Last fall marked the debut of the new engineering programs that, since undergoing a complete overhaul, allow students to choose their area of specialization in the first year. Various polls and studies were carried out throughout the year out in a bid to monitor the initiative's progress. The initial findings, presented on June 1, indicated a higher average GPA at the end of the academic year as well as a greater number of credits completed, compared to results from previous years. Increased motivation in the classroom and greater enjoyment in attending Polytechnique were also noted. The number of new students, particularly from CEGEPs, has also risen, although the admission criteria and Cote R ratings are the same as in previous years. While these results only apply to the first year, the findings are a good indication that the massive effort to streamline study programs has borne fruit.

The conference featured a number of presentations, workshops and assemblies presenting the findings of the first year. It also created opportunities for discussion between representatives of the various programs, who took the occasion to share their success stories with their colleagues and discuss areas for improvement. The pedagogical teams will maintain their efforts to ensure the quality of the new programs, not only for this first year, but also for the three subsequent years, which have also been rethought and reviewed.

The full overhaul is very close to completion. Polytechnique appears to have successfully met the challenge of implementing major changes to its undergraduate programs while maintaining the high level of academic excellence that has made the school's reputation over the years.

Source:
Education and Training