The Bachelor College started back in 2012, and it was not founded overnight, Lemmens stressed in his talk. He talked about the concerns about the future of engineering that arose in the western world about a decade ago. We’re not training enough engineers, said US, UK, and Dutch reports: the influx is too low, and the dropout rate is too high. What’s more, not only are engineers are expected to be experts in their field, but they should have solid communicative skills, be creative, and have good general (academic) skills.

Lemmens elaborated on the response of MIT in Boston to these developments. He also described how practical assignments are a crucial part of the educational process from day one at the nearby Olin College. By introducing the Bachelor College, TU/e has tried to tie in with these new developments. A more all-round education, more options, more exams, feedback, and strategies should attract more students and limit the number of dropouts.

The first generation of Bachelor College students is about to get their degrees, so it’s time for initial careful conclusions. Lemmens showed the influx and transfer rate meet expectations. Based on these numbers alone, the Bachelor College can be considered a success already. After all, it was only several years ago that Rector Hans van Duijn said the university had no future if the number of new students remained the same.

Still, Lemmens also found fault with its brainchild. Basic courses can do with improvement, and hands-on learning should be stimulated even more. However, his greatest concern is the teacher workload. New digital solutions should relieve teachers without abandoning frequent midterms and evaluations. Because, as became clear in his acknowledgements: the Bachelor College wouldn’t be what it is without the effort of its teachers.