The Women in Applied Science and Engineering Summer Bridge Program:easing the transition for first-time female engineering students

摘要

The Women in Applied Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer BridgeProgram is designed to prepare incoming female students for thetransition from high school to the College of Engineering and AppliedSciences (CEAS) at Arizona State University (ASU). This program offersacademic reviews in courses such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry.Computer programming tutorials are also offered in Excel and HTML tobetter prepare students for their freshman introductory engineeringcourse. Participants acclimate to the campus by receiving generalinformation concerning the university, financial aid, and departmentaladvising. Students attending the program become familiar with thecampus, have a head start on their freshman engineering classes, andhave a chance to meet other female students. An overview of the WISESummer Bridge Program is presented as well as retention data for 1998and 1999 program participants. In addition, the paper discusses the needfor and impact of bridge programs specifically geared toward femalestudents. Further, the paper investigates other life circumstances, suchas level of involvement in student activities, living situation, andemployment that impact retention of these students. Finally, futureprojections of implementation and direction of student retentionprograms are explored