the pathway to academic excellence and diversity is wide enough for transfers

NISTS Creating Pathways for STEM Transfer Student Success 109/20/2010

The pathway to academic excellence and diversity is wide enough for transfers

Mehdi Shadaram and Kristi MeyerCenter for Excellence in Engineering Education

University of Texas at San Antonio


Kristi Meyer, MASenior Retention and Graduation Analyst

Interim DirectorThe Graduation Initiative

Mehdi Shadaram, PhD, PEBriscoe Distinguished ProfessorAssociate Dean of Engineering

Center for Excellence in Engineering Education


Today’s objectives• The University of Texas at San Antonio and the College of

Engineering• Current trends in university admissions• COE admissions requirements• Diversity in freshmen• Diversity in transfers• Academic preparation – MATH• Benefits, challenges, and making it work for transfers


UTSA•Large, urban, public university

•28,955 total enrollment: 25,277 UG; 3,678 GR•50.9% Female, 49.1% male•42.9% Hispanic, 37.7% White, 8.7% Black, 6.4% Asian Pac Is, 4.3% Other(s)

•Three campuses•Eight Colleges

•Architecture•Business•Education and Human Development•Engineering•Liberal and Fine Arts•Public Policy•Sciences•Honors


College of Engineering• Division of Engineering established in Fall 1982

• BS degrees in CE, EE, ME• Curriculum built on existing applied science courses• Approximately 400 students

• First BS Degree Awards in 1984 (12 EE, 1 ME) • First ABET Accreditation1987• College of Engineering established in Fall 2000 (Before

2000: College of Science and Engineering)


College of Engineering Today

• 4 Departments• BME, CE, ECE, ME

• 4 Undergraduate Degrees• CE, EE, Comp E, ME

• 6 Masters Degrees• BME, CE, Comp E, EE, ME, MFG

• 4 Ph.D. Degrees• EE, BME (with UTHSCSA), Envir Sci and CE, and ME


University Admissions

UTSA undergraduate new freshman admissions based are on

high school rank and SAT/ACT scores


University Admissions

2007-2010 Freshman Admission Requirements

High School Rank-in-Class

Minimum Combined SAT Math & Critical

ReadingMinimum Total

Composite ACT ScoreTop 25% Guaranteed Admission Guaranteed AdmissionSecond 25% 920 19Third 25% 970 20Fourth 25% 1020 21GED, non-ranking or unaccredited high school, or home school 1020 21

2005-2007 Freshman Admission Requirements

High School Rank-in-Class

Minimum Combined SAT Math and Critical

ReadingMinimum Total

Composite ACT Score

Top 10% No minimum required No minimum requiredTop 25% (not in top 10%) 830 17Second 25% 870 18Third 25% 920 19Fourth 25% 970 20GED, non-ranking or unaccredited high school 970 20

Source: UTSA Office of the Registrar


University AdmissionsIn 2011, UTSA freshman admissions

requirements will increase dramatically2011 First-Time Freshman Admission Requirements

High School Rank-in-Class Minimum Combined SAT Math & Critical Reading

Minimum Total Composite ACT Score

Top 25% Guaranteed Admission Guaranteed Admission

Second 25% 960 20

Third 25% Individual Review Individual Review

Fourth 25% Individual Review Individual Review

Unaccredited High School, Home Schooled, Non-Ranking High School Individual Review Individual Review

Source: UTSA Office of Admissions


Transfer Admissions•30 or more semester hours earned•2.0 GPA (Cumulative, no grade replacement)•Must be eligible to return to all previously attended institutions

Source: UTSA Office of Admissions


UTSA New Freshman Acceptance Rates

Fall 2005

Fall 2006

Fall 2007

Fall 2008

Fall 2009

99.4% 90.8% 93.0% 88.0% 86.9%

Source: UTSA Office of Institutional Research


UTSA Freshman Acceptance Rates by Ethnicity

Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009

White Non-Hispanic 99.8% 95.1% 96.5% 93.4% 92.9%

Black Non-Hispanic 99.4% 81.9% 83.7% 78.3% 75.6%

Hispanic 99.7% 88.3% 91.5% 85.3% 84.1%

Asian or Pacific Islander 99.3% 94.8% 96.0% 92.4% 92.2%

Am. Indian or Alaskan Native 100.0% 87.9% 96.4% 95.2% 82.5%

International 85.6% 86.6% 88.5% 81.9% 91.8%

Unknown 71.4%



UTSA New Transfer Students by Ethnicity

Fall 2005

Fall 2006

Fall 2007

Fall 2008

Fall 2009



Hispanic 45.4% 46.0% 47.8% 46.0% 46.8%


Am. Indian or Alaskan Native 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.7%International 2.4% 1.4% 2.3% 1.8% 2.6%



College of Engineering New Freshman by Ethnicity

Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009



Hispanic 36.4% 32.9% 36.0% 36.9% 37.6%


Am. Indian or Alaskan Native 0.8% 0.7% 0.7%

International 2.4% 2.8% 5.7% 3.2% 4.6%

Unknown 0.3% 0.5%



COE AdmissionsEligibility to declare a major in the COE is

based on math placement


COE AdmissionsFall 2008 and earlier

No major specific requirements

Fall 2009 and later

Must be eligible to register for Algebra for Scientists and Engineers or Pre-Calculus to declare Pre-Engineering and stay in the COE

Must be eligible to register for Calculus I to declare a specific Engineering major (CE, ME, EE, Comp E)


COE Admission RatesFall 2008 and earlier

All students admitted to UTSA who wanted to declare a major in COE were able to declare a COE major.

Fall 2009 and later

10% - Direct entrance into COE major

80% - Pre-Engineering

10% - Not eligible for entrance into COE


How do we maintain the diversity we want while increasing standards?


One key component:Transfer Students!


Student profile for COE majors, Fall 2009

# %#

transfers%

transferAvg SAT at entry

Avg transfer GPA

Avg UTSA GPA

Avg cum GPA

Cum Hours

EarnedAmer Indian or Alaskan Nat 5 0% 2 40% 1097 3.54 2.91 2.92 86

Asian or Pacific Islander 148 8% 34 23% 1077 2.30 2.61 2.44 65

Black Non-Hispanic 145 7% 29 20% 1025 2.31 2.45 2.41 64Hispanic 799 41% 273 34% 1040 2.51 2.48 2.54 77International 115 6% 39 34% 1039 2.19 2.92 2.74 69Unknown 2 0% 0 0% 950 3.27 3.27 11White Non-Hispanic 737 38% 266 36% 1117 2.43 2.75 2.65 72Total 1951 100% 643 33% 1071 2.44 2.61 2.58 73Female 233 12% 70 30% 1040 2.56 2.65 2.69 76Male 1718 88% 573 33% 1075 2.42 2.61 2.57 73



Transfer students enhance diversity without

compromising academic excellence


COE transfer students at UTSA consistently outpace new freshmen in math placement AND consistently maintain higher 3-point

GPAs.


Benefits of transfer beyond diversity

• Maturity, real world experience• Motivated students• Determined students• Focused students• Better understanding of “college knowledge”• Math and science preparation


Challenges with transfer students

• Conflicting priorities: work, family, school• Scheduling and course sequencing can be difficult• Need for more evening, weekend, summer, and online options• Prerequisites• Difficult to find full time schedule due to classes being taken

out of the preferred order• New level of academic rigor and larger classes


How has UTSA created such a strong transfer population? • Strong ties with the community colleges,

especially faculty : faculty• Strong articulation agreements• Clearly defined and easily understood requirements• Widely published standards• Strong academic advising• Expanded course availability• Enhanced tutoring for classes beyond the gateways• Financial support for transfers, not just new freshman


Rethink the “pipeline” to a diverse and academically excellent

populationExpand how you think about the pipeline from

primary education secondary education university

TOprimary education secondary education community college university

2709/20/2010

Contact Information

Kristi [email protected]

210-458-6787

NISTS Creating Pathways for STEM Transfer Student Success

This research is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Engineering Education (CE3)

the pathway to academic excellence and diversity is wide enough for transfers

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