Step Ahead: UH-HCC Pre-engineering program

A Pathway from High School through the Houston Community College to the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering.

Background
Local community colleges have historically provided the UH Cullen College of Engineering (CCE) with a significant percentage (over one third) of our student body population. A recent articulation agreement with Houston Community College (HCC), the largest “feeder” community college for the CCE, has paved the way for our “STEP AHEAD: A Pathway from High School through the Houston Community College to the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering” initiative. This initiative leverages existing resources and infrastructure with a uniquely developed program that supports student success starting during a “Bridge Year” at HCC and continuing through graduation from UH. Anticipated results include improved retention rates among students transferring to UH from HCC, and the development of goal-oriented engineering graduates who will be sustainable in their chosen career path.

Implementation
The STEP AHEAD program actually begins prior to admission to UH, during a “Bridge Year” in which students will complete a “pre-engineering” curriculum at HCC that consists of 30 credit hours (6 English credits, 8 math credits, 5 engineering credits, 3 physics credits, and 8 chemistry credits). Through articulation agreements between HCC and UH, these pre-engineering courses will allow for a seamless transition to the sophomore level curriculum in the CCE provided students maintain an appropriate GPA (2.5 or greater). Bridge Year activities will enhance the community college pre-engineering curriculum by helping students better prepare for the university and develop study and time management skills that will serve them well as engineering undergraduates. In order to begin to integrate participating HCC students into the CCE, Bridge Year activities will be offered at HCC and UH campuses.

STEP AHEAD students will form a cohort which will be clustered together in courses taught at the community college by HCC faculty during their Bridge Year. Two of these courses will be engineering courses: “Introduction to Engineering” in the first semester, and “Computers and Problem Solving” in the second semester. The entire 30 hour curriculum carries direct transfer credit to the UH CCE. “Introduction to Engineering” is an interdisciplinary, team project based course. As part of this course, students will learn about the various engineering disciplines and students will have access to UH faculty and upper-division students from each engineering department even though the course is taught at HCC. As a result, STEP AHEAD students will be able to make an informed choice about the engineering discipline they wish to pursue once they transfer to UH. They will also be introduced to teaming theory and collaborative learning techniques that form the foundations of our various retention programs. Feedback from current CCE students who have transferred from community college indicate that a regular activity so aimed at integrating students to the UH CCE community is highly desirable and will ease the transition to the University following the Bridge Year.

Curriculum
Guidelines for being accepted into the UH College of Engineering as a true sophomore while taking courses at HCC
Complete the courses in the four areas below (30 semester credit hours) at HCC with a
1) GPA* of 2.5 or higher
a) overall,
b) in all English courses including composition,
c) in calculus based math,
d) in calculus based physics plus chemistry, and
e) in all engineering courses attempted.
*All attempts in a course are factored in the calculation of a student’s GPA.