Project Plan

English 3050

To
From
Date

Vytautas Malesh
Frederick Haggins
6/28/15

Subject

Project Plan Memo

Introduction
For my research project I proposal to address the topic of engineering students and the retention rate. I proposal that student be coupled with other students that share a common major of
study or closely related major of study to have a school initiated cohort. The cohort will help students of similar degree aspirations come together and share their academic experiences, identify working methods that help propel their academic enrichment, become a community of inspiration and companionship, and lastly, work together on projects that will enhance their practical
knowledge of their respective majors.
Audiences
For my audiences of course I will direct my collection of information to my English 3050 instructor. Also, I would like to aim my findings to the decision making brass of the college of engineering, the group that has the influence to analyze my findings and determine if the idea of a cohort
is plausible. My secondary audience are the perspective students who could be apart of the first
college instituted cohort, and students who are currently moving through their academic career
and would like to join such a group.
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to see if attaching like minded students together helps and increasing the success of students pursuing a degree in the science, technology, engineering,
and math realm. Pursuing degrees in these fields take a good amount of adaption, students are
learning different techniques of thinking that are built upon years of previous work that other
prominent groups/individuals have tested and discovered to be highly probable and duplicated.
Taking in to account my anecdotal evidence I have had conversations with student who have
either change majors within the college of engineering, dropped out of the college to pursue degrees in the other colleges within the university, or have dropped out of school indefinitely. I
would like to formally research this topic to see how frequent these instances are.
Primary Research
For my primary research I will send out surveys to all the engineering students through the bulk
mail addresses. I will interview the engineering students I have meet throughout my time at the
university

Vytautas Malesh

2 of 2

June 28, 2015

Secondary Research
For my secondary research I will use google scholar to search for related information, I will use
Formula SAE/IEEE website to search for related research papers and also the universitys library of information.
Timetable
Dates

Task

Jun 29 - July 5

Draft Email survey/ Survey monkey website

July 6 - July 20

Gather similar secondary resources and compare

and contrast with my research

July 21 - 31

Begin compiling information in to research paper