By Evelyn Wilkinson
Photo Courtesy of Snow College Marketing and Communications Department
Engineering encompasses many aspects of technology and development. Mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, and computer science are smaller studies within the overhanging branch of engineering.
Snow College offers only two bachelor's degrees, one being music and the other computer science. Along with the offer for a Bachelor’s degree for computer science majors, the Engineering Department ensures that students can access tools and resources to benefit their education.
This includes a tutoring center that allows those to get help from other students who perform well in specific branches of the study. In addition, the department provides two computer labs so students in their program have access to the programs needed for their courses.
The program was first established at Snow about 50 years ago, with the goal of an affordable way to begin one's education in engineering. Department chair, Garth Sorenson says, “Kids studying engineering here and then transferring are doing as well, if not better, than students starting out at a four-year school.”
Many students from Snow’s engineering program transfer to USU or UVU. Sorenson adds that “The University of Utah, for the last ten years, has really paid attention to the kids from Snow… and they spend a lot of time trying to attract kids to their programs.”
The department faculty has talked with past students who had transferred to one or four-year schools. Some students expressed how they studied in a junior-level class right out of Snow and found that some of the material had already been covered while at Snow.
The Engineering Department wasn’t as well established before 2001 when the Utah State Legislature gave millions of dollars to schools as a way to develop their programs. Over the next 20 years, Snow’s Engineering Department grew from two professors to nine. Half of the faculty supports the Bachelor’s Degree with their courses. This funding allows Snow’s Engineering Program to grow and support more students interested in the field. Sorenson has been a faculty member since 1996 and says, “It has been powerful that funding has come and seen the size of our Engineering Department grow here at Snow over the last 20-plus years.”