The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering has experienced 29 percent growth in total undergraduate enrollment during the past five years. The School also has seen a 54 percent increase in female undergraduates along with a 41 percent increase in minority undergraduates.
Dean Hasan Sevim has watched the School grow from 844 undergraduates in 2008 to its current enrollment of 1,088. He pointed to a combination of factors figuring into the increasing numbers.
“Ultimately, we have faculty dedicated to teaching excellence and mentoring,” Sevim stated. “The School benefits from harmonious teamwork among the various university offices, such as enrollment management, marketing and communications, and the career development center.
“The word has spread that area companies consistently provide great internship and job opportunities for our students. Enthusiastic members of the student chapters and design teams actively recruit well-prepared students. Plus, we have a growing international reputation with exemplary cooperation from our overseas partners.”
Meanwhile during that same time frame, the School’s female enrollment has risen from 79 to 122. “Through the years, we have educated a significant number of women, approximately 800 since 1973,” Sevim said. “They are now sharing their knowledge and wisdom in an effort to make a difference in the world.
“Currently, those 122 female undergraduate students represent only 11 percent of our student body. However, their passion for engineering has enabled them to become our finest advocates in ensuring the continued growth of women in this discipline.”
The School’s minority undergraduate enrollment rose from 61 in 2008 to 86 in 2012. “Without the viewpoint of a diverse population, we cannot anticipate the future needs of society,” Sevim said. “As we continue to attract more highly qualified students, we anticipate continued growth in the diversity shown in our school.”
With 260 undergraduate students, Mechanical Engineering is the most popular program. Electrical and Computer Engineering follows with 238 students, and Computer Science has 208 students.
Not only is the School’s enrollment growing, but it is attracting increasingly well prepared students. The average ACT math scores of incoming freshmen have increased from 27.4 in 2009 to 28.0 in 2012.
The School has broken ground on a 32,000-square foot addition that will help accommodate its ever increasing enrollment. Sevim expects the student population to continue to climb. “While our ever increasing reputation in the region as a good, solid engineering school will be the main driver, we continue to strive to improve,” Sevim said. “We are developing new international cooperative agreements and hoping to solidify that later this spring. We continue to support 2+2 programs with area community colleges which also deliver highly qualified students.”
School of Engineering: The SIUE School of Engineering offers one of the most comprehensive and affordable engineering programs in the St. Louis region with eight undergraduate degrees, five master’s degrees and a cooperative doctoral program, all housed in a state-of-the-art facility. Students learn from expert faculty, perform cutting-edge research, and participate in intercollegiate design competitions. Companies in the metropolitan St. Louis area provide students challenging internships and co-op opportunities which often turn into permanent employment. All undergraduate programs are accredited by their respective accreditation agencies.