COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE

ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

FRIDAY, March 31, 2006

 

 

Jim Schneller called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.  He asked everyone to check the purple information/contact sheet and make sure the contact information was correct.  Jim announced a search for more Advisory Board members.  The charter allows 40 members and we have 33.  The membership is light on women, minorities, mechanical engineering, and people in the Iowa and Illinois area.

 

Rich Shultz gave the following updates on the College.

 

1.                  Rich thanked Lisa Riedle and her committee for all the hard work they have done so far on the new engineering building.  He then gave a brief update.  It will be a three-story building of 68,000 square feet.  Two stories will be above ground with a walk-out basement facing the residence suites.  Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics will be housed there.  General Engineering will have classrooms and labs.  The main entrance will face Longhorn Drive.  January 2009 is the scheduled date of completion. 

2.                  Upon the completion of the new engineering building, the renovation of Ottensman Hall will begin.  This will be state funded.  The first option is for a complete gutting which would cost approximately 30 million dollars.  There are other renovations scheduled with the UW System.  So the question is will we be moved down in the list.  So the second option would be a 10 million dollar renovation.   This would be revamping the existing rooms without taking out walls.  The Department Chairs thought this would work.

3.                  Funding for the new building is just short of the 5 million mark; heading for 7.5 million target.

4.                  UW-Fox Valley graduated five mechanical engineering students December 2005.  There will be four more graduates in May. 

5.                  We will be hiring an electrical engineer for UW-Fox Valley.  We currently have one of our electrical engineering faculty traveling to UW-Fox Valley and teaching a course. 

6.                  We have hired a mechanical engineer for UW-Fox Valley.  Jeff Hoerning will come to UWP from UW-Fox Valley.

7.                  We will be hiring an electrical engineering faculty at UW-Rock County, Janesville.  The greater Janesville area is raising funds for a lab. 

8.                  Currently, our target is 300 new freshmen and have 50 transfer students under the TSI.  We have admitted 320 and would like to have around 360 students.

9.                  The Engineers Without Borders Organization is moving along.  They are now a recognized organization.

10.             ABET accreditation will happen early next fall.  All engineering programs will be going through this process.  This will be the first time for the Software Engineering Program.  The goal for the afternoon breakout sessions is to raise questions about the department self-studies and assessment.  Please ask the presenters questions.

11.             We have had requests from two-year campuses to create new two-year engineering programs.  Electrical Engineering courses were asked to be taught at UW-Fox Valley.  We can only fund one electrical engineering faculty member, but we can not do a program with one faculty.  How can we accommodate these requests while maintaining the budgets?   We are looking at using streaming video for these lecturers.  John Goomey is trying this with four to five lectures this spring.  We are hiring a media technician on-campus to assist with all streaming video lectures.  We will have funding to upgrade the current server and will also hire a manager.   Rich gave a demonstration of streaming video.

12.             Angie Gasior, Foundation Office, gave an update on the M Step Fund.  There are 266 steps on the “M”.  The order of priority for asking individuals for donations is mining alumni, civil engineers, and then College of EMS faculty.  Mining is the oldest program with civil being the second.  50 steps have been sold as of now.  Three companies have been approached to purchase a platform; Strand, J.P. Cullen, and OMNNI.  October 20 has been set as the “M” Step dedication which is during Homecoming.  Jim Schneller bought the top step for a $5,000 donation. 

 

Jerome Flogel and Ryan Staab, students members of Engineers Without Borders, along with Dr. Sam Owusu-Ababio, advisor, gave a short presentation for the Advisory Board Members.

 

Lisa Riedle, along with her Committee, gave a short presentation on the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Guidelines.  She mentioned that we are seeking accreditation because it is nationally recognized.  In 1988 the Board of Regents mandated that all engineering programs be accredited or eliminated.  The College should have a preliminary statement in January 2007 with a final statement in August 2007.  The ABET team will be travel to the UW-Fox Valley program because we have had a graduate from there.

 

Break Out Sessions were announced

  1. Chemistry/Engineering Physics – Mining Room
  2. Electrical Engineering – Mississippi Room
  3. Computer Science/Software Engineering – Mound Room
  4. Civil/Environmental Engineering – Platteville West
  5. Mechanical/Industrial Engineering – Wisconsin Room

 

LUNCH

 

WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIONS

 

1.                  Chemistry/Engineering Physics

Chemistry falls under the ACS accredition.  Engineering Physics discussed both ABET issues and program issues.  One concern is how to get message out to the employers.  A suggestion was to personally contact the human resource person in large companies.  There was discussion about software in the Engineering Physics program.  A biomedical concentration was discussed along with the possibility of a senior design course.  Hal Evensen spoke about the Mems Nano Program.

2.                  Electrical Engineering

Phil Sealy said the members attending that session looked through the “A-M”

questions and the Electrical Engineering document.  The trends that the program is going through were looked at.  It was noted that Phil Sealy answered everyone’s questions well and quite comfortably.

3.                  Computer Science/Software Engineering

Joe Clifton said the group went through the Software Engineering document and asked questions.  There were a few items that needed adjusting.

4.                  Civil/Environmental Engineering

Max Anderson said that the group gave ideas for future improvements including oral skills, web site development, and listening skills.  For the programs curriculum students should gain an understanding of how government works, budget, structure, etc.  Students should also have a preparation about starting their own business including leadership skills.  Employers want smart people who are industrious.

5.                  Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Some concerns from members attending are:

1.      Interdisciplinary/cross functional teams

-Communication skills

-Respect/co-op with business/marketing

-Interpersonal skills

                  2.  The trend toward larger class size.

                        -Students going up,   budget going down

                  3.  Fox Valley Support/Labs – This is a major concern.

                  4.  Discussion of ABET metrics

-Co-op/internship – (Salary for those who have done co-ops vs. not.  Let   

  students know.)

                        -FE/PE pass

                        -Repeat hires

                                   

            The programs should get feedback from employers about alumni (students), i.e.,

how they compare to students from other colleges.  The surveys received by the

Department have low response rate. 

 

Jim Schneller thanked everyone for attending and the time they put in.  Rich also thanked everyone for their feedback.

 

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 20, 2006.  UWP Homecoming is on Saturday, October 21st.