Record Number of Students Pass Engineering Exam

January 28, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

A record-number of Calvin College senior engineering students have passed last
October's Fundamentals of Engineering exam.

The test is administered by the state every October and every April. This
past October a record-total of 44 Calvin seniors took the exam and all 44
passed, a perfect 100% for the college. The state pass rate, by comparison,
was 91%, while the national pass rate was 80%.

Calvin associate professor of engineering Gayle Ermer says the news today,
coming hot on the heels of Governor Jennifer Granholm's State of the State
address yesterday, makes for an interesting combination.

Governor Granholm, she notes, talked in her State of the State address about
giving interest-free loans to students who graduate in such fields as
biotechnology and engineering and then stay in the state after graduation.

"Perhaps," Ermer says, "such a program will encourage more high school
students to at least consider engineering. And if they do we are hopeful that
Calvin, based on things like the recent test results, will be a place that
students will consider as they make college choices."

Ermer notes too that Calvin's track record in preparing students is not a
recent phenomenon, although having 44 of 44 students pass the test is a
high-water mark for the department. But since the fall of 2000, 149 Calvin
students have taken the Fundamental of Engineering exam. And 146 have passed
it!

In April 2003 19 of 20 Calvin students passed the exam, in April 2002 14 of 14
passed and in April 2001 6 of 6 passed. In October 2002 Calvin had 22 of 22
pass, in October 2001 10 of 11 passed and in October 2000 31 of 32 passed.

Contact Gayle Ermer at 526-6302 or germer@calvin.edu
See http://engr.calvin.edu/
Also see
http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-10557_12992_14016-41928--,00.html

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Received on Wed Jan 28 15:39:18 2004