After tracking the success of the Women in Engineering’s living-learning program, university officials launched a similar initiative for men this semester that they hope will lead to higher retention rates in the engineering college.
The Virtus program — the engineering school’s new partner to the Women in Engineering’s Flexus program — is geared toward first-year male engineering majors. Funded by the National Sciences Foundation, Virtus houses program participants on the fifth and sixth floors of Easton Hall. Virtus students take several of the same classes to get a jump start on their education. With 45 students enrolled so far, it is the university’s 10th living-learning program, and university officials said it will be instrumental in helping ensure new engineering students stay in the program.
Paige Smith, director of the Women in Engineering program, helped oversee Virtus’ development. Smith said the women’s program was expanded to men to keep the college’s retention rates high.
“This is a way to help them understand the major very quickly,” she said. “Engineering is typically a challenging field, on top of adjusting to college.”
Some students don’t understand what the major entails when they arrive on the campus, causing them to switch to other fields, Smith said.
“There’s a lot of research that shows if you create community, students are more likely to stay in the program,” she said.
Smith also noted that members of the program receive more specialized academic support from faculty. They are required to take a one-credit seminar on possible future career paths for engineers, a far cry from the days when career resources were only available to upperclassmen, she said.
“Living-learning programs are a wonderful experience for our students,” Resident Life Director Deb Grandner said. “They really help the big school feel small, and it brings our students closer together around their academics.”
Since most living-learning programs have a relatively small number of students, officials said this is one way to make the university seem smaller to incoming freshmen.
“Chances are, if we can keep students through sophomore year, then they’re going to stay,” Smith said.
University President Wallace Loh said these programs are a strong aspect of the university and help attract a higher caliber of in-state students.
“Right now, we attract a quarter of the best students of Maryland, but we want to raise it to one-half,” Loh said. “We’re going to attract them by continuing to do the kinds of things we’re doing very well, like expanding our living-learning communities and fully implementing the new university curriculum.”
Freshman engineering major Everett Hettema, a student in Virtus, said one of the benefits of such a program is the connection between classes and dorm life.
“It’s real helpful for when you’re doing homework, and you can go to anybody on your floor for help,” he said. “That also helps you get to know other people better.”
israel@umdbk.com
