WSU College of Engineering Bridge Program utilizes a unique way of motivating students through mentorship

When you ask professor of chemical engineering and materials science Jeffrey Potoff why he chose to run the WSU Engineering Bridge Program he starts with one word; impact. The program has been in existence for 7 years and is designed to provide students who are interested in engineering, but who may not have the necessary background in math and science, to enter a four-year curriculum with a firm foundation in these subjects.

A prime focus of the program is to offer hands-on experience to students. The picture to the right was taken during Professor Potoff's class's bridge building competition. Each student was put into a team and charged with the task of designing and building a bridge that could support the most weight. Professor Sean Wu's graduate students volunteered to test the amount of force each structure could hold for the competition. Each year the challenge is different, for instance, last year the students designed and competed in a bottle rocket competition. Although the competitions are fun and exciting, Potoff explains that the educational value is that it allows students to "get the feel of doing engineering" early on, and so works as a motivating factor."

"As a faculty member, when we think about research, impact is the magic word. Writing a paper will have the immediate impact on about 20-30 people, on the other hand when you work with students you have the opportunity to have tremendous immediate and long-term impact," Potoff explains. Students who enter the university in the Bridge program will join a cohort with which they will go through their foundational classes as well as additional courses on subjects like professional student development, time management and how learning works. A key lesson in the specialty classes is talent only takes you so far, you need effort to carry you the rest of the way. To support this notion, professors regularly bring in speakers from the industry. "Several studies show that students who are exposed to the industry at a higher rate are more committed and ultimately more likely to finish the degree," Potoff states.

A common goal for professors involved with the Bridge Program is impact, and they seek this through student interaction and reflexivity. Members of the program meet with a peer mentor for an hour each week, and discuss habits that will train them to learn through a more scientific approach. Through the peer mentorships, Bridge members get access to some of the best students in the college at nearly a 10 to 1 student-mentor ratio. In addition, Bridge students receive close attention from the Dean's Office and the Academic Advisors in Engineering, so that academic support, including tutoring services, can be made available early if any academic difficulty is experienced. Throughout their time in the program students will go through a series of exercises aimed at reflexivity. Many of these exercises are in the form of reflective essays that are designed to get the student constantly thinking about why they chose to pursue a degree in engineering. It is this formula of interaction and reflexive thinking that makes this program so impactful.

A primary assessment marker for these students is their ability to pass required math and chemistry classes. Potoff explains, "Currently, our students passing rate in math is 90% and in chemistry it moved from 40% to 65%. We compared this data to pre-med students in the university and found that our students have a similar passing rate." The ultimate goal for the Bridge program is to move students from a pre-professional level to a professional level as soon as possible to increase retention. The program has been so successful that Potoff is looking to expanding the program to area high school students in the Southeast Michigan area in the near future. He states, "The earlier we can get the students, the greater the overall impact we can have on their education and ultimately their lives."