An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
A SECOND REVIEW
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
November 2004 to February 2005
22 nd
– 23 rd
February, 2005
24 th
May 2005
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, May 2007

Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Enginering 2004–2005
1.1
Aims and Objectives
The Departmental plan with respect to strategy, operations, teaching and research is updated on an annual basis following discussions at staff meetings at the beginning of each academic cycle.
More extensive changes are made as required for expansion or addition of programmes or in years in which accreditation by the IEI is scheduled. A case in point was the introduction of the degree in Biomedical Engineering in 1998 and its first accreditation in March 2004. On a number of occasions in the past, the staff have taken a day off-site in order to debate important changes. A similar exercise is now planned with respect to the discussions on the possible introduction of a School of Engineering structure in conjunction with the planning for the new
Engineering building. Reports are currently in preparation on the findings by Department
Heads from their tours of UK universities and a selection of USA universities in December
2004, on the operation and management of engineering academic teaching and research structures.
The primary aims of the Department are:
•
To provide B.E. (Honours) degree programmes in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering meeting and exceeding the standards established by corresponding international schools and accreditation bodies such as the Institution of Engineers of Ireland.
•
To provide M.Eng.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes and to engage in research activities leading to publications in national and international refereed conference proceedings and journals.
•
To ensure high standards of teaching within a student-centred approach.
•
To interact with and contribute to the needs of industry and society in general.
•
To remain relevant by taking initiatives (such as introducing new programmes and teaching methods) and to contribute to and support the published strategic and academic plans of the
Faculty and the University.
•
To create a safe and supportive environment within which individual students may achieve challenging educational and personal goals.
1.2
Developments since Last Review in 1998
The major changes and advances by the Department are as follows:
•
First graduates from the new Biomedical Engineering degree programme in 2002.
•
Change of name to the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering in 2002.
•
Increase in yearly intake numbers from 35 to 60 students in the Department due to the addition of 25 students in Biomedical Engineering.
•
Increase in permanent staff numbers from 7 to 9 with no change in technical or administrative staff numbers. Increasing reliance on temporary teaching staff.
•
Significant increases in research funding, postgraduate researchers and office accommodation at the NCBES.
•
Addition of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering laboratories at the NCBES and the
Powder Mill at Nun’s Island. Shift of bulk of lectures to main campus.
•
Maintenance of 100% student placement record under the Professional Engineering
Placement initiative. The PEP programme was pioneered by the Department in 1992 and has recently been adopted by all departments within the Faculty. The PEP programme has very positive knock-on effects on interaction with industry, student Final Year projects and employment.
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MechEngUdarasRep05Final

Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Enginering 2004–2005
•
Gradual shift to greater use of continuous assessment and problem and project based learning techniques, particularly in the Biomedical Engineering programme.
•
The Department accepts small numbers of visiting students from Europe and the United
States and also some IT transfers and mature entrants. An arrangement under the Socrates programme has recently been signed with the University of Lisbon for the exchange of
Biomedical engineering students. It is hoped to expand this area in the future.
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1.3
Student Numbers
The total number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) students in the Department was 189 in the year
2003/2004, representing an increase of 52.7% in the five years since 1998/1999.
1.4
Student to Staff Ratios
In 2003-2004, the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) academic staff in the Department of
Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering was 9.7, giving a student:staff ratio of 20 (this ratio was 15 in 1998-99). In year ending 2004, the average student:staff ratio was 18 across the
Faculty of Engineering.
1.5
Accommodation and Facilities
The core facilities of the Department are currently located in Nun’s Island. Construction of a new engineering building (currently at the design stage), is planned to commence in January
2008, with opening scheduled for the 2009/2010 academic year.
The Review Team consisted of: Professor John Monaghan, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Trinity College
(Chairperson); Mr Robert Nolan, R&D Director, Boston Scientific Ireland Ltd., Galway; Professor Kieran Michael
O’Connor, Department of Engineering Hydrology, National University of Ireland, Galway; and Ms. Marilla
Keating (Group Secretary), of ‘Quality by Design’, Galway.
2.1 Summary and Main Recommendations from Report
Summary
The Review Group greatly appreciated the openness and frankness of the staff, students and former graduates of the Department, and was very impressed by the quality of the students, post-graduates and graduates interviewed, and with their genuine enthusiasm for the Quality
Review process. They regarded the Department as having responded very well to the growing need for biomedical expertise by the introduction of its Biomedical Engineering Programme to complement its established Mechanical Engineering Programme. The high level and extensive research conducted by the staff of this Department was fully acknowledged. The following recommendations were made by the Review Group.
Main Recommendations
•
Development of a Departmental Plan, covering the next 3-5 years. This plan would include issues such as impending retirements, restructuring, anticipation of new building requirements, consolidation of existing academic programmes and staff development.
•
Additional staff is needed, as follows: Conversion of some of the TTA posts into full-time academic staff positions, with at least 2 permanent posts. More administrative support is needed in order to free up academic staff time. A specialized Biomedical technician is
MechEngUdarasRep05Final

Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Enginering 2004–2005 recommended in response to the increased focus on Biomedical activities and for future accreditation purposes.
•
The application of newer teaching methods and more formal methods of course evaluation should be encouraged and should be the Departmental norm.
•
The provision of student-centred handbooks for each year of the course is recommended, containing syllabi, lecture, tutorial and labs, times, dates etc.
•
When teaching 1 st
and 2 nd
year courses, lecturers should focus on ensuring that links are made to Biomedical as well as Mechanical Engineering applications.
•
The formulation of a Departmental Research Plan, reflecting individual research plans, and aligned with the Faculty and University research strategies.
•
The introduction of a more formal process for the mentoring and monitoring of the progress of graduate students, with consideration of achieving the master’s level initially as a first step, with transfer into the Ph.D. programme.
Follow up Meeting
9.00 a.m. Tuesday, 24 th
May 2005 in the CIMRU Boardroom, Nun’s Island
Present: Professor J Browne – Registrar, Professor J Gosling - Director of Quality (Chair), Ms M Keating –
Review Group Secretary, Professor K O’Connor – Review Group Cognate, Professor J Monaghan – Review
Group, Professor P O’Donoghue – Dean of Engineering, Professor S MacNamara - Head of Department, Professor
G Lyons – Research Office Representative, Professor P Nolan, Ms S Gilmartin, Professor P McHugh, Dr J Eaton,
Mr C Walsh, Dr T Joyce, Professor A Pandit, Dr N Quinlan, Dr P Molloy, Ms Maureen Linnane (in attendance).
Due largely to operational factors, the draft action plans below were not finalised and formally ‘signed off’ in the year of the review. In the time since, there has been considerable change and some of the recommendations made in the Review Report are clearly out of date and are no longer applicable. The most significant change is that two professorships have now been approved for the Department; one in
Mechanical Engineering and one in Biomedical Engineering. It is anticipated that both chairs will be filled by the end of the calendar year. Another major change is the imminent introduction of restructuring, under which the Department will meld with the other engineering departments in a
College of Engineering and Information Technology.
Therefore, it should be noted that a set of plans was drawn up between the Department and the Quality
Office. (These are included below for information only.) It should also be noted that many of these actions have been implemented and that the unanticipated changes go beyond the ambitions of the
Review Report and these plans. Therefore these plans will be revisited in Spring 2008 when the new professors and structures are in place, and plans for the areas of Mechanical Engineering and
Biomedical Engineering are agreed that are appropriate to the new environment.
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3.1
Action Plan for the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
•
The Department is currently developing a ‘Departmental Plan’, covering the next 3–5 years, to include issues such as restructuring in anticipation of new building requirements, consolidation of existing academic programmes and staff development, especially given impending retirements. An ‘ Away day’ has been held to get the process underway.
•
The final Departmental Plan will contain a full Research Plan aligned with Faculty and
University research strategies. The Research Plan will reflect the research plans of individual members of academic staff, but will go beyond these to list possible strategic opportunities and identify new initiatives.
MechEngUdarasRep05Final

Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Enginering 2004–2005 5
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It is now departmental policy to expand the introduction across its programmes of new teaching methods and more formal methods of regular systematic course evaluation. In consultation with CELT, programmes will be progressively re-designed to put emphasis on a “design and build” approach, integrated over all four years of the degree programmes.
Substantial progress will have been made by the academic year 2006–07.
•
With respect to biomedical engineering students attending classes on more general engineering subjects, these will be presented in a balanced way with examples and options that emphasise their relevance.
•
Student handbooks have been provided for each year of each programme, containing syllabi, lecture, tutorial and labs, times, dates, etc., starting from September 2005. The new Faculty booklet on PEP is now circulated to all third year students, outlining general arrangements, and their duties and responsibilities while on placement.
•
The roles of temporary staff, postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers in teaching have been expanding year-on-year as their numbers in the Department have increased. The
Department will consult with these individuals on their availability and critical roles in supporting the existing and planned teaching methodologies.
•
A more formal process for mentoring and monitoring of the progress of graduate students will be introduced with registration at the master’s level as a first step, before transfer into the Ph.D. programme. This will be done in line with the new University policies and procedures under development.
3.2
Action Plan for University Management
•
In order to ensure the capacity of the Department to deliver and develop its established and newer academic programmes, the Registrar, together with the Dean and the Head of the
Department will seek to expand its existing academic human resource base from 9–10 fulltime staff by September 2005 to from 10–11.
•
Registrar and the Dean, working with the Head of Department, will attempt to find an effective way of providing one technician post in Biomedical Engineering.
•
Given the inevitable delay before the new Engineering Building can be occupied, the
Director of Quality (working with the Head of Department, the Dean, the Vice-President for
Physical Resources and other University Officers) will promote and monitor a process leading to the development of a proposal by June 2006 to establish a temporary 200m
2 student workshop, that is suitably equipped for general teaching and for accommodating workshop-dependent project work associated with the new ‘design and build’ curricula. ( Not achieved.
)
•
The Vice-President for Physical resources, in his capacity as University Safety Officer, will ensure that the effectiveness of provisions for emergency evacuation from the McLoughlin
Building will be reviewed.
Noted by: Head of Department, Professor S McNamara, 9 th
May 2007
Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, 9 th
May 2007
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