Conference Session

ChE: Departmental Issues and Integrating Freshmen into the ChE Program

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pedro Arce, Tennessee Technological University; Donald Visco, Tennessee Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

Page 11.45.6to stay. During an internal study at Tennessee Tech, it was determined that success or failureduring the first math class (whatever it may be) was the most useful indicator of Engineeringstudents sustaining to graduation. Accordingly, we wanted to address any potential math concernsearly in the semester. About half of the class stayed back and, depending on the course, differentchemical engineering faculty worked with that group. Additionally, details on the Math Lab oncampus were provided to students who required some extra help.Class 4: I Finish My B.S. in Chemical Engineering and I Can Do What?A popular book used in Introduction to Engineering classes at various institutions (includingTennessee Tech) is “Engineering your Future

Conference Session

ChE: Curriculum Reform & Assessment

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey Froyd; Jean Layne, Texas A&M University; Lale Yurttas, Texas A&M University; David Ford, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

is tensionbetween the perspective of a curriculum as a unified whole that is intended to shape thecharacteristics of its graduates and the perspective of the curriculum as a collection of individualcourses for which individual faculty members accept responsibility. Fisher, Fairweather, andAmey described this as “the tension between collective responsibility and the boundaries ofacademic freedom”2. Understandably, faculty concern regarding curriculum tends to focus moststrongly on courses related to their area of professional expertise that they teach. Secondly,faculty members focus on courses that are prerequisite to courses of interest (specifically thedegree to which students emerging from these courses are prepared for the next course in