1 November 7, 2002 ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT November 7, 2002 EE CURRICULAR REVISION

2 THE MAJOR DESIGN EXPERIENCE (MDE) ABET’s Professional Component: “Students must be prepared for engineering practice through the curriculum culminating in a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating engineering standards and realistic constraints that include most of the following considerations: ECONOMIC, MANUFACTURABILITY; environmental, sustainability; social, ethical, health and safety, and political

3 MAJOR DESIGN EXPERIENCE Definition for this visit What do we consider to be the MDE in the EE program? What must happen in a course that makes it a 3-credits design course? When does it occur? How do we assign design credits to courses?

4 THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING MDE For this visit (will probably change after the visit): “The Major Design Experience (MDE) within the existing EE curriculum is satisfied through a minimum of 18 credits in EE technical electives. The following criteria are followed within these 18 credits: A minimum of twelve (12) credit hours must be selected from one area of concentration. A minimum design content of ten (10) credit hours must be met. A minimum of seven (7) design credits must be in the area of concentration. These must include a three-credit-hours design course.”

5 MDE IN THE EE CURRICULUM “In the existing curriculum the MDE is spread out over the last three semesters. Compliance begins in the second semester of the Fourth year and goes on through both semesters of the Fifth year, six credits per semester. The 3 credits design course appears in the curriculum during the 5 th year.” NOTE FOR US: THIS IS THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM SUGGESTED TO STUDENTS. NOT MUCH CONTROL OVER WHEN STUDENTS ACTUALLY START/END THE MDE.

6 COURSE SEQUENCE LEADING TO THE MDE

7 DESIGN CONTENTS Need a WRITTEN policy (documented) to assign design credit to courses based on some common characteristic among areas. Verify if what is written in this policy is true for most of the courses represented in the ABET Files in the Department (there might be an EXCEPTION to the rule, but it should hold true for MOST courses).

8 PROPOSED CRITERIA · “2 design credits – course requires a project that constitutes a major part of the grade but it requires examinations or homework based on course lectures. The students develop design skills through homework, discussions and tests. Usually includes a medium complexity design project. · 1 design credit – no design project requirement. Grade is based on homeworks, examinations or other forms of evaluation based on the lectures. Course considers standards and study of practical engineering systems and the student work reflects exposure to design decisions.” ·

9 THREE (3) CREDITS DESIGN COURSE  ”Course grade is primarily based on the development of a major design project. Homework, quizzes and tests may be given as a way to verify that students learned the skills involved in the major project. This type of course culminates a student’s “major design experience”. Design experience of similar complexity as those found in engineering practice. In the project the students work in teams to establish a methodology to solve the given problem, develop a mathematical analysis and present a design solution. Realistic constraints are considered.”

10 EE CRC Goals Short term (First semester ): Keep goals from ABET retreat, create working groups for detailed analysis of long term recommendations, planning for medium term execution. STATUS: COMPLETED Medium term ( ): EAC strategies, revise assessment tools, include proposals 10 & 11, 13, STATUS: STARTED Long term ( ): Proposals that involve major changes to courses outside ECE Department STATUS: INITIAL CONTACTS WITH CHEMISTRY & SOCIAL SCIENCES/HUMANITIES FACULTY

11 WHAT TO DO IN 12 DAYS? Verify the information in the ABET files regarding your courses. Report any inaccuracies. Review (or read) the Self-study report Review the MDE Document (available in the Department). Submit comments. Review the Curriculum Revision Document (available in the Department). Submit comments.

12 Approved by Department Undergraduate research (4998) and special topics (5995) should not be the major design experience but can be counted within an area’s technical electives COOP considered within the non-area specific 6 credits in the 18-credit technical electives

13 The Department supports the integration of laboratory experiences within courses. The Curricular Revision Committee (CRC) is assigned the task of coordinating with each of the areas of concentration the way that such integration will take place. The Department will then consider the recommendations made by the CRC on this issue. It is understood that there might be different ways to achieve this integration, depending on the nature of each course and the existence of a related laboratory course. Approved by Department

14 Design credits will no longer be accounted for as a graduation requirement. The criteria defined by each area of concentration will be applied to determine completion of graduation requirements. This will be enforced as soon as it is approved by the corresponding higher administrative level. ECON 3021 “Economics I” will be eliminated as a required course, but included within the list of recommended socio-humanistic courses (could be taken as part of the required 15 credits) NEED AN INITIAL OPINION FROM AC. AFFAIRS-CA: MAJOR OR MINOR REVISION?? Approved by Department

15 Interchange the order in which Numerical Analysis, the Probability course and Engineering Economics are offered in the curriculum. Establish an Advanced Math Requirement: Numerical analysis, Linear algebra, Complex variables Approved by Department NEED AN INITIAL OPINION FROM AC. AFFAIRS-CA: MAJOR OR MINOR REVISION??

16 NSF - CCLI PROPOSAL Towards a Socially Conscious Engineer: Integrating a Social Perspective to the Electrical Engineering Curriculum at UPRM Efraín O’Neill-Carrillo, PI Eddie Marrero, Co-PI (Social Sciences) Raúl Torres, Co-PI Collaborators: Gerson Beauchamp, Shawn Hunt, Rafael Rodríguez, Three year-project addressing four main areas: 1. Integrating laboratory practices to EE courses 2. Capstone Design courses (or MDE course) 3. Modules Create “generic” modules on communications, social/ethical implications and global awareness 4. Assessment