Reform of the Engineering Program at Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar VA

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230542 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Hyman, Scott David INSTITUTION NAME: Sweet Briar College TITLE: Reform of the Engineering Program at Sweet Briar College Abstract Sweet Briar College (SBC) shares the national concern over the decline in students graduating with bachelor's degrees in engineering over the last two decades. Moreover, as a women's college, SBC is concerned with the ongoing dramatic under representation of women in undergraduate and graduate engineering programs and in the engineering workforce. In response, SBC is requesting this planning grant in order to initiate the reform and upgrade of its engineering curriculum. The objective of this project is to develop an extensive engineering curriculum at SBC, which would be only the second such program in the nation at a liberal arts institution for women. SBC currently offers students a dual degree program with a number of cooperating institutions. Students follow a pre-engineering curriculum and complete a bachelor's degree from SBC and either a bachelor's, or in one case a master's, degree in engineering from the other university. The program upgrade will be to institute a true engineering curriculum at SBC: five courses at the introductory and intermediate level that will comprise the core sequence of an Engineering Science major, which will be supplemented by research and internship opportunities. The curriculum will be designed to complement the strong liberal arts and study abroad traditions of SBC and to allow the students to take full advantage of the proven nurturing environment of a women's college.