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Session 2650

A Curriculum Update from Electromechanical to Electrical and Information Engineering Technology at the University of Northern Iowa

Recayi Pecen Teresa Hall Jalaluddin Ahmad University of Northern Iowa College of Natural Sciences

Abstract

This paper describes the outcome of efforts to reengineer the Electromechanical Systems program (EMS) at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) to become Electrical and Information Engineering Technology (EIET). This will be the first four-year Engineering Technology Bachelor of Science degree program of its kind in the state of Iowa. The curriculum update has been approved by the curriculum committees at the department, college, and university levels and will start accepting new, transfer and redeclared student majors in the fall of 2002. Key features of the curriculum update include dropping the mechanical systems courses and adding specialized courses in electrical power, power electronics, analog/digital electronics, control systems, analog/digital communications, microcomputer technology, and computer networking. This new focus for the program will permit sufficient coverage of Engineering Technology design as determined in ABET-TAC to fully justify the term "Engineering Technology" in its name. Additionally, this paper incorporates material describing the mission of the program, a brief summary of articulation efforts with local and regional technical programs at community colleges, and a detailed description of the new curriculum for the EIET program.

I. Introduction

In the early 1960s, the Electromechanical Systems (EMS) program was established at UNI as an automotive electrical systems technology program. The national energy crisis in the 1970s precipitated the incorporation of topics in energy and power systems. By combining several existing departmental programs that focused on energy, power, internal-combustion and other prime-mover technology, the program had evolved to include engineering technology and industrial supervision options by the late 1980s. At that time, few machine tools and other industrial systems were computer controlled or computer interfaced, thus the program did not address topics in digital technology, which also mirrored other similar postsecondary programs during that time period. However, recent industry trends indicate that digital electronics, information technology systems, and electronic communications technology have a great need for technical professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the fastest employment growth through 2008 will be in computer and information systems related areas [1]. Computer-related jobs were predicted to experience double-digit growth during the ten-year period from 1998-2008. Computer engineers and engineering technologists, computer support

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Ahmad, J., & Pecen, R., & Hall, T. (2002, June), A Curriculum Update From Electromechanical To Electrical And Information Engineering Technology At The University Of Northern Iowa Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10448