An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2005 - 2006
REVIEW OF
THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
FINAL REPORT
31st August 2006
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
Introduction
This report arises from a visit by a Review Team to the Faculty of Engineering on 2728th March, 2006.
The Department had already prepared and submitted a 'Self
Assessment Report' which, with other documentation, was made available to the
Review Team in advance of the visit.
The Review Team consisted of: Professor Peter Y. K. Cheung, Department of
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and
Medicine, London (Chair); Professor Gerry Byrne, Dean of Engineering, College of
Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University College Dublin; Mr.
Mark Butler, Managing Director, Merit Medical Ireland Ltd., Galway; Prof. Stephen
G. Jennings, Department of Experimental Physics, NUI, Galway; and Dr Maria
Tuohy, Department of Biochemistry, NUI, Galway acting as Rapporteur.
The report is structured to cover the following main topics:
1. Aims and Objectives
2. Organization and Management
3. Programmes and Instruction
4. Scholarship and Research
5. Community Service
6. The Wider Context
7. Summary and Concluding Remarks
8. Comments on the Methodology of the Review Process
During its two-day visit, the Quality Review Team (QRT) had the opportunity
to meet with the Dean and members of the Faculty of Engineering, including the
Administrative staff, and was provided with a guided tour of the core facilities of the
Faculty. The QRT had detailed discussions with the Registrar and the Assistant
Secretary in the Registrar’s Office, the Vice-President for Research, the Director of
CELT, the Director of Computer Services, and the Director of Human Resources. In
addition, the QRT conducted detailed interviews with the Vice-Dean of Research of
the Faculty of Engineering, the Directors of the University Research Centres and the
Heads of the Faculty’s six Departments. The QRT also met with undergraduate
student
representatives
from
Faculty
Departments,
postgraduate
student
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
representatives (five in total) from the taught Masters programmes offered by the
Faculty, and with nine research masters and doctoral students and eight recent
graduates of the Faculty.
1.
Aims and Objectives
The key goals and objectives of the Faculty of Engineering, as presented in the SelfAssessment report, were as follows:
1. To be recognized as an international centre for high calibre advanced research as
evidenced by increased graduate student numbers, publications, funding and
identified centres of excellence in targeted areas.
2. Building on the highest undergraduate intake standards in Ireland, the Faculty
seeks
to
consolidate
existing
undergraduate
and
taught
graduate
programmes/student numbers and continue to be recognized as the premier
provider of engineering/IT professionals.
The aims and objectives as stated above were clearly represented and documented in
the self assessment report. It was also clear from the QRT’s meetings with various
members of the faculty, that these aims and objectives are supported by the faculty
staff.
The vision and content of the 2002 Academic Plan for the faculty were
endorsed by the review panel. A key element of this document is the recognition that,
whilst delivering on a coordinated strategic shift towards research, the Faculty must
continue to consolidate and enhance its high standard of teaching and maintain its
recognized position as the premier provider of engineering/IT professionals.
The Faculty Self-Assessment report, the 2002 Academic Plan and the Review process
itself have highlighted key challenges for the Faculty, in (a) the teaching programmes
in the best practice integration of the Bologna Declaration, attracting and maintaining
student numbers in key programmes, achieving the optimum balance between
teaching and research, and (b) in the creation and provision of support structures to
enable staff to achieve and drive the research goals of the faculty. While the
challenges are real and cannot be understated, it is clear that the faculty and individual
departments are fully committed and wish to address these challenges. Feedback
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provided during the Quality Review by undergraduates, postgraduates and recent
graduates of the Faculty clearly demonstrated that the Faculty is broadly achieving its
teaching goal and that Industry and Employers value an NUI, Galway Faculty of
Engineering graduate. The fruits of the Research goal outlined in the Faculty SelfAssessment report were also very evident to the QRT, and were clearly reflected in the
increase in postgraduate numbers and by the strong and essential contribution of the
Faculty of Engineering to the dedicated Research Centres in NUI, Galway, e.g. the
National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES), the Environmental
Change Institute (ECI), the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) and the
Martin Ryan Institute (MRI).
The Faculty’s current Academic Plan approaches its 4th year in existence and new
opportunities have emerged since this plan was drafted. While the QRT recognized
that the current period represents a time of considerable transition for the Faculty in
terms of the move towards an integrated School of Engineering, the QRT encouraged
the Faculty in the near future to maximize existing momentum and develop its new
Academic Plan. The new plan should ensure that the Faculty continues to maintain the
current goals but should embrace the significant potential for change and development
that will arise in planning for a new building for the School of Engineering. This
major event represents a unique opportunity to integrate agreed structural changes and
new research and teaching initiatives. The Dean of Faculty indicated that the faculty
wished to reflect the recommendations of the Quality Review in its new Academic
plan, which it is envisaged will be completed over the next 12 months.
2.
Organisation and Management
2.1 Structures, Procedures and Responsibilities
The structures currently in place have served the faculty well in the past. It was
evident to the QRT that the plan in relation to changing structures is only emerging. It
was noted that there have been detailed discussion both from a top-down and bottomup perspective in this regard. The general plan appears to be the move away from a
Faculty of Engineering and IT with 6 departments towards a School of Engineering
with consideration to the retention of departmental identities. While the QRT noted
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the strong concern about the maintenance of the discipline identity, it endorses the
move towards such a School structure. It is recommended that a greater degree of
communication take place between the University Management Team (UMT) and the
members of the Faculty in relation to structures planning. The QRT noted that the
move towards a new structure is taking place in an evolutionary manner and
recognises the merits of this approach.
The Dean of Faculty has no executive power and therefore has only moderate
influence in the delivery of the teaching goals. The Dean also appears to have little
influence in driving the research agenda. In reality, the primary management
responsibility resides with the Heads of Department. A consequence of this is that it is
very difficult to direct and implement the strategy of the Faculty. It is also difficult to
create cohesion between the six academic departments. The old style departmental
structure continues to hinder innovations. No formal job descriptions were presented
to the QRT for the Dean of Engineering or for the Heads of Department. At the
moment the job of Dean is a part-time one. The self assessment report indicated that
the Dean has no one reporting to him and that he reports to no one. This situation must
change. The QRT recommends that the Dean become the Head of the new School and
that he/she, in conjunction with a School management team have full responsibility
for resources within the School. It is also recommended that the job of Dean be a full
time one.
The QRT was disappointed with the situation regarding the development of the
resource allocation model. Very little progress appears to have been made in recent
years in the critical area of development of this model. The current model provides
little or no flexibility to the Dean for the development of key strategic initiatives in the
faculty. A new resource allocation model needs to be urgently developed and
implemented.
2.2 Personnel Management
The Faculty does not currently see itself to have a role in the management of
personnel within the Faculty, even for its own administration. With the current
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
structure this role is at university and departmental levels and, to a large extent, it
bypasses the Faculty. The Dean thus carries no responsibility for personnel issues.
The meeting with the staff with the QRT indicated that there is no performance
evaluation of staff at Faculty level. According to the Director of HR, a personnel
development plan is in place, but the Heads of Department in Engineering Faculty did
not indicate that they were aware of such a plan.
The promotion structure (i.e. the quota systems) is considered by the QRT to be poor
and represent an impediment to promotional prospects.
It is recommended that the Head of School in the new structure have full executive
powers.
2.3 Safety Management
The Faculty has well established safety management practices. This was evident from
talking to staff and from the visits to the laboratories. Some of the limitations which
currently exist due to the nature and quality of buildings will be eliminated with the
move to the new engineering building. The QRT has no concerns regarding safety
management.
2.4 External Relations
The QRT was impressed with the status of the Faculty in relation to external relations
at various levels. At the international level, members of academic staff have strong
and active links to leading world class universities in their specific research areas.
There are also very strong links to industry. Collaborative university/industry projects
are strong. The Professional Experience Programme (PEP programme) provides a
very good linkage to industry at the level of the undergraduate degree programmes.
The Faculty has an active involvement with Engineers Ireland and contributes to its
West-Region development. In recent times Engineers Ireland undertook a formal
accreditation of the undergraduate engineering degree programmes running in the
faculty. The QRT was provided with the summary reports and was pleased to note the
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
success of this exercise, with all programmes being fully accredited for a minimum of
3 years. The faculty has strong linkages with other universities through the
SOCRATES programme.
3.
Programmes and Instruction
The QRT was given a comprehensive guided tour of the facilities offered by the six
Departments in the Faculty and had the opportunity to visit the various teaching
laboratories in a number of buildings. The QRT also explored the experiences and
opinions of three groups of students from the different disciplines within the faculty:
undergraduate degree programmes, postgraduate taught courses and recent graduates.
3.1
Provisions and Student Feedback
The numerous programmes offered by the six Departments in the Faculty of
Engineering are well organised and are held in high regard by existing students and
graduates alike. The students that the QRT interviewed, without exception, lauded the
helpfulness and dedication of all the staff, and found it very difficult to identify any
criticisms. The Professional Experience Programme (PEP) in particular was singled
out by all students, especially the recent graduates, as being excellent and effective. In
addition, the students regarded that the skills and knowledge they learned from their
courses were relevant and a great preparation for life-long learning in the future. The
Faculty is to be congratulated in achieving its goal of excellence in teaching across all
the engineering disciplines.
3.2
Facilities
The facilities offered by, and the space available to, the Departments in the Faculty
vary from excellent in some Departments (such as Information Technology) to
“needing improvement” in other Departments. On the whole, the laboratories appear
to be well organised and effectively deployed. There are, however, some elements of
obvious duplication of facilities. For example, the group was shown a number of
mechanical workshops with duplicate machine tools, most of which were quite old.
There is also a necessary duplication on IT provisions in terms of computer rooms due
to the distributed locations of the Departments across the campus. PC suites are
available to all university staff and students at designated times, and outside these
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periods they are heavily utilised by Engineering through scheduled classes, etc. The
QRT views the forthcoming new School of Engineering Building a great opportunity
to concentrate resources on a smaller number of better equipped facilities.
3.3
Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
CELT represents a valuable resource to help members of the Faculty to the effective
delivery of teaching activities. While some staff exploit what CELT has to offer, the
Faculty could derive greater benefits from this central provision if its staff engage with
CELT more proactively.
3.4
The Bologna Declaration
The programmes offered by the Faculty, while very successful, have evolved over a
number of years. Currently, limited work has been done by the Faculty in aligning its
programmes to the Bologna Declaration. Assuming that the Bologna Declaration may
be adopted by the University in the future, development of a Faculty strategy relating
to Bologna needs focused attention.
3.5
Planning for the Future
The QRT recognises the recent pressure of decreasing student numbers in some
courses in recent years. However, engineering subjects, like many other disciplines,
are known to suffer from cyclical fluctuations. This must be recognised by all, and
particularly by the University Management. In addition, some new and imaginative
ways of deploying existing staff in less popular areas/teaching programmes must be
sought. The possible future reorganisation of the Faculty into a School of Engineering
is an opportunity to help every staff member to play an effective role in delivering the
teaching programmes independent of their area of expertise.
Although the Faculty as a whole is successfully achieving its teaching goals and
meeting the objectives of the University, its vision and plan is possibly relying too
much on maintaining past and current successes. The QRT felt that the vision for
future innovative programmes in teaching has not been clearly articulated. Given the
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excellence in teaching achieved so far, members of the Faculty are encouraged by the
QRT to think more boldly and plan further into the future.
4.
Scholarship and Research
The research profile of the Faculty of Engineering has shown clear improvement over
the period from 2001/2002 to 2004/2005 (latest available data). For example, the
number of Ph.D. students has doubled within this period from 52 in 2001 to 113 in
2005. Peer-reviewed journal publications have likewise increased by a factor of 2 over
the same period, representing an average of about 1 publication per staff member per
annum. Similarly, the faculty per annum research income has increased by
approximately 27% since 2002 (~€4.29 million), to a figure of approximately €5.44
million in 2005.
Some faculty staff have an ‘international profile’ in a number of research areas,
including the ongoing environmental, biomedical and electronics/digital engineering
activities in the research institutes, ECI, NCBES and DERI. The major research
centres recognize and appreciate the valuable contributions made by the faculty staff
to the centres, and encourage increased participation in research activities of the
centres.
It is recognized that senior staff are generally required and encouraged to establish
research and to provide help to less experienced members of staff. However, the QRT
noted that there is a relative lack of senior staff (i.e. staff in Senior Lecturer and
professorial positions) in the overall staff complement of the faculty, i.e. 40:60 ratio of
senior staff to junior staff. Appointment and promotion of staff to senior level is
crucial to enable and facilitate increased research activity. The present quota system
for promotion to senior level could potentially result in reduced motivation for
research. The QRT noted that there appears to be a poor support structure for younger
staff in the faculty. The QRT recommend that the University provide financial support
(possibly from a portion of the University’s research overheads) for recently recruited
staff, which would provide assistance, for example, towards the procurement of
equipment and the use of key research facilities.
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While the postgraduate students acknowledge the invaluable contributions of their
research supervisors, nevertheless, they welcome the introduction of a mentoring
system, whereby a mentor is assigned to the student (the mentor does not necessarily
need to be familiar with the research area of the postgraduate). The postgraduates
generally felt that research was conducted in a rather fragmented and disconnected
manner, consisting of different smaller groups working on different topics, without the
feeling of being part of an overall cohesive group. The postgraduate cohort also felt
that they could be better represented at departmental and at faculty levels. The QRT
recommends: (i) the setting up of a postgraduate committee in the faculty to include
postgraduate representation, in order to deal with postgraduate issues, and (ii) the
setting up of structures to help the postgraduate (PG) researcher, which would include
(a) guidelines on PG supervision, (b) a handbook for postgraduate researchers
providing useful information to the student, and (c) organizing support activities for
PG research, such as library training courses and other training courses in geographic
information systems (GIS), presentation skills, statistical treatment of data, etc. The
QRT encourages the faculty to take a proactive part in considering its role in the
shaping and development of a possible future graduate school(s).
The QRT advocates that the Faculty of Engineering Vice-Dean of Research would be
enabled to represent the faculty on the University’s Research Committee in order to
provide a key link between faculty research activities and those of the University as a
whole. The QRT encourages the faculty to promote further research opportunities in
engineering-related areas in NUI, Galway.
5.
Community Service
The QRT clearly recognized the excellent contribution of the Faculty of Engineering
and its individual members of staff to the University and to the broader community.
The extent and recognized importance of this contribution was clear from the Self
Assessment report and discussions that the QRT had with faculty members, University
management and the directors of the main university research centres.
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5.1
11
Contribution to the University
Several members of the faculty are engaged in cross-faculty, interdisciplinary research
initiatives in Biomedical, Electronics/Digital Enterprise, Environmental and Marine
Research, which encompass several of the key priority research themes outlined in the
University’s Strategic Plan. The QRT noted that some staff members of the Faculty of
Engineering have actively engaged in the development of these priority research areas,
through their participation in the research programmes of the Universities’ 4 main
research institutes, the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, Environmental Change
Institute, Martin Ryan Institute and National Centre for Biomedical Engineering
Science. This involvement was both welcomed and actively encouraged by the centre
directors.
The Faculty of Engineering has developed important national and international links,
through research collaboration, corporate consultancy and through the very significant
effort that the faculty has made to have all of its undergraduate degree programmes
formally accredited by Engineers Ireland. In addition, the Faculty is involved actively
in two collaborative distance learning programmes with other universities, the first of
which is in collaboration with other universities in the Atlantic Alliance (University of
Limerick and University College Cork), while the second programme is the MSc in
Software and Information Systems with Regis University, Denver, Colorado. The
Faculty of Engineering has to be commended highly for these initiatives and activities,
all of which enhance the National and International profile of the faculty and the
University.
5.2
Whole and broader community
The QRT recognizes the excellent efforts made by the Faculty of Engineering to
engage with the public, with professional bodies and with local and national
enterprises. It is clear that the Faculty staff have forged many links with industry
through the development of an excellent PEP programme for its undergraduates,
through corporate consultancy and also in providing a pool of highly qualified
graduates.
In addition, the faculty has adopted a very proactive and innovative
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approach by encouraging its undergraduate students to participate in service-learning
projects in their local communities, which are then formally presented to the
university community. In addition, the QRT recognizes that faculty staff members
participate in other initiatives (e.g. CAIRDE) designed to forge links with the local
community.
6.
The Wider Context
The Faculty of Engineering at NUI, Galway is a very important contributor to the
engineering profession in Ireland. Over the last 10 years there has been a very
significant expansion of the faculty both in terms of undergraduate numbers and more
recently at post graduate level. The faculty has benefited from its active involvement
with some of the major interdisciplinary research institutes in the university. The QRT
met with the Directors of these Institutes and confirmed this active involvement. The
very positive contribution being made by the members of the engineering faculty to
these centres was noted by the QRT. It was clear that the contribution was welcomed
and encouraged by the centre directors, who expressed a wish for even greater
involvement by the Faculty of Engineering in the future.
The QRT gave consideration to the taught Masters Degree programmes running
within the faculty. It recognises that taught programmes are mainly running from two
departments only and that there is consequently a serious resource commitment
associated with offering these programmes. However, it is recognised that the taught
Masters programmes are important in the policy of these departments and that such
postgraduate programmes are valued and encouraged by the University as they help in
meeting important objectives in the Strategic Plan.
The problem of declining student numbers opting to take engineering is a very serious
issue for the engineering profession in Ireland. The Faculty of Engineering in NUI,
Galway has put enormous effort into the marketing of its programmes. This activity is
highly commended. The promotion of engineering is recognised to be very time
consuming and the faculty should be given every support from the University in the
development of awareness programmes.
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
7.
Report Summary and Concluding Remarks
The QRT views the forthcoming new School of Engineering Building as a great
opportunity to maximize new well-equipped facilities for research and teaching, and
to promote new teaching and research initiatives.
The QRT proposes the following list of recommendations:
Faculty development and planning
1. The Faculty develop an Academic plan as soon as possible to maximize the
future development of the Faculty in the context of the new School of
Engineering
2. Greater communication between the University Management Team and the
members of the faculty in relation to the planning of the new structures.
3. The job of Dean becomes a full-time one.
4. The Dean’s position be replaced by the position as Head of the new School of
Engineering and that he/she, in conjunction with a School management team,
have full responsibility for resources within the School.
5. The Head of School in the new structure have full executive powers.
6. A new resource allocation model needs to be urgently developed and
implemented.
7. In terms of the teaching programmes, the QRT recommend that Faculty staff
maximize interaction with the valuable resource and support provided by
CELT
8. Given the excellence in teaching achieved so far, members of the Faculty are
encouraged by the QRT to think more boldly and plan further into the future.
Research Management and Development:
1. The Faculty should endeavour to promote further research opportunities in
engineering-related areas in NUI, Galway.
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Faculty of Engineering: Review Report 2005–06
2. The Vice-Dean of Research for the Faculty of Engineering should become a
member of the University’s Research Committee to link faculty research
activities with those of the University.
3. A postgraduate committee should be set up in the faculty to facilitate
postgraduate representation and the development of structures (e.g.
postgraduate handbook, training courses in support activities, etc.) to help the
postgraduate (PG) researcher.
4. The introduction of a mentoring system for postgraduate students.
5. The QRT encourages the faculty to take a proactive role in the shaping and
development of possible future graduate school(s).
6. Provision of financial support by the University, possibly from a portion of the
University’s research overheads, for young staff, to procure essential
equipment and use key research facilities, and the development of a system
whereby senior staff can support more junior (early-career) staff.
Professor Peter Y. K. Cheung (Chair)
Professor Gerry Byrne
Mr. Mark Butler
Prof. Stephen G. Jennings
Dr Maria Tuohy (Rapporteur).
31st August 2006
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