Addressing retention at an English-medium Engineering College: A case study of Freshman students in the Middle East

The low student retention rate in an English medium engineering college in the Middle East has been attributed to the students' lack of readiness in language and sciences, lack of motivation, and issues regarding adjusting to university life. To address this, a new freshman course called Introduction to Engineering, ENGR110 was introduced in 2015. The course, incorporated into the First Year Experience (FYE) program, was designed to introduce students to the different majors offered, soft skills such as team work, time management, goal setting, problem-solving, and to establish a learning community on campus. It includes hands-on activities, problem-solving sessions, seminars/workshops, field trips as well as presentations by alumni. A particular emphasis on having students make informed decisions early about their choice of major was seen as critical in getting students focused and motivated. This paper describes the impact that the course has had on student retention based on students' to two consecutive surveys.