A.A.S. + 2 = IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY BACHELORS OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY: A IOWA GRASSROOTS SUCCESS STORY OF DEVELOPING A 2+2 FOR 'CAREER TRACK' STUDENTS

摘要

The number of students currently enrolling in four-year programs in a computer-related area has not kept pace with the burgeoning demand for graduates. One potentially large, untapped, pool of students to fulfill the IT needs of industry by continuing their degree to a four year institution is community college students who have earned an AAS. The development of this 2+2 Computer Engineering Technology degree program to allow students who earn the AAS degree in a computer-related area and then come to Iowa State University to complete their four-year degree has been a cooperative effort between the 15 community college districts in Iowa and the ISU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. While the creation of a Computer Engineering Technology degree is not novel, the focus of ISU's program is on the ability to recruit and retain two-year community college students with AAS degrees is original. Unfortunately, students who elect to study a computer or information technology area and earn an AAS degree many times find themselves starting over again when they move on to a four-year institution. This is a historic artifact in which many of the courses do not transfer into a four-year institution's traditional computer-related degrees. The need for 2+2 degree programs for ASS students is evident not just in Iowa, but across the U.S. It is an emerging trend for high school graduates to stay locally and attend a community college as a lower cost alternative for entry into college. Additionally, ethnically diverse students, students with a lower socio-economic status and a higher proportion of females attend two-year institutions.