires for academic challenge
and high paying jobs.
Students who participated in this study reported that their involvement with
ECMESP, NSBE, or in many cases both has had a positive effect on their decision to
persist towards their engineering degree. In some cases, participants commented on how
they behaved before their involvement with ECMESP or NSBE as compared to how they
behaved after their involvement. For example, Alexis lives in the city and commutes out
of the city to RCCC. Before becoming involved with NSBE, she would ―run to the car
right after class and leave.‖ As a result of her involvement with NSBE, she stays after
class to study with other NSBE students and to participate in NSBE activities. She
reported that this has affected her decision to persist in the engineering degree program.
Financial support, academic advising, and tutoring all played a part in students‘
decisions to persist towards their degrees. Students such as Aaron and Emily reported
that the financial assistance provided support in ways beyond the practical meeting of
70

their financial needs which allowed them to focus more on their academics. These
students reported that the financial assistance also gave them moral support; it gave them
the encouragement that ―others support (their) dreams,‖ as Emily said. Academic
advising provided the students with more than scheduling assistance. Adam reported that
the advising opened up a relationship with a staff member who helped him with his
personal problems that interfered with his schoolwork as well. In addition to assisting
students in selecting courses, academic advisors also helped students such as Michael
select teachers that would fit their learning style. Advisors also helped students plan their
schedules by advising them on which courses would be a bigger challenge and therefore
should be taken with courses that are less challenging.
Students reported that they had relationships with various people that contributed
to their decisions to continue working towards their engineering degrees. Some of the
relationships that students spoke of were official mentoring relationships, but most were
informal relationships or family relationships. The ECMESP pairs every participant with
a mentor. Steve was the only study participant to directly mention his mentor. Steve
stated that his mentor helped him get organized and study for tests. Although Steve was
the only student to directly mention his mentor, other students mentioned the engineers
from the community that they met through NSBE or the ECMESP. For example,
Meghan stated that an engineer by the name of Jim came to speak at a NSBE meeting,
and this inspired her to aspire towards a graduate degree in engineering. The most
common type of relationship that participants mentioned as having affected their decision
to persist towards engineering degrees was peer relationships. Almost every study
71

participant mentioned the positive effect of being part of an engineering group on
campus. Several students shared that they were somewhat committed to the engineering
degree before meeting other engineering students, but the support from other students
like them made that commitment stronger. Michael listed several of the benefits of the
peer support he received by participating in NSBE. He mentioned the benefits of getting
input from others on how to be successful, the benefits of knowing that there are other
people like him who are trying to accomplish what he is trying to accomplish, and the
benefits of meeting people who have succeeded in the classes he is taking and can help
him navigate through the same classes.
In addition to the academic resources and supportive relationships, the study
participants also shared that their strong personal desires for success have also helped
them persist. Some students reported that their desire for high paying jobs is what
motivates them to persist. Several participants shared that their parents did not have good
jobs and that they grew up not having a lot of money. They wanted to be able to create
better lives for themselves and their families. Other students reported that their desire to
succeed in a challenging endeavor is what has helped them persist. For example, Steve
shared that his parents taught him never to give up, and Meghan shared that her love of
math has helped her persist through the courses such as chemistry that she did not love as
much.
The students who participated in this study were all successful at the time of the
study, and they were very open to discussing what they felt had helped them succeed up
to this point. They shared a number of different effects that the ECMESP and NSBE
72

have had on them. Some of the effects are related to direct pieces of the ECMESP or
NSBE programs such as mentoring, academic advising, financial support, and tutoring.
However, many of the effects were unofficial, such as the friendships and support groups
that were formed as a result of being involved with the ECMESP.
Discussion
The study found that the components of the ECMESP and the NSBE group at
RCCC have influenced minority engineering students at RCCC who intend to complete
bachelor‘s degrees in engineering to continue to persist towards their engineering
degrees. Several authors have found that components like those of the ECMESP and
NSBE have a positive effect on minority engineering students (Battle, 1998; Bonous-
Hammarth, 2000; Brown, 2006; ; Cooper, 1997; D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993;
Datnow & Cooper, 1997; Fullilove & Treisman, 1990; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
Students who participated in this study reported that they believe they are less likely to
give up on their goal of becoming an engineer as a result of the financial assistance of the
ECMESP, the academic assistance of the ECMESP, and the peer support group that is
created by both the ECMESP and NSBE.
There are two discussion points that will be addressed in this section. First, the
research questions are answered and the major findings of the study are outlined and
connected to the themes found in the literature. Next, the question of what this study
adds to the literature is addressed.
The following are the research questions that guided this study:
73

1. What are the components of the ECMESP that have contributed to the retention of
African American student in the engineering degree program at RCCC.
2. For the students participating in the ECMESP, what factors contribute to their
decision to persist at two-year colleges? What factors have contributed to their
decision to transfer to the university and continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s
degree in engineering?
This study found that all the components of the ECMESP (financial support,
tutoring, academic advising, mentorship, and inclusion in a peer group for engineering
students) contribute to the retention of African American students in the engineering
degree program at RCCC. However, the most significant component of the program was
found to be the inclusion in a peer network of engineering students. Astin‘s Theory of
Student Involvement asserts that the quantity and quality of energy that a student invests
in their academic experience is directly proportional to the amount of learning that takes
place (Astin, 1999). The students in this study reported that their involvement with other
engineering students in the ECMESP (through both participation in ECMESP as well as
NSBE) resulted in them spending more time on campus and more time studying. Tinto
states that students are more likely to stay at an institution when they feel they are part of
a community at the institution (Tinto, 1993). Students in this study reported that being
involved with ECMESP and NSBE gave them a sense of belonging with other RCCC
engineering students, and the relationships that they had with other engineers resulted in
spending more time studying.
74

A number of study participants gave specific examples of how the peer support
they received from ECMESP and NSBE made a difference in their decisions to persist.
Aaron mentioned that the other ECMESP participants became the friends that he hung
out with, and as a result they studied together and helped one another by explaining the
concepts that they understood to their friends that struggled with some concepts. Adam
described the ECMESP group as being like a family. One benefit he mentioned was that
they advised one another about which instructors to take for different classes. Kayla
found that the ECMESP students supported her and encouraged her that she could
succeed, and Kip found it encouraging to see other students succeeding, because it gave
him confidence that he could succeed too. The peer network that some of the students
described as being like a family was the component of the ECMESP that students said
had the most effect on their decisions to persist at RCCC.
The second research question asks what factors contribute to the students‘
decision to persist. This study revealed that there are a number of factors that contribute
to the students‘ decision to persist at RCCC and to continue the pursuit of a bachelor‘s
degree in engineering at the university. These factors, which are also found in the
literature to contribute to student persistence, include financial support, academic
resources, academic advising, and relationships with mentors, faculty and other students
(Astin, 1993; Battle, 1998; Brown, 2006; D‘Augelli & Hershberger, 1993; Fullilove &
Treisman, 1990; Good et al., 2001; Lee, 1988; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
Students reported that the financial support they received from the ECMESP not
only allowed them to spend less time working, thus more time studying, but also gave
75

them a sense of responsibility that they needed to succeed because there were other
people counting on them to succeed. Many researchers have written that an increase in
hours worked at off-campus jobs negatively affects the number of hours they spend on
schoolwork and negatively effects college persistence (Tinto, 1999; Trombley, 1998;
Leppel, 2002, Hammer, Grigsby, & Woods, 1998). The findings of this study coincide
with the literature.
The literature states that academic support and academic advising affect a student‘s
decision to persist towards an engineering degree. When students do not receive the help
they need, they often leave the engineering field (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). When
students do receive tutoring and academic advising, they are more likely to persist (Lowe,
A. & Toney, M., 2001; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Tinto, 1993; Yonhong, et al., 2001).
The findings of this study support the findings of previous studies. Students in this study
report that at ECMESP meetings, they were often encouraged to take advantage of the
free tutoring at RCCC. Alex, Steve, and Meg all referred to their need for tutoring. They
had made it through high school with little effort, but when they got to RCCC, they found
that their courses were much more difficult than their high school classes had been, and
they needed help understanding some of the concepts in their classes. Access to free
tutoring helped get them through math and science courses that were required for their
engineering degrees.
Students are more likely to persist toward their degree when they have an academic
plan (Tinto, 1993). Effective academic advising has a positive effect on college
persistence (Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Lowe, A. & Toney, M., 2001). Adam was the
76

only participant in this study that made any mention of having wasted time taking the
wrong classes or pairing up classes. He stated that it was helpful to have someone advise
him on such things as which classes to take, when to drop a class, and which classes
should not be taken together. Although Adam was the only student to mention the
positive effect of academic advising regarding which classes to take on his decision to
persist towards an engineering degree, it is important to note that none of the students
complained about having wasted time by taking the wrong class or not knowing what
courses they were required to take as part of their degree. Although academic advising
was only mentioned by one student, Adam, the fact that students did not mention being
confused or mis-advised could imply that the academic advisement that they did receive
through their participation in the ECMESP did help them more than what they were
aware of themselves.
One factor revealed by this study to contribute to the students‘ decisions to persist
at RCCC was not mentioned, at least not specifically for STEM students, in the literature
I reviewed. This factor is the desire of engineering students to create a better financial
future for themselves and their family. Several students in this study reported that their
decision to persist was attributed in part to this desire. Some of the students with children
mentioned wanting to provide a better way of life for their children, and others mentioned
wanting to be able to afford to live in a nicer neighborhood than they currently live in or
the ability to afford a nice car. Students perceived that an engineering degree would open
the door to better jobs, and this motivated them to continue working towards their degree.
77

The key finding of this research is the significance of the peer and faculty support
on students‘ decisions to persist. All eleven participants shared that their involvement
with one another and college personnel as well as their integration into the institution was
influenced by their participation in ECMESP and/or NSBE,. The participants perceived
that the support they received from one another, from faculty, and from advising staff
affected their decision to persist.
Implications for Practice
Retention and student success at community colleges are hot topics in higher
education (Community College Survey of Student Engagement). Bensimon (2005)
describes the inequality in educational outcomes for minority students ―the most urgent
and intractable problem in higher education. Retention of minority students is of even
greater concern because of the dismal reports of minority student persistence. The
ECMESP has been successful in resourcing minority engineering students with
programming that the student participants report has influenced their decision to continue
towards their goals of earning engineering degrees. Other institutions which hope to
improve their minority student success rates in engineering can examine programs like
the ECMESP and create similar programs at their institutions.
Many institutions choose not to create and run programs similar to the ECMESP
due to budget constraints. However, some of the components of the ECMESP that
students report to have affected their decisions to persist could be very inexpensive to
reproduce. Although the money spent in student scholarships is beneficial to student
success, there are other measures that can be taken that are less expensive. For example,
78

practitioners that wish to improve minority engineering student retention need to create
opportunities for minority engineering students to meet together regularly with peer
support groups. Such programs can use volunteers from the engineering community as
mentors and guest speakers, as engineers in the community might be willing to speak on
a volunteer basis. Additionally, engineers from the community who serve as mentors
would not need to be paid. Inviting minority engineers from the community to serve as
mentors and guest speakers would be an inexpensive component to a program for
minority engineering students.
Future Research
There has been very little research on the specific topic of minority student
persistence in the field of engineering at two year colleges. This research project has
brought to light other questions for future research. One such question has to do with
financial support in the form of scholarships. Although the ECMESP students reported
that the financial support was beneficial, this study does not reveal how much of a
difference the financial support makes in a student‘s decision to persist. It would be
beneficial to two-year colleges to know how much more likely a minority student is to
persist towards an engineering degree when they are given financial support in the form
of scholarships.
A longitudinal study to follow the student participants from this study through the
completion of their Bachelor‘s degree and beyond would be an informative future
research project. There are several different longitudinal studies that would be beneficial
to educators, such as a study that asks how the benefits of the ECMESP continue to
79

support the students after they leave the two-year college and continue working towards a
bachelor‘s degree at a four-year institution. Although the ECMESP scholarship
continues after the students transfer to Rivertown S & T, the other parts of the ECMESP
such as tutoring, advising, and monthly group gatherings do not continue. A second
study might ask whether the ECMESP laid a foundation that continues to support
students after they leave the two-year college. A third study might follow the students
after the completion of their bachelor‘s degree to determine if the foundation laid by the
ECMESP has an effect on the participants‘ decision to attend graduate school or ability to
obtain engineering jobs.
Conclusion
The RCCC is doing several things that appear to be making a difference in the
decision of minority students to persist towards engineering degrees. None of the things
that they are doing are new to educators; each of the components of the ECMESP is
something that research has already proven to be an indicator of student persistence.
What makes RCCC‘s ECMESP unique is the fact that it is doing several different things
that have been found in research to make a difference, and according to the students who
participated in this study, those things are making a big difference in those students‘
decisions to persist.
Other institutions can benefit from creating programs similar to the ECMESP.
Based on the literature and the findings of this study, such programs should strive to
create an environment where students feel that they are part of an engineering student
community on their campus. When students feel that they are part of a community, they
80

will be more likely to have an increase in both the quality and quantity of time spent in
activities that will make them more successful, such as studying and working on class
projects.

81

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Appendices
Appendix A
Qualifications for the Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program
Participants of the ECMESP must meet the following criteria:
1. The participant must be a high school graduate with US citizenship or
permanent residency status.
2. The participant must be a member of an ethnic minority group that is under-
represented in the field of engineering (Black Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, or
Native American Indian).
3. The participant must be a resident of one of the following:
St. Louis City, Missouri
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Charles County, Missouri
Jefferson County, Missouri
Franklin County, Missouri
Madison County, Illinois
Monroe County, Illinois
St. Clair County, Illinois
86

4. The participant must have completed three years of high school mathematics
(Algebra I or higher) and two years of high school science with a GPA of 2.5
or better.
5. The participant must have math and science ACT scores of 18 or better, must
score on RCCC placement test into Intermediate Algebra or higher, and must
meet the RCCC reading proficiency requirement.
6. The participant must have two strong recommendations—at least one from a
high school math or science teacher. The second letter can be from a
counselor.
87

Appendix B
Student information form
The following information will be used to conduct research on the effects of the
Everbright Company Minority Engineer Scholarship Program. All information will be
kept confidential. Student identities will be kept confidential.
Please print
Your Name:_______________________________
How many semesters have you been at RCCC: _____
How many semesters have you been at Rivertown S & T: _____
High School Experience
1. What high school(s) did you attend?
2. What was your high school GPA?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how well
do you rate your high school in preparing you for college?
Family Background
1. What is your father‘s highest level of education?
_____Elementary School _____Some College
_____Junior High School _____College Undergraduate Degree
_____High School _____College Graduate Degree
2. What is your mother‘s highest level of education?
_____Elementary School _____Some College
88

_____Junior High School _____College Undergraduate Degree
_____High School _____College Graduate Degree
3. Which of your family members have attended or are currently attending college?
_____Grandparent _____Cousin
_____Parent _____Brother
_____Uncle _____Sister
_____Aunt _____Other:
Your Job
1. Do you currently have a job?
2. If yes, is your job
_____on campus _____off campus
3. Approximately how many hours do you work each week?
Your Study Habits
1. On average, how many hours do you spend each week studying? _____
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how well
do you rate your study habits? _____
3. Do you usually study
_____alone _____with a friend _____in a group
Your Motivation to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how high
would you rate your desire to earn a bachelor‘s degree in engineering? _____
2. Why are you working towards a bachelor‘s degree in engineering?
89

Appendix C
Interview Questions
The following questions are based on the study by Seymour and Hewitt
(1997) entitled Talking about Leaving.
1. Describe how committed you are to the Everbright Company Minority
Engineer Scholarship Program. What factors have affected your level of
commitment?
2. Describe how committed you are to completing a Bachelor‘s Degree in
engineering. What factors have affected your level of commitment?
3. Why have you chosen to stay in the engineering field?
4. Have you ever considered leaving the engineering field? Why?
5. Do you feel like you are part of the engineering community at the River
City Community College? Explain.
6. How would you describe your study habits?
7. What advice would you give to a high school student who tells you that
they are considering the engineering field?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study examines a scholarship program at a community college that seeks to increase the number of African American students earning a Bachelor’s degree in engineering. The scholarship program does more than provide students with money to cover their college tuition and fees. This program also provides students with engineering mentors, academic support, and peer support. This study revealed that several of the scholarship program components affected students’ decisions to persist toward engineering degrees.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Granger, Kimberlyann Tsai (author)

Core Title African American engineering students at River City Community College: Factors that improve transfer to four-year engineering degree programs

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 03/24/2011

Defense Date 12/03/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag African-American,community college,Engineering,OAI-PMH Harvest,retention,STEM,student success,transfer

Place Name Missouri (states), USA (countries)

Language English

Advisor Cole, Darnell (committee chair), Bustillos, Leticia (committee member), Venegas, Kristan M. (committee member)

Creator Email Kgranger@stlcc.edu,loveteachingmath@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3694

Unique identifier UC177414

Identifier etd-Granger-4312 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-442363 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3694 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Granger-4312.pdf

Dmrecord 442363

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Granger, Kimberlyann Tsai

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu