CONSULTANT RECOMMENDATION REPORT
Planning and Review Committee
Consultant Recommendation
I.
Degree: B.S. in Game Design and Development
Date of Review: November 21, 2014
Program Director: Diane Christie
PRC Consultant(s): Kathy Kujawa and Kathleen Cochran
Purpose of the Review: The purpose of this review is to assess the quality of the B.S. in
Game Design and Development (GDD) as part of the on-going review cycle of UW-Stout
degree programs. Because the program began in 2009, this is the program’s first review
by the PRC.
Committee Findings: The PRC recommends continuation of this program through the
next scheduled review in 2021-2022.
Abstract: The B.S. in Game Design and Development was approved by the Board of
Regents in June of 2009, with concentrations in Computer Science (CS) and Art. The
first students were accepted into the program in the fall of 2009. The interdisciplinary
nature of the program brings together art and computer science disciplines into the
capstone courses, with faculty and students from both disciplines working together to
simulate industry work teams to create the best end product. The program has
experienced healthy growth over five years, from a beginning enrollment of 26 in the fall
of 2009 to 259 in the fall of 2014. Although the interdisciplinary nature of the program
brings advantages to the learning experience, it also has proven challenging in execution
and in seeking discipline-specific accreditation. Due to the newness of the program and
the low number of graduates thus far, employment after graduation related to the major
has been less than desirable. With continued visibility on the national and international
levels and expansion of the co-op/internship program, improvements should be seen in
this area.
Process Followed for Current Review: The PRC consultants met with the program
director to review the procedures and offer assistance during the preparation of the
program director’s self-study report. Additional program quality information was
collected on the overall program status (Program Facts) employment after graduation
(UW-Stout 2012-13 Annual Undergraduate Employment Report) and program
satisfaction (Alumni Follow-Up Survey and PRC Student, Key Faculty and Advisory
Board Surveys.) The program director appeared before the PRC committee to summarize
the self-study and answer any questions from the committee members on November 11,
2014. The CSTEM associate dean and chair of the Department of Mathematics, Statistics
and Computer Science were also in attendance. Findings from the review were
assembled into this Consultant Report with recommendations for the program director,
dean and department chair. After approval by the PRC, the report was forwarded to the
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dean for the formal response. The PRC reviewed the dean’s response, approved the
recommendation report and forwarded the report to the Faculty Senate.
II.
Previous Review Year Because the B.S. in Game Design and Development was begun
in 2009, this is the first PRC review for the program.
Previous Recommendations for Program Director:
Not applicable.
Response from Program Director:
Not applicable.
Previous Recommendations for Department Chair:
Not applicable.
Response from Department Chair:
Not applicable.
Previous Recommendations for Dean:
Not applicable.
Response from Dean:
Not applicable.
III.
Current Year Program Review:
Program Strengths-Indicate Source:
•
Interdisciplinary nature of the program, with content delivered by Art/Design and
Computer Science faculty, simulating the art/design/computer science teams of
professionals working in industry (Self-study 2.2.2, pg. 8; Key Instructor and Advisory
Board Surveys.)
•
Dramatic growth of program, consistent with polytechnic mission of the university.
Since the program began in 2009, the enrollment has grown to 259 students in 2014,
indicating timely connection with industry growth (Self-study 1.1.2, pg.1 and Program
Facts.)
•
GDD-Computer Science is the only Game Design and Development program in the
world to be accredited under the new 2014 ABET Computer Science Curriculum
Standards, with the initial accreditation in August, 2014. ABET extended this special CS
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accreditation retroactively to the original ABET accreditation of the program in October
of 2012. (Self-study 2.1.5, pg. 7.)
•
Rigor and standards of achievement are at an appropriate level, as demonstrated by
national and international recognition and accomplishments:
 Ranked as one of the best game design programs in the US by Princeton Review
in 2013.
 Ranked as a Top Undergraduate Game Design Program by Animation Career
Review in 2014.
 Senior capstone project, Flash Frozen, won 2013 E3 College Game Competition.
 Finalist in 2014 CHI-Play International Student Game Competition (Self-study
4.1, pg. 14.)
•
Strong support for program by students, key instructors and active Advisory Board
members (Student, Key Instructor and Advisory Board Surveys.)
•
Instructors and advisors accessible to students, little to no problems with
repetition/overlap in program (Student Survey.)
Issues of Concern-Indicate Source
•
Insufficient instructional faculty/staff overall to meet demands, particularly Art/Design
faculty for capstone courses and Computer Science faculty with specific game design
experience to meet the growing needs of the GDD-CS program (Self-study 2.2.2, pg. 8 &
Student Survey.)
•
Lack of access to iOS/MAC computers for CS students and instructors. Need 25-station
MAC lab or other comparable arrangement to provide learning experiences critical to the
success of GDD-CS graduates (Self-study 2.3.2, pg. 9 & Student Survey.)
•
Lack of access to touch screen/mobile devices (Oculus Rift, Kinect, etc.), sound
engineering equipment and a sound proof room to expand student experiences needed in
this area (Self-study 2.3.2 & 2.4.3, pg.9-10.)
•
Need for students to experience broader array of software (game engines) used in
industry and more C++ programming (Student Survey.)
•
Constant need for innovative course content and delivery due to the technical nature of
the program, requiring continuous retraining/development/acquisition of new skill sets
for instructional faculty and staff and technology upgrades to remain competitive. (Selfstudy 2.3.1, pg. 9. & 4.1, pg. 14. & Student Survey)
•
Interdisciplinary nature of program requires close communication and collaboration
between two different colleges to ensure effective integration. (Self-study 3.3, pg. 12 &
4.1, pg. 14.)
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•
High faculty turnover in Art/Design instructors for GDD classes (Self-study 2.2.2, pg.8.)
•
Lack of program content to address business side of creating games/opening a studio
(Advisory Board Survey.)
•
Student need for more help in developing portfolios, co-ops and industry connections
(Student Survey.)
Recommendations for the Program Director:
1. Work with department chairs and deans/directors to establish formal process to ensure
continuous open communication and foster cooperation and collaboration of multiple
disciplines crucial to the success of the GDD program.
2. Work with chairs and deans to generate/identify funding/financing to support technology
needs of the GDD program and establish a lifecycle replacement plan for hardware and
software needed.
3. Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop more sites for co-op and
graduate placements.
4. Work with departments to infuse needed curriculum improvements that address student
and industry needs, including portfolio development, breadth in pertinent software and
hardware experiences and business skills needed for game designers.
Recommendations for the Chairs:
1. Work with Program Director and Key Faculty to ensure continuous open communication
and cooperation to support the GDD program.
2. Offer leadership in obtaining funding needed for upgrades in laboratories.
3. Ensure faculty members receive ongoing training needed to stay current in the GDD area.
4. Work to attract innovative faculty and instructional staff to adequately support the special
needs and provide continuity for the GDD program.
Recommendations for the Deans:
1. Offer support for funding needed for laboratory upgrades and continuous training for
instructional faculty/staff needed to stay current in the GDD program.
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2. Provide support for the acquisition of adequate human resources and technology needed
to serve the GDD program.
3. Because the GDD program depends so heavily upon collaboration between a department
and school in separate colleges, work to ensure the support needed to deliver the
integrated art/design/computer science learning experiences that are crucial to the
program.
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