Engineering Freshman Return Rates on the Rise

New academic, social and creative programs are helping students get their footing in engineering

Freshman return rates are on the rise at the Viterbi School, thanks to a number of new undergraduate programs designed to help new students transition to college life successfully.

The return rates of freshmen to engineering—those starting in engineering and returning to the same major the following year as sophomores—climbed from 85 percent in Fall 2004 to 91 percent in 2006.

“A gain of six points in three years is a remarkable feat,” said Viterbi School Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. “Keeping these high-quality students in engineering helps us in multiple ways, and makes teaching a true pleasure, as many of our faculty have realized.”

The success has been attributed to a number of innovative new programs.

The Freshmen Year Excellence (FYE) program was implemented in fall 2006 to assist Viterbi students with the transition to college life. FYE includes the Freshmen Academy Program, which has flourished and now serves as a model for the entire university. FYE also offers students advisement and support services through the Viterbi Admission and Student Affairs Office, including one-on-one advisement, as well as programs such as Spotlight, which provides freshmen engineering students the opportunity to visit with department representatives and explore various engineering majors.

The Klein Institute for Undergraduate Engineering Life (KIUEL) is also proving to be a great student resource. Through programs geared toward leadership development, cross-disciplinary activities, service-learning and globalization, students have access to opportunities that create a holistic student life experience and produce well-rounded engineers. KIUEL Showcase, a week-long program dedicated to highlighting the artistic talents of Viterbi students, is a prime example. More than 125 of the school’s diverse student population participated in the first annual event in spring 2007.

The Viterbi School’s Women in Engineering Office (WIE) and the Center for Engineering Diversity (CED) have also played an important role in female and underrepresented student retention. The missions of these programs are to create a community of support for all engineering students—female, underrepresented and those advocating for these populations—and promote success in the field of engineering. Consequently, the female undergraduate student population is on the rise, with a school-average enrollment of 25 percent.