Asee peer logo

Development of A New Electrical Engineering Technology Program

Download Paper |

Conference

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Columbus, Ohio

Publication Date

June 24, 2017

Start Date

June 24, 2017

End Date

June 28, 2017

Conference Session

EET Papers 2

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology

Page Count

14

DOI

10.18260/1-2--28162

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/28162

Download Count

565

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

James C. Sanders Troy University

visit author page

Dr. James Sanders earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Austin. He studied high-field laser-plasma interactions and stimulated Raman scattering for the creation of high-powered two-color laser systems under the guidance of Prof. Michael C. Downer. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Physics at Troy University. His research interests include polarized microscopy techniques, Raman spectroscopy, and physics education.

visit author page

biography

Govind Menon Troy University

visit author page

Dr. Govind Menon, Chair and Professor of Physics, obtained his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Now, in his twentieth year at the university, he is the director of the School of Science and Technology. Menon works on the active magnetospheres of supermassive black holes, and along with his collaborator Dr. Charles Dermer (Naval Research Lab, retired), have produced a manuscript entitled High-Energy Radiation from Black Holes: Gamma Rays, Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos published by Princeton University Press.

visit author page

biography

Wei Zhan Texas A&M University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-9956-1910

visit author page

Dr. Wei Zhan is an Associate Professor and the program coordinator of Electronic Systems Engineering Technology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Zhan earned his D.Sc. in Systems Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 1991. From 1991 to 1995, he worked at University of California, San Diego and Wayne State University. From 1995 to 2006, he worked in the automotive industry as a system engineer. In 2006 he joined the Electronics Engineering Technology faculty at Texas A&M. His research activities include control system theory and applications to industry, system engineering, robust design, modeling, simulation, quality control, and optimization.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

Troy University is trying to expand its educational programs in engineering and engineering technology to address the needs of industry. Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) is one of the first such programs that are being evaluated to become a new program at Troy University. Starting a new BS program is always a challenge. This is especially true when there are no similar existing programs at Troy University that can be used as a reference point. There are not enough faculty members with experience in engineering technology program development at Troy University. In order to meet these challenges, Troy University teamed up with a faculty member from a similar engineering technology program at another university. The team first worked on job market analysis for EET graduates. Information such as salary, number of job openings and requirements at the national level and local area was gathered and analyzed. Requirements for ABET accreditation for the EET program and professional engineering license for EET graduates were gathered and analyzed. How could the team explain the difference between engineering and engineering technology to students, parents, and potential employers? These are typical challenges faced by engineering technology programs. Analyzing these issues can greatly reduce risks for the new program. The program curriculum went through several rounds of revision. In the end, a balanced program with an emphasis on hands-on learning through laboratory sessions of each course was developed. The team also evaluated resources needed for the new program, including faculty members, laboratory space, and equipment. The paperwork for new program application was submitted in January 2017. This paper presents the details of the new EET program development. The success and lessons learned can provide valuable information for other higher educational institutions that are considering expansion into the area of engineering technology.

Sanders, J. C., & Menon, G., & Zhan, W. (2017, June), Development of A New Electrical Engineering Technology Program Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28162

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2017 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015