Illinois Engineering Freshman Experience or iEFX
Freshmen students admitted to the College of Engineering for Fall 2010 (the class of 2014) have been invited by Dean Tucker to be a part of a special  experience designed to make their entry into engineering particularly rewarding and engaging.  Specifically, the Illinois Engineering Freshmen Experience or iEFX (previously called the iFoundry experience) integrates coursework in critical and creative thinking skills (the missing basics) with hands-on projects (Matt Greve video) and a student-run learning community (iCommunity).  Together these different activities combine in ways that respect and support student aspirations and choice, leading to a celebration of the joys of engineering, community, and learning.

Data collected in Fall 2009 show that iEFX is a transformative experience, helping students build a strong sense of engineering identity at the same time it enables them to adjust to the social challenges of the first year of college.  The experience involves important networking experiences with other students, faculty, corporate, and alumni advisors, building a genuine sense of engineering community and unparalleled confidence and comfort with the student’s decision to attend engineering school.  Students in the inaugural pilot of iEFX demonstrated an unusual degree of creativity, confidence, and initiative not usually seen in students who go through more traditional freshmen experiences.  iEFX in Fall 2010 will be made available to roughly one-third of the freshmen class through a simple web-based application process (under development).

• For information about applying to iEFX click here.
• For information about iEFX applications/admissions timetables click here.
• For iEFX FAQs click here.

For iEFX/iFoundry contact information click here.

Relation of iEFX to iFoundry
The Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education (iFoundry) is a special incubator unit of the College of Engineering designed to create innovative programs and coursework to enhance the educational opportunities for undergraduate students at the University of Illinois.  iEFX was originally conceived and piloted by iFoundry in Fall 2009 (under the name “iFoundry Experience”), and iFoundry continues to develop cutting-edge courses and programs in cooperation with Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and other innovative engineering programs in the United States and around the world.  Supported by campus and college leadership, this incubator brings together faculty, staff, and students dedicated to educating undergraduates who can meet the technological and societal challenges of the 21^st century with the highest degree of intelligence, creativity, and leadership. For students who desire to enhance the professional specialization which is Illinois’s hallmark, iFoundry presents unique undergraduate opportunities.

For more information about iFoundry contact iFoundry Associate Director, Karen Hyman (kkhyman@illinois.edu).