Page 83 - Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century

Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century
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66 EDUCATING THE ENGINEER OF 2020

CURRENT STATUS
In 1989, there were more than 1,000 cooperative education pro-
grams of various kinds in postsecondary institutions throughout the
United States; approximately 250,000 students were enrolled in these
programs. At the same time, 34,089 students were enrolled in engineer-
ing and engineering technology cooperative programs at 104 schools.
As Title VIII funding disappeared, however, many schools could no
longer provide financial support for these programs, and, consequently,
a large number of them were dissolved. The latest figures below show
the number of undergraduate students participating in cooperative pro-
grams in engineering and engineering technology (Mathews, 1998,
2000, 2002, 2004):

• 1998, 142 schools, 38,734 students
• 2000, 118 schools, 31,716 students
• 2002, 121 schools, 36,718 students
• 2004, 99 schools, 34,136 students

One might ask why the number of programs, and particularly the
number of students, has not increased over the years. Here are some
possible answers based on conjecture and anecdotal information:

• Students are opting for more internships, rather than making
commitments to cooperative programs.
• More financial aid is available now than ever before, which
eliminates the monetary incentive for participating in a co-op
program.
• Because of the “blue-collar” connotation of cooperative pro-
grams, faculty and administration at many institutions have
not fully embraced the idea.
• Some misconceptions and “myths” about cooperative educa-
tion have discouraged participation (e.g., that it takes longer to
graduate; that co-op students cannot participate in campus ac-
tivities or study abroad, etc.).

Recent research at Georgia Tech has shown that rising family in-
come levels of entering students and the availability of other options,
such as undergraduate research and internships, have been major factors

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