Chapter 8 Orientation to the Engineering Education System

Chapter Overview Organization of engineering education Community college role in engineering education The engineering education system Academic advising Academic regulations Student conduct and ethics Graduate study in engineering Engineering study as preparation for other careers

Organization of Engineering Education Engineering education in the U.S. Organization of the engineering unit Position of engineering unit in the university

Engineering Education in U.S. 2,533 four-year colleges and universities in U.S. 352 have ABET accredited engineering programs 1,495 accredited programs (average of just over four programs per institution) Accreditation is critically important

Organization of Engineering Unit Engineering department headed up by department chair or department head Several departments form a school or college headed up by the “dean” Non-engineering departments (computer science, engineering technology, etc may be part of engineering unit

Position of Engineering Unit in University

Community College Role in Engineering Education 1,683 community colleges in the U.S. 40 percent of engineering graduates attended a community college at some time Articulation and course selection Advantages of starting at a community college Applicability of Studying Engineering to community college students

ABET Engineering Criteria ) Students (quality-meeting the standards-transfer credits-coverage) 2) Program Educational Objectives (mission, needs, curriculum and achievements in performance) 3) Program Outcomes and Assessment (student improvement by graduation date, applied math, exp. design, design a realistic component or system, team effort, solve an eng’g problem, communication skills, contemporary issues, skills of modern tools and software ) 4) Professional Component (one year math &science, 1.5 year of eng’g major related courses plus general technical courses) 5) Faculty (Number, competency, university service, professional development, interaction with industries & professional practitioner- participating in professional societies, licensure and PE) 6) Facilities (classroom, lab, lab equipments, computer lab, infrastucture and software in the filed of studied) 7) Institutional Support and Financial Resources (to attract, retain and provide for well-qualified faculty. Also support personnel and institutional services.. 8) Program Criteria: Each program must satisfy applicable program criteria or programs, if the program title covers two areas.

Program Assessment Process Establish educational objectives and outcomes Measure whether objectives and outcomes are being achieved Identify program strengths and areas for improvement Develop plan of action and implement changes to bring about improvements

Academic Advising Quality of advising can be a problem Take personal responsibility for getting proper advising Sources of advising Faculty Staff Other students Publications (student handbook, catalog)

Academic Regulations Academic Performance Grade point average Interview continue education Easy start Credit/No credit Incompletes Repeat grade policy Academic renewal Credit by examination Other

Recognition for Academic Performance Probation Disqualification Dean’s List Graduation Requirements Graduation with Honors – Top 5%: CUM LAUDE – Top 3%: MAGNA CUM LAUDE – Top 1%: SUMMA CUM LAUDE

Enrollment Policies Selecting your major Changing your major Double majors Minors Registration Drop/add Policy Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Course Substitutions Overload policy

Student Rights (Examples) Right to receive advisement Right to express your views, receive instruction, be graded fairly Right to form and participate in clubs and organizations Right to publish or broadcast our opinions or concerns Right to file petitions Right to file grievances Right to privacy of your records

Student Conduct and Ethics (Examples, P320) Cheating or plagiarism Forgery, alternation, or misuse of campus documents, records or identification Obstruction or disruption of the campus educational process Physical abuse of any member of the campus community Theft of campus property Sale or possession of dangerous drugs And many more

Academic Dishonesty Cheating Fabrication Facilitating academic dishonesty Plagiarism

Graduate Study in Engineering Benefits of graduate study in engineering M.S. degree in engineering Ph.D. degree in engineering Full-time or part-time How will you support yourself?

Engineering as Preparation for Other Careers Master of Business Administration (MBA) Law Medicine

Good Luck! Professor Roozbehani West Loop Campus Houston Community College Houston, Texas USA Spring 2010

Group Discussion Ethical Dilemma In your group, discuss the following situation: A friend has been sick and asks to copy your homework that is due in a few hours. What do you do? Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned

Alternate Group Discussion Benefits of Graduate Education Poll your group members to determine how many plan to pursue formal education beyond the B.S. degree in engineering. Then brainstorm a list of the rewards, opportunities, and benefits that result from pursuing a graduate degree in either engineering or another discipline (e.g., MBA). Discuss each of the benefits on your list. At the end of the exercise, poll your group members again. Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned