The General Engineering Learning Community (GELC) is a joint project between the General Engineering (GE) program and the Academic Success Center (ASC), bringing together first-year engineering students who are focused on supporting each other’s journey to becoming successful students and future engineering professionals.
The GELC provides a curriculum path that enables students placing in MATH 1030 or MATH 1050 to begin their engineering coursework in the Fall semester of their first year. The traditional fall-spring first-year student curriculum is expanded to three terms: fall/spring/summer or fall/spring/fall. This extra time allows GELC students to build confidence in their academic abilities and absorb difficult math and engineering concepts while staying on track to graduation by giving them a longer runway to master success.
Students who begin in the GELC in their first semester apply to continue in the program as Boyd Scholars during the Spring and Summer term of their first year at Clemson. Boyd Scholars are students in the GELC selected to complete their summer courses at Clemson in the long summer academic term. The award will cover the tuition and fees for the 7-credit hours required in the summer, along with summer housing and a summer meal plan. The Boyd Scholars Program is made possible by a generous gift from the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation.
Acceptance as a Boyd Scholar is competitive and based on grades in GELC courses, participation in GELC requirements, the strength of the student's application responses, and availability of funding.
Participation in the GELC/Boyd Scholars programs is optional—students may choose to join or not join the program when selecting classes during summer orientation. However, not joining the program will delay your engineering coursework to the Spring 2023 term. You would also not be eligible for these programs' additional benefits, such as involvement in the learning community with other students and a professional skills and learning strategies course. You will still need to complete courses in Summer 2023 to change your major out of General Engineering by the start of the Fall 2023 semester (or delay a change of major to the end of the Fall 2023 semester). However, you would not be able to apply for the Boyd Scholars award to cover these expenses.
ENGR 1000 [1] Major Discovery Seminar
ENGR 1010 [3] Engineering Applied Math
ENGL 1030 [3] Accelerated Composition
ENGR 1100 [2] Engineering Success Skills (Part 1 of 2)
ENGR 1510 [3] First-Year Engineering (Part 1 of 3)
CH 1010 [4] General Chemistry I
—
16 credit hours
Note:
Students will enroll with other GELC students for all courses shown in orange.
ENGR 1110 [1] Engineering Success Skills (Part 2 of 2)
ENGR 1520 [2] First-Year Engineering (Part 2 of 3)
MATH 1060 [4] Calculus I
PHYS 1220 [3] Physics I + (if needed) PHYS 1240 [1] Physics Lab
Gen Ed Req [3] General Education Requirement
(if needed) Engineering Graphics [2]
—
13-16 credit hours
Note:
Students will enroll with other GELC students for all courses shown in orange.
ENGR 1640 [3] First-Year Engineering (Part 3 of 3) or CHE 1300 [3] Introduction to Chemical Engineering
MATH 1080 [4] Calculus II
—
7 credit hours
Note:
In Fall, students will also take other classes to continue in the curriculum.
The [GELC] was a great resource because it allowed me to review class materials with my peers. Not only was I receiving help from other students so that I may learn the content I was also teaching the content which helped me process the information better.
“I have grown to be [a] dynamic learner through my willingness and commitment to adjusting. As an adult I am in control of my future and being a dynamic learner gives me the opportunity to maximize resources that offer me a greater chance of achieving my goals.”
Our goal is to see students entering the General Engineering program have a successful first year and continue to the second year of engineering. Please preview the FAQ below for information on who is eligible to participate in the General Engineering Learning Community and/or Boyd Scholars Program.
The GELC is open to new undergraduate students from the United States majoring in General Engineering, who are invited and selected for the program based on their math preparation in high school. During summer orientation, an advisor will inform you if you are eligible to join this program.
You should plan to join the GELC if any of the following apply to you:
The program begins on the first day of classes.
It is encouraged for you to continue the Physics sequence at Clemson, but this is not required. It is possible to complete Physics at a school closer to your home. An advisor can discuss these options with you at orientation or during the school year and assist you with the necessary paperwork before next summer.
You are also encouraged to finish the first-year engineering sequence at Clemson. The ENGR 1640 class is unique to Clemson and is not offered elsewhere. A limited number of institutions teach an introductory MATLAB programming course that would transfer to Clemson as ENGR 1410. Still, in doing so, you would have to repeat the portion of MATLAB material covered in ENGR 1520 in the Spring semester.
You can live anywhere on campus as part of the GELC! This program is designed to complement other on-campus programs, including Living/Learning Community (LLC) experiences, such as Residents in Science & Engineering (RISE) and CONNECTIONS. We do, however, encourage you to choose the RISE LLC as your housing option to best compliment your GELC experience.
Absolutely! Think of the GELC program as an “AND” program, not an “OR” program. If you are part of the GELC, you can be in this program AND other support programs on campus.
There is no fee for this program! Services are provided at no additional cost.
Boyd Scholars are students in the GELC who are selected to complete their summer courses at Clemson in the long summer academic term. The award will cover the tuition and fees for the 7-credit hours required in the summer, along with your summer housing and summer meal plan.
The Boyd Scholars program, made possible by a generous gift from the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation, gives students the time to become successful without the additional financial burden of the necessary additional summer or full-term to remain on track with the engineering curriculum.
Boyd Scholars are chosen using an invitation-only application process.
The Boyd Scholar application process will begin during the Spring 2023 semester.
All applicants will be notified of their status during the Spring 2023 semester, likely around spring break.
In the Fall 2022 term, there is no difference. All students are part of GELC. During Spring 2023, GELC students can apply to become Boyd scholars. Students selected as Boyd Scholars will still take the same three-term course sequence as GELC students but will receive an award covering expenses to complete the third term in Summer 2023.
Yes. Boyd Scholars will take the required courses during the Long Summer session, on-campus at Clemson, with the cost of tuition, housing, and a meal plan for the Summer 2023 term covered. GELC students can take the summer courses (ENGR and PHYS) at Clemson or a different institution at their own expense. GELC students also have the option to continue with courses in the Fall 2023 term, though this would delay a change of major to December 2023.
Yes. However, not joining the program will delay your engineering coursework to the Spring 2023 term. You would also not be eligible for the additional benefits of these programs, such as involvement in the learning community with other students and a professional skills and learning strategies course. You will still need to complete courses in Summer 2023 to change your major out of General Engineering by the start of the Fall 2023 semester (or delay a change of major to the end of the Fall 2023 semester); however, you would not be able to apply for the award that would cover these expenses.
Please reach out with any questions on the General Engineering Learning Community.
Dr. Beth Stephan
Director of Academics, General Engineering Program
☏ Phone: (864) 656-2542
✉ Email: bethste@clemson.edu
