A new sophomore engineering curriculum-the first year experience

During the 1995-96 academic year, Rose-Hulman offered a new sophomore engineering curriculum as part of its participation in the National Science Foundation funded Foundation Coalition. The paper briefly describes the curriculum and discusses the assessment of the first year of the program. The Rose-Hulman/Foundation-Coalition Sophomore Engineering Curriculum consists of two parallel course streams-applied mathematics and engineering science-and integrates material both across and within these streams. This curriculum is required of all electrical and computer engineering majors and is an option for mechanical engineering and civil engineering majors. Assessment was an important part of the first year program with emphasis on providing information to faculty for improving the effects of the curriculum on student learning.