Conference Session

What Are We Learning About Co-op and Experiential Education Experience?

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachelle Reisberg, Northeastern University; Joseph A. Raelin, Northeastern University; Margaret B. Bailey, Rochester Institute of Technology; David L. Whitman, University of Wyoming; Jerry Carl Hamann, University of Wyoming; Leslie K. Pendleton, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

, designed to determine the effectof self-efficacy and other factors on retention, especially of women in undergraduate engineeringprograms. These data represent the pre-survey of the study completed in the 2009-2010 Page 25.1293.2academic year (what we will refer to as Survey 1) and a post-survey follow-up in the 2010-2011academic year (referred to as Survey 2). Students initially completed a 96-item Survey 1 (notincluded in this paper due to the proprietary nature of some components) as sophomores. Theythen completed a 102-item Survey 2 approximately one year later. Surveys 1 and 2 were filledout either in written format or online. Additional

Conference Session

Understanding Our Students I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald William Rhymer Ph.D., U.S. Air Force Academy; Richard T. Buckley Ph.D., U.S. Air Force Academy; Daniel D. Jensen, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

understanding of course material between a research group usingnarration with a control group who received traditional lecture-based lessons. Additionally, thestudents’ subjective impressions of narration, were captured, as we recognized the potential forstudents to resist new pedagogical techniques9.All four class sections of the senior level engineering course “EM 460: Experimental Mechanics” atthe Air Force Academy were used in the research, involving 52 students. Two of sections, involving22 students, were used as the research group, while the remaining 2 sections comprised the controlgroup totaling 30 students. Two instructors taught the course, each having 1 research group sectionand 1 control group section, in order to isolate any instructor

Conference Session

Laboratory Innovations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Awlad Hossain, Eastern Washington University; Hani Serhal Saad, Eastern Washington University; Martin W. Weiser, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

our plans to evaluate the educational outcomesobtained in our heat transfer curriculum.IntroductionThis paper documents a heat transfer project that incorporates analytical, numerical (finiteelement), and experimental analyses to enhance students’ understanding of convection throughtransient cooling. The project is designed to demonstrate the fundamental heat transfer conceptsonce they have been covered in the lecture. It is evident from our previous courses thatconducting experiments and solving analytical equations for devices that students can handleincrease their understanding. We use three different methods to solve the transient coolingproblem for two reasons, (1) some students relate better to each of the methods and (2) by thetime it

Conference Session

Broadening Participation

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary B. Phelps, HEDGE Co.

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

careers.Weak correlations between interest in a career in engineering or technology and spatialvisualization skills can be strengthened via practice and encouragement.I. IntroductionIn the early 1980s, females comprised around 15% of engineering graduates; by 2007, nearlythirty years later, that statistic had changed a mere 4 percentage points. Women areapproximately 50% of the population, yet a mere 11% of the engineering and technologyworkforce 1, nearly 40% fallout between college and career.Why is it that women are notably absent from fields where entry level wages are higher than justabout any, and jobs are still to be found? It is not because they are lacking in ability to do thescience or math, as the research has shown 2, but it may be because

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Curriculum Innovations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William H. Blanton, East Tennessee State University; Zhibin Tan, East Tennessee State University; Davin A. Strom, East Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

methods to describe observable phenomena and tocontrol and manipulate the phenomena. Linear transforms such as the LaPlace and Fouriertransforms can often be used as a tool to alter complex problems into more approachableproblems. Specifically, the Fourier transform is pervasive in the theory and practice of manybranches of science and engineering [1]. The FFT is often included as a function of test Page 25.1297.3equipment. Thus, the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and its offshoot, the fast Fouriertransform (FFT), have become common and powerful procedures for analyzing, manipulating,and synthesizing discrete signals, and a solid understanding of

Conference Session

Linking K-12 to Post-secondary

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emilia Andreeva-Moschen P.E., University of Applied Sciences Joanneum

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

acceptance test.drop-out?Hypothesis corroborationIn the past few years the ratio of the number of applicants to study places has leveled off toto an average of 2.5:1 . However, we are convinced that it is not primarily the amount but thequality of freshmen that is of essential importance for raising the persistence rate. To selectthe best qualified applicants, we have designed a special acceptance procedure consisting ofthree parts, each part being attributed a certain percentage: 1. AP: application (25 percentage points) 2. WT: written test consisting of two sub-parts (RT1, RT2) (50 percentage points) 3. PI: personal interview with a commission of two lecturers from our department (25 percentage points)The application

Conference Session

Four Pillars of Manufacturing Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert L. Mott, University of Dayton; Ronald J. Bennett Ph.D., Univeristy of Saint Thomas; Hugh Jack P.Eng., Grand Valley State University; Steve Wendel, Sinclair Community College; Mark J. Stratton, Society of Manufacturing Engineers; V. Raju, VIT University; Winston F. Erevelles, St.Mary's University; Phil Waldrop, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

, manufacturing engineering and manufacturing engineeringtechnology disciplines. It defines the standard for advanced manufacturing topics, and provides abody of knowledge concept with which all those engaged in advanced manufacturing educationcan align. Developed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) through its Center forEducation, the four pillars model is derived from the ABET accreditation criteria formanufacturing engineering programs and builds on the topics in the SME body of knowledge forthe certification of manufacturing engineers and manufacturing technologists. The concept of thefour pillars encompasses: 1) Materials and manufacturing processes; 2) Product, tooling, andassembly engineering; 3) Manufacturing systems and operations

Conference Session

Curricular Issues in Computer-oriented Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibraheem A. Kateeb, North Carolina A&T State University; Larry Burton, North Carolina A&T State University; Naser El-Bathy P.E., North Carolina A&T State University; Michael S. Peluso, North Carolina A&T State Univerisity

Tagged Divisions

Computing & Information Technology

half quicker than themessage was able to get to the capitol by human carrier. It was this event that proved how muchmore effective even the most basic telecommunications system was at transferring informationthan any other method used throughout the whole of human history 1.Even as rudimentary as the electrical telegraph was, making the feat possible meant that theinventors had to find solutions to the core issues that exist even with today’s ultra high speedtechnical telecommunications systems. The cost was prohibitive, so monies had to beappropriated from the federal government. The amount required for the telegraph at the timewas $30,000 or close to $773,000 in today’s dollars 2.There were major reliability issues with the actual physical

Conference Session

How Are We Preparing Our Students for the 21st Century Workforce?

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald H. Brown, Marquette University; Thomas F. Quinn, Marquette University; George Corliss, Marquette University; Jay R. Goldberg, Marquette University; Mark Nagurka, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

that applies whether the assessed outcome is short-term mastery, long-term retention,depth of understanding of course material, acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem-solving skills, formation of positive attitudes toward the subject being taught, or level ofconfidence in knowledge or skills.1 These methods include active, collaborative, cooperative,and inductive learning. Active learning is an instructional method that engages students in the learning process. Inactive learning students conduct meaningful learning activities and think about and are connectedto what they are doing. While this definition could include traditional activities such as home-work, in the education literature active learning most commonly refers to

Conference Session

FPD XI: Tidbits and Cookies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jesse J. French, LeTourneau University; Paul R. Leiffer, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

-yearstudy on retention, Neimi reported: “Loss of interest and motivation is clearly one of the strongest factors across the board. For engineering students, we and others believe that this is preceded by a loss of vision leading to a loss of purpose. When they find themselves academically challenged, many of them for the first time in their lives, and their view of the goal is obscured because their understanding of what it represents is inadequately developed, they lack the purpose necessary to persevere. We believe this ties directly into the poor academic performance which becomes the immediate reason for their withdrawal.1”Thus, a significant part of the retention initiative became to create a new

Conference Session

National and Multi-university Initiatives

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia C. Fry, Baylor University; William M. Jordan, Baylor University; Edmond John Dougherty, Villanova University; Nassif E. Rayess, University of Detroit Mercy; Pritpal Singh, Villanova University; Kenneth F. Bloemer, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

has a Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. Page 25.1303.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 The Helping Hands Dense Network – A Collaboration Across Multiple UniversitiesInspired by the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network’s (KEEN) mission of educating a newtype of entrepreneurially minded engineer who will ―catalyze a transformation in the workforceand build economic and technical commerce in their communities,‖1 four member universities ofthe KEEN joined together to form the Helping Hands Dense Network (HHDN) with a three-yearplan of work that: Leverages

Conference Session

NSF Grantees' Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathleen L. Kitto, Western Washington University; Debra S. Jusak, Western Washington University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

cognitive and social constructivism; and, there is a substantial body ofevidence that favors the inductive approach over the traditional deductive approach inengineering education 1-8. While this research base has been previously reported 9, asummary of the research justification seems necessary here to conceptually understandthe project.Research indicates that students build scaffolds from existing cognitive structures to newinformation when there are connections to existing knowledge. All of the modules, mini-lectures and problem sets that have been developed as part of this project are designed tobuild these scaffolds by connecting new fundamental MSE principles to the existingknowledge base of the students. We have found that it is very

Conference Session

FPD III: Innovation in Design in the First Year

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan K. Donohue, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

following objective common to all sectionsof ENGR 1620, Introduction to Engineering, be achieved? Objective #1: Introduce students to the real world of engineering and design Outcome #1: Understand and apply the structured approach used by engineers to solve open-ended design problems11Assessment and evaluation of student abilities to internalize and eventually “own” theengineering design process is done with a mixed methods approach. Improvement in definingproblems and designing solutions is tracked through performance on appropriate sections ofdocumentation deliverables and exam questions; qualitative evaluation of reflections on thechallenge and process in student engineering notebooks is used to validate

Conference Session

Middle School Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cher C. Hendricks, Georgia Institute of Technology; Barbara Burks Fasse Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-based learning, Hmelo-Silver (2004) defined PBL as a form ofexperiential learning in which students work in collaboration with others to investigate ameaningful problem. Problems are typically ill-defined and require students to consider multiplesolutions (Barrows, 2002; Savery, 2006). According to Duch, Groh, and Allen (2001), engagingin PBL methods help students develop skill in critical thinking, evaluation, cooperative andcollaborative learning, and communication. Savery (2006) identifies several best practices inPBL, including (1) making students responsible for their own learning, (2) using ill-definedproblems that allow for free inquiry, (3) integrating learning across disciplines, (4) requiringcollaboration, (5) requiring that what is

Conference Session

Improving the Pedagogy of Laboratory Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas F. Schubert Jr. P.E., University of San Diego; Frank G. Jacobitz, University of San Diego; Michael S. Morse, University of San Diego; Truc T. Ngo, University of San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

multiple stages in thedesign experience and analyzed by the faculty, and second, a twelve-statement survey was givento all students. In addition to assigning numerical values (on a scale from 1 to 6) for theirresponses to the survey statements, students were asked to respond with short, writtenstatements.A similar rating of survey statements such as: “I am familiar with the engineering designprocess” (average values of 3.67 and 3.89) and “My partner came up with many ideas on how tobuild the racer” (average values of 4.78 and 4.60) suggests that the two groups had similarbackgrounds about the engineering design process and that internal group interaction weresimilar, respectively.Stronger agreement was found in the control group for the statements

Conference Session

ERM Potpourri

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan F. Campanile, Illinois Institute of Technology; Eric M. Brey, Illinois Institute of Technology; Allison Antink Meyer, Illinois Institute of Technology; Norman G. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

trajectories.1.0 Introduction Undergraduate research experiences are anticipated to both increase understanding ofresearch practice and motivate students to pursue advanced degrees in the sciences andengineering.1 Broadening participation in careers in science and engineering is often a primarygoal of these programs and the government funding associated with them. However, the abilityto reach students at critical transition points in their career trajectory is difficult.2,3 Undergraduateresearch is often primarily performed by students who have already established clear careergoals,2 and the experience either confirms the students’ plans or strengthens their resumes. Research experience is also expected to enhance undergraduates

Conference Session

Embedded Control and Instrumentation

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Thomas Ruch, University of Saint Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

. Thus, the observatory can be controlledlocally from the control room, remotely in real time through a web browser, or unattendedthrough the observing queue. The multiple observing modes make the observatory extremelyflexible and available for a variety of uses.Project #1: Finding Celestial North Telescopes are essentially big cameras designed to take images of objects in space.Because the targets are often dim, the exposure times are long enough that the Earth's rotationmust be countered to keep the telescope pointed at a fixed location in the sky. The USTobservatory employs an equatorial mount in which one of the two control axis is positioned

Conference Session

Understanding Our Students I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanna F. DeFranco, Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley; Kathryn W. Jablokow, Penn State University; Sven G. Bilen, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Andras Gordon, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

“common knowledge” maps. The students’ cognitive styles were assessed using theKirton Adaption–Innovation inventory (KAI), and their concept maps were analyzed using bothtraditional and holistic scoring approaches. Correlations between the students’ KAI results andthe metrics obtained from their concept maps were investigated, with some statisticallysignificant correlations observed. These results are discussed, along with the cognitive styledistributions of our samples and implications of our findings for the engineering classroom.1. IntroductionConcept mapping is a graphical technique used to represent an individual’s knowledge andunderstanding about a topic. In concept maps, concepts are arranged in hierarchical patternsusing labeled cross

Conference Session

Retention of Women Students II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi M. Steinhauer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

above essential for success in an engineering career.According to the National Science Foundation5 in 2009 only 11 percent of practicing engineersare women, as compared to the 17.8 percent of women graduating with undergraduateengineering degrees. While the number of engineering degrees awarded since 2000 hasincreased from 59,497 to 69,895 in 2008 very nearly all of this increase went to male students, assuch the number of females earning undergraduate engineering degrees has dropped two percent;Figure 1 documents this negative trend. There has been an equal percentage increase in thenumber of women pursuing graduate degrees in engineering, Figure 2 shows this increase.Published reports call for contextualized, hands-on, collaborative learning

Conference Session

The Role of Robotics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cher C. Hendricks, Georgia Institute of Technology; Meltem Alemdar, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tamra Williams Ogletree, University of West Georgia

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

intensely competitive generation and represents the perfect storm of applied physics, mathematics, computer programming, digital prototyping and design, integrated problem solving, teamwork and thought leadership. Students with a previously undiscovered aptitude for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum are flourishing in growing numbers due to the efforts of schools, volunteer organizations, corporations, and governments internationally. The VEX Robotics Competition, operated by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, is a program that inspires thousands of students worldwide to pursue STEM- related education and career paths. (p. 1

Conference Session

New Classrooms, New Challenges II: Assessing Non-traditional Approaches

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard L. Zollars, Washington State University; Adam Scott Carter, Washington State University; Christopher Hundhausen, Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

a better means forpromoting discussion during critiquing periods in a studio-based teaching approach. We arecurrently in the process of testing whether student skills are increased more by using the softwarewith the messaging turned on in a traditional teaching approach or by using the software with themessaging turned off but in a studio-based teaching approach.Studio-Based LearningStudio-based learning (SBL) techniques have been used in a variety of disciplines, most notablyin architectural education.1 The technique is rooted in a type of constructivist learning theorycalled sociocultural constructivism.2 The studio-based approach typically encompasses four keysteps (see Figure 1). 3 First, students are given complex and meaningful

Conference Session

Engineering Management Applications

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

S. Jimmy Gandhi, Stevens Institute of Technology; Alex Gorod, Visiting Fellow, University of Adelaide

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering

systemic risk management. The authorsfurther discuss how systemic risk management can be integrated into engineering managementeducation.Introduction Engineering has long been regarded as a set of technical processes that are used to solveproblems. Engineering is defined as, “The application of science to practical uses such as thedesign of structures, machines, and systems.” [1]. However, as a result of continual pressure forgrowth, most companies have expanded their product lines and also the geographic region inwhich they are offered [2]. Due to this expansion, the complexity associated with projects thatmost organizations undertake has increased exponentially. According to Jagersma [3], thiscomplexity manifests itself in many forms

Conference Session

Training and Mentoring of Graduate Teaching Assistants

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Andrew Richards, Purdue University; Juan Diego Velasquez, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Lindsey B. Payne, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

for future research.1. IntroductionGraduate students attending large, research-intensive institutions of higher education are oftenprovided departmental funding as teaching assistants (TAs). This is especially true in the case ofhigh enrollment and service courses such as English, mathematics, foreign languages andintroductory courses in disciplines such as psychology and sociology. Although the specificresponsibilities of TAs vary among institutions and even between departments within the sameinstitution, many graduate students serving in these positions are asked to deliver content andeven serve as primary instructors1. These teaching responsibilities are important to graduatestudent development as individuals who intend to pursue careers

Conference Session

Design Cognition II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph C. Musto, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Alicia Domack, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

. Page 25.1316.3 A Small Scale Study to Quantify the Decoy Effect in Engineering DesignThe engineering design process is essentially a process of structured decision-making underuncertainty; the engineer seeks to select a design solution from a set of alternative designs thatmeets a set of performance specifications and is optimal in some respect.11 While many versionsof the design process have been published, each includes some version of the following basicsteps12,13,14: 1. A design problem is identified 2. The problem is defined and quantified using formal specifications 3. Many alternative design solutions are synthesized in response to the specifications 4. One “best” solution is selected from the various alternative solutions 5

Conference Session

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph A. Wright, University of Wisconsin, Stout

Tagged Divisions

Construction

adversarial construction team relationships. It also explored ways in which such examplesof latest practice in construction may be integrated in the curriculum of an undergraduatecurriculum for construction management programs. It concludes by providing examples of goodpractice through the presentation of case studies.A Definition of BIMBIM has been defined as “the process of creating and using digital models for design,construction and/or operations of projects.”1 This definition is interesting in that it does notrestrict BIM to just geo-spatial images representing the geometry of the project as wouldnormally be associated with CAD packages. This definition also includes all digital informationrelated to the project from its inception through

Conference Session

Examining Problem-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Morgan M. Hynes, Tufts University; Ethan E. Danahy, Tufts University; Danielle Dowling, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

across student groups infurtherance of a class-wide goal. By gathering and analyzing such data, our aims are Page 25.1318.2twofold: (1) to create a superior suite of technological tools that can advancescience/engineering education in the high school classroom; and (2) to increase theappreciation of the epistemological benefits and drawbacks of collaborative, design-basedinquiry learning with regard to science/engineering education. This paper specificallypresents data collected in the fall of 2011 concerning the barriers to meaningful,collaborative design-based inquiry practices that we observed and were reported to us byour Design Team, plus additional

Conference Session

International Engineering Education: Developments, Innovations, Implementations, and Pedagogical Challenges in Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael E. Auer, Carinthia Tech Institute, Austria; Arthur Walter Edwards, University of Colima

Tagged Divisions

International

products to reach a market audienceof 50 million? • Radio 38 years • TV 13 years • Internet 4 years • iPod 3 years Page 25.1319.3 • Facebook 2 years • Tablet PC (iPad) 1+ yearsThe field of engineering has never suffered such reduced times to bring their innovations fromconcept to market. Competition in the field of technology is now measured in weeks.Both of these realities require a concerted effort to evolve engineering education into whattoday’s reality is demanding of practicing engineers. In other words, many traditionaleducational models and practices are no longer functional. For this reason, the importance ofpedagogy

Conference Session

Research Informing Teaching Practice II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Renata A. Revelo Alonso, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Michael C. Loui, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Outside EngineeringIntroductionAssessing the state of engineering education within the larger community of educators, theNational Science Foundation has highlighted the need for an understanding of engineering infields outside of engineering and “attention to STEM literacy for the public at large”1. In the1995 NSF report Restructuring Engineering Education: A Focus Change2, one of thesuggestions to address such a need was to offer engineering courses to non-engineering students.Consequently, in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, engineering departments slowly began to offercourses for students who did not plan to major in engineering. Because few such generaleducation courses were offered in the past, little is known about the long-term student

Conference Session

Innovative Course Developments in Construction

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Suat Gunhan, University of Texas, San Antonio; Yilmaz Hatipkarasulu, University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Divisions

Construction

. Afterdeveloping a content understanding, in the fourth step students create complete MEP scopesheets. The fifth step, they use their scope sheets to perform digital takeoff. Lastly, in the sixthstep they assign unit costs to scope line items (Figure 1). Below, detailed descriptions have beengiven for respective steps.Step 1. Explaining the differentiating aspect of MEP specificationsThe technical trade specifications of a project are composed of architectural trades’ and MEPtrades’ work scope information. The general conditions and supplementary general conditionsare part of the technical specifications. They are provided in technical specifications in additionto individual trades’ (architectural and MEP) specifications.In general, all trades’ technical

Conference Session

STS Perspectives on Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Atsushi Akera, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

grappled with MIT’s unique wartime experience.Without question, the MIT administration, beginning with Karl Compton and James Killian,played a key role in MIT’s postwar transformation.1 Yet it was the Lewis Survey thattransformed MIT’s organizational structure through its “Four School Plan,” began the work ofredefining the role of the faculty at a “technological university,” and most importantly built aconsensus among the faculty for a way forward. This paper looks closely at the intense efforts ofthe Lewis’ committee—its members met no less than 119 times over the course of three years—and how their views evolved in conversation with the MIT administration. Especially amidstpresent-day concerns about the erosion of shared governance at many U.S