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The NSF STEP grant program was initiated by the US Congress with the goal of implementing best practices that would lead to an increase in the number of students obtaining STEM degrees at institutions with baccalaureate degree programs. Our university's Colleges of Science and Engineering were fortunate to receive a STEP grant in 2009 to improve freshmen retention and graduation rates by working on notoriously high-loss courses in chemistry and mathematics and facilitating undergraduate research opportunities in science and engineering. This paper describes the path taken in the implementation of these plans, and a major shift when institutional priorities necessitated a change in focus. After developing a demonstrably successful program in the first few years of the grant, focus in the later years was strictly on initiatives which would be sustainable in our institution. We highlight three initiatives which grew out of the STEP grant efforts and are now institutionalized and thriving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years pressure has increased on public universities to improve their four and six year graduation rates. There are some obvious factors influencing these graduation rates. Many students attending urban universities are non-traditional students who work in order to pay for their education. Some entering freshmen are not prepared for college courses and begin with remedial courses. In a structured degree program such as engineering, students are required to satisfy prerequisites in order to proceed through the curriculum. Lack of course offerings can delay progress towards graduation. This study expands on a previous study conducted on a single engineering program in one public university. In this study several engineering programs in two large public universities in Texas were included. Senior engineering students were surveyed to determine the causes delaying their graduation. In responding to a survey questionnaire, students provided such information as whether they started at a 4-year university, if they had changed their major, if they started their college math below calculus, if they attended school full-time or part-time, the total number of years of college study needed to complete their engineering degree, the factors that caused delay in their graduation, and other questions related to length of study for the degrees being offered. Engineering students studying a variety of engineering programs participated in this survey. The results presented in this paper provide useful information to guide the development of programs and plans for improving graduation rates for students enrolled in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]