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Creation of an Assessment Plan for a Project Based Electrical Engineering Program Stacy S. Wilson, Mark E. Cambron Western Kentucky University

Abstract

A joint program in Electrical Engineering has been created with Western Kentucky University (WKU) and the University of Louisville (UofL). The program resides at WKU with UofL faculty delivering 16-24 hours into the curriculum through distance learning methods. The focus of the new EE program is a project-based curriculum. The mission of the new program is to build a foundation of knowledge in electrical engineering by integrating a variety of project experiences at every level throughout the curriculum. The program is to be relevant to the region and to produce graduates who can immediately contribute to the profitability of the their employer. An assessment plan has been created to meet the outcomes of the program. A variety of assessment measures are used in this plan. These measures and their impact on the joint program will be discussed in this paper.

History

In 2000, the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Council for Postsecondary Education (CPE) created the Statewide Strategy for Engineering Education. This document was signed by Western Kentucky University (WKU), University of Louisville (UofL), and University of Kentucky. In this document, the framework for a joint electrical engineering program was created between Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville. Also, the CPE created mechanical and civil engineering programs between Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky.

The new EE program resides at WKU who is responsible for the various administrative responsibilities associated with the program. The CPE mandated in the framework that 16-24 hours of the program be offered by UofL. Currently the hours are being offered into the program via interactive television (ITV). Faculty from UofL have served in an advisory role in the creation of the program and curricular issues, and have served on the search committees for three of the four WKU EE faculty. The WKU and UofL faculty mutually agreed on the courses to be offered by UofL into the curriculum. The first classes taught in the new EE program were offered Fall 1999. The first students graduated from the program in May 2004.

Project-Based Program

The focus of the new WKU Department of Engineering is project-based engineering education. An excerpt from departmental mission statement exemplifies the focus clearly1: “The mission of the Department of Engineering is to produce, as its graduates, competent engineering practitioners. An engineering practitioner is one who has

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright ©2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Wilson, S., & Cambron, M. (2005, June), Creation Of An Assessment Plan For A Project Based Electrical Engineering Program Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15131