“The environment at the HEC was challenging yet academically nurturing and collaborative. … The professors were very approachable and helpful during class, and they were flexible with meeting times outside of class. My classmates came from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of experiences,
and
their different
perspectives positively
contributed to group projects and study groups.” — Osman Rizvi, electrical engineering graduate Dr. James Nelson (left), dean of the UT Tyler College of Engineering, and student Sinsandra Nov.
when they graduate.
Tyler campus,” Nelson said.
engineering fields.
“This is not an online program offering,” Nelson said. “Students will be studying face-to-face with faculty in Houston. We built the HEC teaching labs to mirror the labs in Tyler. The educational experience is intended to be the same whether they study in Tyler or in Houston.”
Students who attend classes full time will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree in two years after coming to UT Tyler. The center is also able to accommodate part-time students who need more time due to job or family obligations.
Among the women at HEC is Lizabeth Ly, who began her studies in fall 2014 and plans to finish her degree in electrical engineering in two years. Besides being close to home, Ly also prefers the smaller classes.
“I was part of the first class that started at the HEC, and we were like a tightknit family,” Rizvi said. “We all helped each other with homework and projects during study groups and during class, and we also had fun together off campus, which collectively made our time at UT Tyler HEC that much more memorable.”
“I feel that professors interact more when the crowd is smaller, and it’s a bonus when the professor knows you by name,” Ly said. “The faculty here are friendly, and if you need help, they will try their best to help you. And because we are such a small class, we work together.”
One-on-One Guidance Dr. Melvin Robinson, who’s been teaching at the HEC since it opened, helps provide that experience. “We guide students coming from community colleges, advising them every semester so they’ll be on track to graduate,” said Robinson, HEC associate director and assistant professor of electrical engineering. “These students can compete anywhere.” That’s because the high quality of their degree is the same whether they attend the main campus as freshmen or transfer to the HEC with an ASES degree. “It’s just as if the student matriculated with us on the Houston Engineering Center students Tahreen Khandaker (left) and Sinsandra Nov.
Diversity in Enrollment The center also has increased the possibilities for underrepresented groups in engineering. About half of the students enrolled are from minority populations, Hispanic, African American or Asian, and more than 18 percent are women, a group with historically low numbers in
The Cost Benefit Arguably the most dramatic benefit to students is the price tag. Students who earn an ASES degree before transferring to the HEC pay a total cost of about $21,000 plus the cost of books. That’s about half the cost of other options available to them. Part of the difference comes from the lower cost of community college tuition, and students also save on the cost of room and board by living in their own home while taking all their classes in Houston. “Engineering jobs start at $60,000 to $70,000 at the entry level,” Nelson said. “That’s a phenomenal return on investment.” Rizvi is already enjoying the rewards of his hard work. While he was finishing his final semester, he secured a position at an intellectual property law firm as a patent engineer. Now Rizvi uses his degree to draft patents directed toward electrical engineering and software. Nelson and others at the university