Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology
Academic Program Review
CEPS Dean’s Review
August 10, 2005
The Academic Program Review Process
The Academic Program Review is one of the most viable and cogent activities, in which
the faculty of a department engages to assess its programs and its effectiveness as an
academic unit. The assessment includes curricula, instruction, advising, scholarship, and
service. As stated in the preamble to the APR guidelines document, the program review
process “is the faculty’s opportunity to scrutinize itself, to publicize its accomplishments
and examine its shortcomings.” Within the context of the Central Washington University
Strategic Plan, the Academic Program Review process is an opportunity for the faculty
and staff in the department, as well as the college dean and the Associate Vice President
for Undergraduate Studies, to determine the degree to which a department meets the
mission, vision, core values, and strategic goals of the university. Moreover, the
Academic Program Review provides a formal process by which the department’s faculty
and staff can examine their academic activities in the context of their own mission and
strategic goals.
Strengths of the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology
The mission of the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology is “to provide a
quality education to undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing for
professional careers” in technological arenas. In addition, the I&ET Department prepares
students for “insightful citizenship.” The department’s mission and goals are compatible
and complementary with both the Central Washington University and the College of
Education and Professional Studies missions and goals. Both the university and the
departmental missions acknowledge a responsibility to prepare students for employment
and to serve industry by providing highly competent employees to lead industries into the
future. Therefore, the I&ET programs, instruction, advising, scholarship, service, and
other professional activities focus on a foundation of engineering technology academic
preparation, which includes directing students to issues of resources relating to
engineering technological advancements, community, diversity, and informed decision
making. The viability and commitment to the university and departmental visions are
strengths and guiding principles, which are manifested throughout the department and
include the following strengths:
Faculty. Each one of the tenured, tenure-track, and FTNTT I&ET faculty has a high level
of expertise, credentials, and experience in his/her fields. Each one is committed to
providing quality curriculum, instruction, and advising to every student, including the
department majors and the students who enroll in I&ET courses as part of other programs
or electives. Specifically, the department provides a General Education option under the
natural sciences, IET 101, which examines scientific principles and technological
applications of those principles to daily life. The department also offers required and
elective courses to interior design, geology, business, and computer science students.
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The faculty and students have a close professional relationship, which enhances faculty
mentoring of students. Examples include: (a) placement and mentorship of students in
practicum and/or cooperative education sites; (b) sponsorship of professional clubs for
students; (c) advisement and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students in
student-faculty research projects (Source); and (d) high quality advisement of students.
Students. Students have high regard for the I&ET faculty and their programs of study
within the department. Faculty mentoring and advising combined with the students’
commitment to their potential careers and/or advanced academic studies has led to and
enhanced student positive participation in extra-academic activities, including
professional clubs, service learning, and faculty-student research. Some students attend
and give presentations at professional meetings, as well as campus events. The faculty for
some programs in the department collaborate with the Office of Career Planning and
Placement to plan career fairs.
Program Quality. Every program in the I&ET department meets state and national
standards. However, the EET program did not receive full accreditation during the 2004
visit. (Note: My recommendation and charge for the EET program is included in the
section titled, “Undergraduate Programs,” page 5 of this document.) The Construction
Management program continues to receive accreditation through the American Council
for Construction Education and is a premier program in the state. Mechanical
Engineering Technology and Electronics Engineering Technology are accredited through
TAC/ABET. The Industrial Education program is approved by OSPI and is accredited
under the auspices of NCATE. The foundry component of Mechanical Engineering
Technology is accredited by the Foundry Education Foundation.
Instruction. Instruction in the I&ET department is meets college and university
expectations in most areas. Faculty dedication to the students and their areas of expertise
is evident in faculty commitment to their teaching and their continual endeavors to
enhance their teaching with appropriate instructional strategies, technology, and
engagement of students in industry related internships. The faculty actively engage
students through class lectures and discussion, laboratory experiences, internships, large
and small group activities, and appropriate/available technology. In addition, the faculty
engage students in agency and/or industry experience via field trips, connections with
career providers, and conference participation.
Scholarship and External Funding. Most of the tenured and tenure-track faculty are
engaged in scholarly activities, which enhances their own professional development, their
curriculum/programs, and the students academic experiences. Some faculty involve
students in research and design projects and delivering papers at professional meetings. A
number of faculty members have received external and internal grant funding. The
Construction Management faculty have been exceptionally successful in seeking and
receiving donations for an endowed professorship. Through the efforts of a former Chair,
the department received a hydrogen fuel cell, which has been used for potential student
recruitment, along with inclusion in current courses. During the past five years, the
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department has received significant gifts-in-kind (i.e., equipment, technology, etc.) from
industry partners and $20,000+ in scholarship funding.
Service and Professional Activities. The I&ET faculty’s commitment to service is
evidenced in their activities at Central Washington University, in the community and
state, and in national professional societies and agencies.
Faculty and Staff Confidence and Efficacy. The I&ET faculty, including tenured,
tenure-track, and FTNTT, are dedicated, knowledgeable, teachers-scholars. Although the
faculty have some differences of opinion on curriculum, instruction, and departmental
operations, faculty respect the Chair and his leadership. For example, the faculty believe
that the Chair is a strong advocate for I&ET. The bottom line is that the faculty and Chair
know what their department’s mission and value are and work diligently to see that the
programs and scholarship and service activities promote and accomplish I&ET’s goals.
Likewise, the support staff are outstanding, dedicated, and committed to the department’s
faculty, students, leadership, and each other. There are some issues that the Chair and
faculty are addressing. (Note: These issues are discussed in a later section of this
document.)
Challenges and Recommendations for the Department of Industrial and
Engineering Technology
Some of the strengths of the Industrial and Engineering Technology Department, along
with the desire to offer students a diversity of programmatic options, have created some
significant challenges for the department. Other challenges present under the categories
of: (a) faculty; (b) undergraduate programs; (c) graduate programs; (d) scholarship; (e)
resources; (f) facilities; and (g) communication.
Under the “Strengths” section on Page 2 of this document, I wrote, “the mission of the
Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology is ‘to provide a quality education
to undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing for professional careers’ in
technological arenas”. The mission should be apparent as the department addresses the
following challenges and considers the recommendations.
Faculty Issues. The need for additional faculty in the I&ET department is evident for at
least two programs: (a) Safety and Health Management; and (b) Electrical Engineering
Technology. The Chair requested to convert a vacant position into a tenure track faculty
line, which will include teaching plus coordinator of the MET program. That request is
being considered.
A second area of concern is faculty salaries, which is a university-wide issue.
A third area of concern for tenured and tenure-track faculty is time; that is, time for
scholarship and time for advising. I will address the scholarship issue in the section under
scholarship.
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A fourth area of concern is the diversity and gender mix of the I&ET faculty. The search
process for TT faculty mandates that the department and college make every appropriate
effort to have an applicant pool that reflects the ethnicity and gender percentage
population of available applicants. However, it is a concern that the department has no
female tenured or tenure-track faculty. (Note: During 2004-05, the department had a
female tenure-track professor, who was not recommended for reappointment.) The
department does have a tenured professor, who is a member of an underrepresented
ethnic group.
Recommendations:
1. I&ET faculty should review their Academic Program Review documents and
develop a three to five year plan, which includes the following:
A. Priority staffing need of the department based on student enrollment and
FTE trends;
B. Future directions for the programs;
C. Potential for external funding through grants and/or fund raising;
D. Potential for the programs in terms of visibility (campus, state, nation) and
meeting high-needs/high-demands criteria; and
E. Appropriate faculty mix (TT, FTNTT, and adj.) for each program.
The department chair should consult with the CEPS dean concerning faculty
positions and available funding for the positions. The Chair and the Dean have
been and will continue to discuss funding and faculty needs.
2. I&ET should conduct faculty searches so that qualified applicants from
underrepresented populations are including the applicant pool.
Undergraduate Programs. I&ET programs include 6 majors, 4 minors, and 1
certificate.
Each of the bachelor degree offering programs is strong; however, some of the programs
and specializations require offering a significant number of sections each quarter.
Moreover, due to budget restrictions, enrollments in a number of sections has increased
dramatically (average of 19 per section in 2000 to more than 27-30 per section average in
2004). Some 100 and 200 level course sections have increased to 60 to 90 students per
section. Quality may become a factor in the academic integrity of the programs. There is
also a difference in the enrollment cap in section of the same courses; for example, one
instructor caps the sections at 25 or 30, while another instructor caps at 60 to 90 students.
The number of contact hours versus credit hours in the department due to laboratory
requirements is a major factor in “spreading some faculty” beyond CWU teaching load
guidelines.
Based on the university catalog and sample course syllabi, there are three areas that need
attention: (a) duplication of topics and information among some courses across the
department offerings; (b) concern about compliance of some courses with national and
industry standards; and (c) assurance that 300 and 400 level courses, as well as programs,
are not duplicates with community college offerings. In addition, some of the areas in the
department do not have an end of the major or full program assessment developed.
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At this time, at CWU-Ellensburg SHM is a one tenure-track faculty program and
Industrial Education has 1.5 FTEF. SHM at CWU-Lynnwood includes BA and BAS
degrees and is coordinated and taught by FTNTT and adjunct faculty. My qualifying this
statement is important. The FTNTT and adjuncts are highly qualified and bring with them
years of experience from industry. EET at CWU-Pierce County has one tenured faculty
member and very low enrollment.
Recommendations
1. Develop a program assessment process to ensure that the students are achieving
the goals and objectives of the program. The end of major assessment and the
assessment process for each major, minor, and certificate program should be
submitted to the CEPS Dean and the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate
Studies. If academic quality becomes a concern, develop and submit to the dean a
proposal to enhance academic quality.
2. Conduct a curriculum audit to determine if: (a) there is course duplication within
the department; (b) there is course duplication between the I&ET courses and
other courses in the college; (c) there is course duplication between the I&ET
courses and other courses in the other three colleges; and (d) there course or
programmatic duplication, as well as 300 and 400 level courses, with community
colleges. If there is course duplication: (a) either eliminate the I&ET course(s)
and require the students to take the course(s) in other departments or colleges; or
(b) write a justification concerning “why” I&ET should offer the course rather
than another department. The course audit, results, and remediation measures
should be submitted to the dean within a year of the Department Chair’s receiving
the dean’s academic program review document. The dean will submit a copy of
the document to the AVP for Undergraduate Studies.
3. Consult with the CEPS Dean concerning faculty mix and tenure track hires.
Develop a faculty mix and tenure track plan that can justified with the university,
college and department mission, strategic goals and objectives, and needs and
demand areas.
4. Continuing developing articulation agreements with community and technical
colleges, as appropriate.
5. Develop, within budgeting constraints, a more equitable course enrollment cap,
especially for the 100 and 200 level courses.
6. Develop, within budget constraints, course workload among faculty. Utilize the
university standard for workload, such as: (a) 45 credits of teaching per year for
FTNTT unless the Chair and the CEPS Dean reassign that FTNTT for a
significant responsibility, such as student advising, program coordination, or other
area; and (b) parity between credit and contact hours among the faculty.
Graduate Programs. I&ET offers the Master of Science Mechanical Engineering
Technology at CWU-Ellensburg and CWU-Des Moines. Although I perceive no
deficiencies in the program curriculum, I make the following recommendations
concerning faculty and FTES:
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Recommendations
1. Develop a plan to increase enrollments and FTEs in the program; collaborate with
recent alumni, faculty, industry representatives, and Ellensburg and CWU-Des
Moines staff in this enrollment increase project.
Scholarship. The scholarship requirements for faculty members at Central Washington
University have changed during the past five years. Specifically, more scholarship is
expected and required, especially in the area of peer-reviewed publications. As a result of
the scholarship requirements for reappointment, tenure, and promotion, along with the
scholarship expected of individuals who have reached full professor rank, a number of
issues have emerged: (a) disparity in types of scholarship expectations among faculty
members in different units of the department; (b) disparity in the scholarship expectations
for tenured and tenure-track faculty members; and (c) time for faculty members who wish
conduct more extensive research.
Recommendations
1. The I&ET faculty need to determine the minimum scholarship requirements for
tenure and promotion. The Department Chair should take leadership in working
with the Personnel Committee in collaboration with all tenured and tenure-track
faculty members to develop a department scholarship policy. The Personnel
Committee, then, should adhere to those policies when making personnel
decisions. (Note: It is expected that the scholarship policy for the department will
be compatible with the CEPS Scholarship Policy.)
2. Since time for scholarship for both tenure-track faculty and graduate faculty is a
concern, the department chair and faculty should develop a plan to provide faculty
who wish to engage in scholarship with some course reduction on a rotating basis
(Note: The dean’s office may be able to assist in this endeavor.). For example, the
Chair should encourage faculty members to apply for scholarship grants and
incentives from the Office of Graduate and Research and the CEPS Dean’s office.
In addition, the faculty should write and submit grant proposals to external
agencies to seek funding for research and projects. The proposals should include
buy-out time for the projects.
3. The CEPS Dean’s office will offer professional grant-writing and development
fund-raising training upon the request of the department chair and I&ET faculty.
Technology. The department does excellent academic work in preparing their students
for the computer and other technologies needed for the students’ future careers. However,
the challenge is that I&ET has no plan for ongoing technology upgrades, new technology,
and specialized software.
Recommendations
1. The department has been addressing the technology issues for several years. The
I&ET faculty should assess technologies that will be needed during the next five
years, develop an acquisition plan, and consider ways to meet those needs. In this
time of reduced resources from the state, faculty must seek external funding
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sources for technology and laboratory upgrades and new equipment, along with
having departmental, college, and university sources.
2. The I&ET Chair should collaborate with the F&CS Chair concerning funding
acquisition for CAD software, since both departments have programs, which use
CAD.
3. The I&ET faculty should conduct an inventory of their present technology,
develop a list of their needs for academic purposes, and a plan to replace the
equipment when necessary. The faculty should meet with the Chair and the Dean
to discuss the needs of the program.
Facilities. The facilities (Hogue Technology Building and the Power Lab) are outdated,
inadequate and overused. I am making only one recommendation under facilities because
university administrators are seeking legislative appropriation for a Hogue remodel and
expansion. That implementation will result in increased office, classroom and laboratory
space for I&ET programs. In addition, the building revisions will provide space to bring
the CWU-Ellensburg I&ET faculty under one roof.
A concern about the building renovation and expansion is a perception that the
department is not looking far enough into future of the building utilization.
Recommendation
1. Prior to the final building design is in place, the Chair and faculty should consult
with “department alike” Chairs and faculty at other universities. The Chair and
one or two other faculty should visit those universities to view new engineering
technology utilization. The building design must be compatible with I&ET
programmatic growth and I&ET, college, and university strategic planning
combined with overall budgeting considerations.
Communication and Faculty Morale. Faculty morale seems to be quite good, even as
the department faces significant challenges. Communication seems to be good within the
department, except for a few misunderstandings among some faculty and staff concerning
department operational decisions and college resources.
Recommendations
1. The I&ET Chair should arrange a quarterly department meeting during which the
dean will meet with the faculty. Both the dean and faculty will share information
and designate time for Q&A.
2. The I&ET Chair should arrange an annual department meeting during which the
Provost will be invited to meet with the faculty for information exchange and
discussion.
Additional Recommendations.
1. The department should establish an advisory council to provide a formal venue for
recommendations on department strategic planning, fund raising, and student mentoring.
Recommendations for membership include the Chair, some faculty, present students,
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alumni, and industry professionals, who are in a decision-making position at their place
of employment.
2. The CEPS Dean is very concerned about preparations for the next ACCE,TAC/ABET,
and Foundry accreditation visits. The Chair will appoint a faculty committee, who will
meet with the CEPS Dean one time per quarter to discuss progress in the accreditation
work. The Chair will the Chair of this committee.
Moving Forward
The Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology is one of excellent quality,
strength, and promise. The faculty are committed to the students, their fields of expertise,
and to the university. The department has a good professional reputation both on campus
and externally. Some of the faculty are known nationally and regionally for their
scholarship and contributions to their professional societies. The challenges and
recommendations are, therefore, to be used to enhance the department.
I look forward to working and collaborating with the I&ET faculty, staff, students, and
Department Chair to meet the challenges and to enhance an excellent department.