Developing a six sigma methodology for improving retention in engineering education

The graduation of under-represented groups in the sciences and engineering has been a major concern for academia in the last twenty years, as the demand for these skills and knowledge continues to increase. The retention rate for this pool of students is roughly one-third compared to nonminority groups of about two-thirds. As a result, a variety of innovative approaches to increase the graduation rate for minority students have received a lot of attention. We propose another approach adapted from industry that seeks to assess, evaluate, and monitor variation in student´s performance in the curricula and recommend methods for improvement. By applying the six sigma philosophy from industry to academia, the results may provide a methodology to increase the retention rates of minority students to address the needs of highly skilled employees for the same industry. A pilot study is discussed.