This project improves the academic performance and retention of first-year engineering students through the development and widespread implementation of a model "Introduction to Engineering" course. Faculty from ten universities come together with individuals who have successfully delivered orientation courses to minority engineering students and other orientation course experts to develop a model curriculum and text material for the proposed course. Each of the faculty participants teach this course at their institution to a randomly selected group of engineering first-year students, and the academic performance and freshman-to-sophomore retention of those students is compared to that of the non-participating control group. A disssemination conference involving the participating faculty and several California community college engineering faculty is held as a finale to the project.
