College of Engineering partners with David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy to launch pilot dual enrollment program

A select group of rising high school seniors will have the opportunity to earn college engineering credits this fall and make history as the first group of high school students participating in the College of Engineering’s (COE) dual enrollment pilot program.

Dr. Ahmed Khattab, COE Dean and Mr. Jeff Debetaz, David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy Principal and their teams met recently to design the first dual enrollment program in COE. Team members included Dr. Burke Huner, COE Associate Dean, Dr. Magdy Bayoumi, COE Electrical and Computer Engineering (EECE) Department Head, Mr. Nick Pugh, EECE Advisory Board member and Pugh Family Foundation Chair and Mr. Tod Hansen, David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy Instructor.

“We are working to not only accelerate the educational process for these high-performing students, but also to build a bridge between their high school and university experiences,” says UL Lafayette College of Engineering Dean Ahmed Khattab, Ph.D. The first dual enrollment course selected for piloting will be an introduction to Computer Engineering (EECE 140), and it would earn both high school and university credits for students who complete the lecture course and its accompanying lab requirement. “The idea as we move forward is to partner with more schools to offer courses that are needed to help prepare their students for college,” added Dean Khattab.

“We have a number of hard-working, high-achieving engineering and technology students who are prime candidates for this unique opportunity, which will center on learning experiences on the UL Lafayette campus,” adds David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy Principal Jeff Debetaz.

“This partnership will showcase the best of both institutions,” notes UL Lafayette Electrical & Computer Engineering Department Head Dr. Magdy Bayoumi, Ph.D. “These students will be provided with opportunities to move closer toward a number of promising career paths through this program. The course is carefully selected to introduce students to the fundamentals of Digital Design which is the foundation of designing smart systems that dominate our life.  The course will challenge the imagination and curiosity of the students through hands-on projects that we are using in our daily life,” added Dr. Bayoumi.

For more on this story, see the University’s press release.

Photo caption: The College of Engineering has launched its first dual enrollment program. This fall, 15 David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy students will take a computer engineering course at UL Lafayette as part of a pilot program expected to expand in coming semesters.