Continuous Improvement from Foundation to Accreditation: Challenges in Creating an Engineering Program at a Small Liberal Arts College

Derek Breid; Stephen Jodis; Stacy Birmingham

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: June 26, 2024
Conference Session: Engineering Physics and Physics Division Technical Session
Tagged Division: Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D)
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--47073
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47073
Download Count: 136

Paper Authors

biography

Derek Breid Saint Vincent College orcid.org/0000-0001-9240-5811

visit author page

Derek Breid is an associate professor of Engineering at Saint Vincent College. His interests include integrating active learning techniques into classic engineering courses, and studying the mechanical behavior of soft materials.

visit author page

author page

Stephen Jodis Saint Vincent College

author page

Stacy Birmingham Saint Vincent College orcid.org/0000-0003-2857-8843

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Although most engineering degree programs have historically been offered by large universities, there is a growing trend of smaller colleges instituting engineering degree options for their students. These programs offer many advantages to students, including closer relationships with engineering faculty, unique educational approaches embodied by the college mission, and the ability to participate in extracurriculars such as varsity sports. However, founding and growing an engineering program at a small school also presents numerous unique challenges. Some of these challenges stem from an initial lack of dedicated resources – program funding, lab and classroom space, equipment, software, etc. New programs must also build awareness and connections with the local community, industry, and government to attract students, offer meaningful learning experiences, and build job placement pipelines. In addition, they must ensure they conform with and enhance the educational mission of the colleges they are part of. While this can impose limiting curricular constraints, it can also be seen as an opportunity to develop a unique educational product. In 2013, Saint Vincent College (a small college with a strong liberal arts and sciences focus) initiated a four-year bachelor's degree in engineering science after several years of planning. In the decade since that time, the program has evolved in response to numerous challenges, while expanding in scope and breadth of opportunities afforded to its students, culminating in successful ABET accreditation in 2023. This paper aims to highlight the challenges that were faced in this process (especially those that are unique to smaller institutions) and discuss how these challenges were addressed. The paper focuses on three distinct phases of the program’s development: conceptualization, implementation, and accreditation, highlighting challenges that are directly tied to those phases, along with challenges that are threaded throughout the entire development. It concludes with key takeaways and lessons learned, which the authors hope will benefit similar programs as they develop.

Citation
Format

Breid, D., & Jodis, S., & Birmingham, S. (2024, June), Continuous Improvement from Foundation to Accreditation: Challenges in Creating an Engineering Program at a Small Liberal Arts College Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--47073

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Although most engineering degree programs have historically been offered by large universities, there is a growing trend of smaller colleges instituting engineering degree options for their students.  These programs offer many advantages to students, including closer relationships with engineering faculty, unique educational approaches embodied by the college mission, and the ability to participate in extracurriculars such as varsity sports.  However, founding and growing an engineering program at a small school also presents numerous unique challenges.  Some of these challenges stem from an initial lack of dedicated resources – program funding, lab and classroom space, equipment, software, etc.  New programs must also build awareness and connections with the local community, industry, and government to attract students, offer meaningful learning experiences, and build job placement pipelines.  In addition, they must ensure they conform with and enhance the educational mission of the colleges they are part of.  While this can impose limiting curricular constraints, it can also be seen as an opportunity to develop a unique educational product.  In 2013, Saint Vincent College (a small college with a strong liberal arts and sciences focus) initiated a four-year bachelor&#39;s degree in engineering science after several years of planning.  In the decade since that time, the program has evolved in response to numerous challenges, while expanding in scope and breadth of opportunities afforded to its students, culminating in successful ABET accreditation in 2023.  This paper aims to highlight the challenges that were faced in this process (especially those that are unique to smaller institutions) and discuss how these challenges were addressed.  The paper focuses on three distinct phases of the program’s development: conceptualization, implementation, and accreditation, highlighting challenges that are directly tied to those phases, along with challenges that are threaded throughout the entire development.  It concludes with key takeaways and lessons learned, which the authors hope will benefit similar programs as they develop.
AU  - Derek Breid
AU  - Stephen Jodis
AU  - Stacy Birmingham
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Continuous Improvement from Foundation to Accreditation: Challenges in Creating an Engineering Program at a Small Liberal Arts College
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47073
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--47073
ER  -