<p>I think it’s a good idea to provide more support for incoming engineering students. I imagine that there are some simple things schools can do, like providing courses that teach study skills or hiring more tutors and TAs. I also think it’s a good idea that engineering programs review and update their curriculum every once in a while. I noticed recently that my school’s computer science program had removed many of the physics and EE courses that were previously required, replacing them with a few software engineering type courses. As much as it pains me to admit it, I think it was the right move. The vast majority of my former computer science classmates work in fields that require little or no knowledge of EE or physics. The change also further differentiates the CE and CS programs whereas before, the two programs were much more similar.</p>
<p>However, I don’t 'really think the solution is to make engineering programs “easier”. Part of the problem is the rampant grade inflation at the high school level. When I was an undergrad, I knew several students who were really struggling at the college level, despite having earned high school GPA’s well above 4.0 and coming from high schools with good reputations. The solution isn’t to inflate college GPAs further – grade inflation at the college level is bad enough already. The truth is that earning a B in most college classes today – even at top ranked schools – isn’t so difficult. If a student’s GPA is hovering below 2.5 despite his or her best efforts, I think it is a good idea for that student to think about switching to another major.</p>