The Impact of Student Engagement, Institutional Environment, College Preparation, and Financial Support on the Persistence of Underrepresented Minority Students in Engineering at a Predominately White Institution: A Perspective from Students

Abstract

The persistence of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) remain a steadfast problem in education and the workforce. Despite the numerous articles on persistence in STEM, a deficit in student input on how key factors such as student engagement, financial support, college preparation and institutional environment impact persistence exists. This study employed semi-structured interviews to capture common trends on the persistence of four URM students previously enrolled in a 2012 Summer Bridge Program at a predominately white institution (PWI). The research found that diverse organizations, financial support and pre-freshmen engineering programs play a major role in URM student persistence in engineering disciplines at a PWI.