Failure Rates in Engineering Service Courses

Abstract

In this paper, we interpret our findings on the failure rates of engineering students enrolled at UNIVERSITY. A staggering 40% of students in engineering do not make it through the first year, and of those who make it, 30% fail in many of the fundamental engineering courses. Engineering is not, nor meant to be, an easy program. Many researchers have argued that the primary reason for students failing in these courses is a lack of preparedness for the high level of academic rigors required in engineering. While the average college course requires only 2 hours of extra study for every one hour in the classroom, engineering courses require an estimated 4 hours. Although the engineering education systems work well for the traditional engineering student, the teenagers who spend four years at UNIVERSITY, do not fit this profile. These students tend to balance classes with a job or family or both. The education system is not built to cater to the needs of such students, and the results are usually negative.
This paper presents initial results of a research project that was based on the failure rates of engineering students at UNIVERSITY, where 40% of engineering students work more than 10 hours per week while going to school full time. The author focused on 3 fundamental engineering courses: mechanics (of materials), dynamics, and introduction to circuit. This pilot research project addresses the question "What do failure rates in these courses really measure?â€