February 2015 Page 1(32)
Washkewicz College of Engineering’s Strategic Plan: 2014 to 2019
Vision We aim to be the engineering school of choice for students of all backgrounds and via engaged
teaching and research empower sustainable urban living.
Mission Our mission is to provide a world class, engaged engineering education, graduating Ready-to-Go-
Engineers prepared to solve real world engineering problems.
Values We value diversity
We value excellence in education, research and engagement
We value partnerships within the community and engagement with the regional workforce
Major Initiatives for the Five Year Plan 1. Expand innovation and funded research activities
2. Enhance and strengthen our educational programs
3. Review and Improve College Operations
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Washkewicz College of Engineering Strategic Plan 2014-2019
ia technological innovations, engineers are the drivers in the development of new technology
and innovations that improve the quality of life. Operating in an urban setting, and considering
that more than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas, the Washkewicz College of
Engineering of CSU focuses its research and teaching priorities on enabling Sustainable Urban Living.
The Washkewicz College of Engineering will address these challenges by focusing teaching and research
initiatives on the needs of Northeast Ohio. We will center our activities around Innovative
Manufacturing, Human Health, and Designs for Sustainable Living. With a multicultural faculty, staff and
student body, we will continue to build on President Berkman’s diversity initiative, as we embrace
inclusiveness and equity to create a welcoming environment for all members of the College.
Introduction racing its roots back to Fenn College, which was founded in 1923, the Washkewicz College of
Engineering provides a tradition of high quality engineering education, where basic and applied
research are central to the mission of the College. Assisted by outstanding students, our faculty has
developed a strong national and international reputation for cutting-edge research. Funding from major
corporate sponsors, such as Parker Hannifin, and governmental organizations, such as NASA and NSF,
have helped CSU to become a key contributor to the rapid technological changes that lead to regional
and national economic development.
Now, well into the 21st century, science and engineering have become increasingly interconnected
and interdependent. In developing a new model for engineering education, we will shift our educational
model to an even more engaged, relevant and welcoming experience, one in which collaboration with
industry will provide an environment where practice and experience energizes the theory of the
classroom. Moreover, studies have shown the importance of engineering students being actively
engaged with students from other colleges on campus, e.g. business and arts, in order to prepare them
for future success as engineers. Therefore, the Washkewicz College of Engineering will prepare
engineering students with technical knowledge that is strengthened through the skills of
entrepreneurship, creative innovation, leadership and lifelong learning.
V
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By upgrading our program, our students will be provided with greater intellectual development
opportunities that will facilitate superb technical capabilities. The ability to communicate well and work
as part of a team, in conjunction with a greater understanding of the economic, social, environmental
and international context of engineering, will prepare students to be ready to serve the needs of the
future. By developing innovative approaches to curricula, rethinking traditional teaching modes, utilizing
e-learning tools and providing the student with a “blended” learning experience, where the use of
online resources and direct interaction with instructors is optimized, we will increase the number of
graduating seniors. This strategy will also help in continuing to develop our identity for graduating
Ready-to-Go-Engineers. Revising and modernizing the curriculum will make the course selection more
flexible, and thereby increase student choices. The optimization of online resources, the introduction of
projects that span the curriculum, the expansion of the co-op program, and the development of
interdisciplinary, industrially sponsored capstone projects/courses (Senior Design Projects) will enhance
students’ experiences. Depending on the interests of students and the needs of the participating
corporations, capstone projects may have team members from outside the College of Engineering, such
as students majoring in business, sciences or humanities. Additionally, by attracting a more ethnically
and socially diverse student body, which reflects our regional demographics, we will be positioned to
take full advantage of local talent and provide upward mobility within a broader talent pool.
Why Engineering? o profession unleashes the spirit of innovation like engineering. From research to real-
world applications, engineers constantly discover how to improve our lives by creating
bold new solutions that connect science to life in unexpected, forward-thinking ways. Few professions
turn so many ideas into so many realities. Few have such a direct and positive effect on people’s
everyday lives. We are counting on engineers and their imaginations to help us meet the needs of the
21st century.”
The National Academy Press – Changing the Conversation: From Research to Action (2013)
There is no doubt that engineers provide the foundation for the wellbeing and prosperity of the
humanity. Engineers enable, invent and build new products, constantly evolving our society. From
innovation in the health profession to the manufacturing floor, engineering innovations enhance the
quality of life for humanity.
Engineers also belong to the top earners in the society for individuals with a bachelor degree (see
for example http://www.thebestschools.org/blog/2012/07/02/best-paying-careers-bachelors-degree/
listing seven engineering professions among the top ten earners). Moreover, the unemployment rate
after graduation is one of the lowest of all majors.
Thus, it is important to invest in engineering. The investment pays off for the society as well as for
the individuals pursing such a degree.
“N
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State of the College ashkewicz College of Engineering currently has five departments and multiple programs at
the undergraduate and graduate level as summarized in Table 1. Even though there are some
differences between each program, all programs have increased in enrollment (head count) over the last
five years, for a total of a 48% in the undergraduate enrollment and 15% in the graduate enrollment.
Table 1: Departments and programs in Washkewicz College of Engineering
Department Number of Faculty (incl. Lecturers) AY 2015
Undergraduate Degrees
Master Degrees Doctoral Degrees
Chemical and Biomedical 11
Chemical Eng. Chemical Eng. Biomedical Eng.
Chemical Eng. Applied Biomedical Eng.
Civil and Environmental 9
Civil Eng. Civil Eng. Environmental Eng. Engineering Eng.
Civil Eng.
Electrical and Computer
15 Electrical Eng. Computer Eng.
Electrical Eng. Software Eng.
Electrical Eng.
Mechanical 12 Mechanical Eng. Mechanical Eng. Mechanical Eng.
Engineering Technology
4 Electronic Eng. Tech. Mechanical Eng. Tech.
Table 2: Historical Enrollment in the College of Engineering
Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
Fall 2012
Fall 2013
Fall 2014
1 year increase
5 year increase
Chem and Biomed
u/g 79 92 101 112 148 200 35% 117%
grad 70 89 94 92 94 99 5% 11%
Civil and Env.
u/g 104 113 108 109 110 130 18% 15%
Grad 70 59 48 46 55 66 20% 12%
Elect and Comp.
u/g 215 245 228 251 266 270 2% 10%
Grad 164 207 204 182 218 272 25% 31%
Mechanical u/g 205 196 215 243 300 356 19% 82%
Grad 105 93 92 69 88 108 23% 16%
Eng. Tech ELET 40 46 51 37 42 52 24% 13%
MEET 38 42 38 35 51 94 84% 124%
pre-eng/undecided 178 211 265 381 401 283 -29% 34%
graduate undecided 26 30 26 18 6 4 -33% -87%
Total u/g 859 945 1006 1168 1318 1394 6% 48%
Grad 416 478 464 407 461 549 19% 15%
W
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Faculty aculty is the heart and soul of an academic institution. An engineering school must maintain a
critical mass of faculty to fulfill accreditation requirements and to secure efforts in key teaching
and research areas. By expanding the College’s faculty, we will attract more students and generate more
research, and thereby increase revenues, along with obtaining more visibility and recognition.
The Washkewicz College of Engineering currently has 48 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, and
3 lecturers, totaling 51 faculty members. Over the last two years, several faculty have retried, and we
have hired seven new tenure track faculty. The new members are Drs. Jalalpour and Lee in the Fall
2013, and Drs. Halloran, Kim, Schearer, Wirth and Zhang in the Fall of 2014. Moreover, we have added
two lecturers to the college Dr. Atherton and Dr. Aidja, both in the Engineering Technology program.
Over the next few years, we expect several faculty members to retire. This will provide an
opportunity to refocus and prioritize the teaching and research efforts in engineering. For example of
the 7 tenure track faculty moving that are planning to move to if Computer Science is reallocated to
Engineering, one has submitted his paper work for retiring, and three have indicated that they will retire
“very soon.”
Table 3: Departments and Faculty (AY14-15) in Washkewicz College of Engineering.
Computer Science Faculty: number based on who has committed to move to Engineering.
“Faculty retiring” are the number of faculty who as of 3/20/2015 have submitted paper work for
retiring
Department
Current Number of Faculty
in AY2014-15
Faculty
retiring
Approved Faculty searches for
AY 2015-16 as of 3/20/15
Expected
Faculty in
AY 2015-16
Tenured
(or track) Lecturers Visitors
Tenure
track Lecturers Visitors Total
Chem and Biomedical
11 0 1 1 1 1* 0 12
Civil and Environmental
9 0 1 0 0 0 1** 10
Electrical and Computer
15 0 0 2 1 1 1 16
Mechanical 11 1 2 2 0 1 13
Engineering Technology
2 2 1 0 0 0 1** 5
Computer Science 7 1 0 1 1 1 1 10
*The current visitor will be replaced with a lecturer based on an ongoing search **Extension of current visitors
F
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Strategic Initiatives ur strategic initiatives will directly support our vision and mission, and will have (1) college and
university wide importance and/or impact; (2) clear goals, expectations and/or opportunities;
and (3) greater benefit than cost.
1. Expand Innovation and Funded Research Activities ngineering is fundamental and essential for solving the challenges facing the modern society.
More than half of the world’s population live in urban environments, and these urban and
suburban areas continue to increase. Thus, the Washkewicz College of Engineering will focus our
research activities on enabling Sustainable Urban Living, which includes designs for sustainable living,
job creation and improved quality of life. Therefore, our overarching goals revolve around Innovative
Manufacturing, Human Health, and Sustainable Design. These are underpinned by our strategic research
fields which include Advanced Materials, Biomedical Engineering, Robotics and Controls, Sensors and
Networks, Clean Energy and Environment, and Sustainable Infrastructure, as shown in the figure. These
are still broad areas, and defining key research clusters with the cross disciplinary areas will enable us to
conduct meaningful and impactful research. These areas of research will serve as a foundation for
innovation and entrepreneurship. We will also enhance existing and develop new key partnerships
outside the College and the University to leverage our resources. This strategy will include conducting
targeted searches for new faculty members, and pursuing grants funded by government agencies and
corporate and community foundations.
Together, these initiatives will propel us to a pivotal role in providing an excellent engineering
program for our students, while generating novel technologies and innovations that lead to
entrepreneurial opportunities and the creation of high quality jobs in Northeast Ohio.
Research Clusters
Our research efforts and future faculty hires will be based on selected research clusters that
underpin our goal of Sustainable Urban Living. Defining key research clusters will enable us to conduct
meaningful and impactful research targeting Innovative Manufacturing, Human Health, and Sustainable
Design. Each of these research clusters is interdisciplinary, involving multiple faculty and departments
inside and outside the College. The clusters
include: Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Energy
Systems, Biomedical Materials, Clean Water,
Healthcare IT, Human Motion and Robotics,
Medical Devices, Nanomaterials, Smart
Manufacturing, and Sustainable Infrastructure. In
addition, there are several important focus areas
within departments, such as Cyber Security
heavily investigated in Electrical and Computer
Engineering, and Transportation in Civil and
Environmental Engineering.
O
E
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We have core strengths in all of these areas
and focusing on these clusters will build,
strengthen and augment our current efforts. Via
concentrated research and strategic hires, we will
reach the pinnacle of excellence in these fields.
Developing a critical mass of research active
faculty members will help the College attract
sizable grants, funded by governmental, private
(foundations) and industrial sources. We will also
pursue funds for endowed professorships in these
and other related areas.
We will continue to enhance and develop our
numerous ongoing collaborations with local
organizations and companies, including MAGNET, NASA-GRC, the Cleveland Clinic and Parker Hannifin.
These collaborations provide for future innovation, research and development opportunities, as well as
strengthen our student co-op program.
Laboratories
The upcoming renovation of Fenn Hall will be critical in developing an academic environment that
promotes innovation, discovery and entrepreneurship, and facilitates collaboration with local industry.
To serve those needs, we will also model our laboratories around these research clusters.
The Laboratory for Research and Innovation (multiple laboratory rooms) will be a central and
flexible space that can be configured based on current needs. All engineering faculty, their students and
collaborators will have access to this space for interdisciplinary engineering research and innovation.
The fundamental design will provide for flexible, optimized uses. Once a project is completed, the space
will be reconfigured quickly for other initiatives, thus maximizing its utility.
This new state-of-the-art facility will accommodate many types of research. For example, rooms
equipped for wet-lab research will be of interest to those conducting research in biomedical, chemical,
environmental, and materials related projects. Other spaces will be fitted with more open-ended usage
in mind, such as applications for robotics and control, mechanical testing, and computer simulations.
A key feature will allow for collaborations with industry, designed to spark innovation. Space will be
allocated where industrial partners can conduct testing on specialized equipment. Start-up companies –
perhaps based on discoveries by faculty and students – will be able to access research-oriented
equipment to further their innovations. A current partnership example is that between the Washkewicz
College of Engineering and the Ahuja College of Business, which assists engineering faculty in
transforming their innovations into viable and salable products.
Moreover, we will enable Workforce Training in our laboratories as appropriate. The Workforce
Training will provide continuing education and training to professionals currently employed in the
regional industry, so that employees can play key roles in their companies and companies can adapt and
thrive by utilizing new technologies. We will develop a variety of flexible training programs, depending
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on the needs of interested professionals and their
companies. In addition, through collaborations with various
organizations such as MAGNET, we will connect with small
and medium-sized companies to help in their development.
Additionally, each professional who completes the training
sessions will be given a Certification of Completion.
2. Enhance our Educational Programs
2.1 Undergraduate programs
ndergraduate education is the foundation of an
academic institution. The success of the students
is the success of the institution. The Washkewicz College of
Engineering has the unique strength and major advantage in that we graduate Ready-to-Go-Engineers,
which companies engage fully as productive engineers immediately following graduation. It is critical for
us to build on and enhance our current undergraduate program. In doing so, we will increase the
number of graduating seniors, while maintaining our recognizable identity as a college that graduates
outstanding engineers. To this end, we will significantly improve recruitment and retention, and reduce
time to graduation.
The modern engineer works in a rapidly changing, multidisciplinary environment, thus, it is critical
for engineering students to learn to work and thrive under such conditions. This can be accomplished
by providing students with a broad base of engineering skills, and by providing flexibility within their
area of specializations. By upgrading our curriculum, we will create customizable programs for students.
These curriculum changes will embrace the use of online resources, encourage engagement in co-ops
and offer opportunities for industry-sponsored capstone projects.
The College increased its undergraduate student credit hours by more than 40% between AY 2009
and AY 2013. This is the highest increase for any college at CSU, and it is worth noting that engineering
students generate almost 50% of their total student credit hours in other colleges (for science, math,
and general education requirements). In AY 2008 and AY 2012, the college graduated 98 and 175
U
Goals: • Increase the number of graduating seniors • Increase enrollment of dedicated students • Remain recognizably the CSU Washkewicz College of Engineering • Graduate high quality engineers deemed “Ready-to-Go Engineers” Actions Needed: • Improve recruitment • Retain students • Reduce time to graduation by striving for 3 credit courses, with 125-128 credit hrs for graduation Expand Opportunities: • Create modernized, customizable curriculum to increase students’ choices • Utilize online education • Encourage interdisciplinary, industrially sponsored Senior Design
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students with a bachelor degree, respectively, corresponding to an 80% increase. We will continue to
build on our success in recruiting and retaining students by increasing the number of graduating seniors,
with a target of graduating 250 students in AY2019. We can accomplish this increase by improving
recruitment, retention, and student learning. In addition, we need to adopt a model for teaching for the
future, as the expectations and requirements of the students will change with the new generation of
incoming students. We must be alert, flexible, and innovative to attract and retain future students by
anticipating future trends in engineering education, while preserving our rigor in regards to educational
goals.
As the college moves forward, we will review our current inventory of educational programs. As
mentioned in the narrative above, there are ample opportunities to create new programs, since having a
broad range of alternative educational pathways for students is not only a great recruitment tool but
also paramount for successful job placement upon graduation. However, in reviewing and optimizing
current program offerings, we must optimize our resources to satisfy future student enrollment and job
market projections. Thus, as we add new program and start new initiatives it is as critical to review
current programs. Below are some examples of opportunities.
Secure Accreditation
All undergraduate programs, except the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program, are
accredited by ABET. With our philosophy being if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well, we will review
the accreditation process of all programs to ensure successful accreditation during future evaluations.
Engineering Technology
Engineering Technology (ET) has traditionally been one of the most popular majors for our
community college transfer students. It also provides a venue for our students who want to obtain an
engineering degree, but do not have the necessary background in math and physics to pursue such a
degree. While staffed by only two tenured faculty and one lecturer, ET graduates more students than
some of our other engineering departments. We are currently considering how to best restructure the
program. 1
Restructure Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Computer Science (CS) is currently housed under the College of Business. This is a highly unusual
arrangement, as in other institutions in the country CS is typically part of the College of Engineering. We
will continue to investigate alternatives, such as merging CS with our current Electrical and Computer
Engineering Department. 2
Recruitment
Fenn Academy is our venue for reaching out to high schools in the region. Currently, we have 45
high schools which we work directly with to educate students and teachers about engineering. We visit
them and vice versa. We also arrange for high school students to visit local industry, including the
1 One avenue is to provide a track so that students also receive a competency in business, such as Supply Chain
Management or Industrial Distribution which is as of March 2015 being considered. 2 As of March 2015, this move is moving forward.
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Engineer for a Day event where each student spends a day with an engineer in a company. During Fall
2013, we appointed a faculty director to enhance these activities.
Over the next few years, we will expand these activities, including: (1) target and focus on K-12
schools that are likely to send their graduates to CSU including the development of a pipe-line through
MC2, the high school located at CSU; (2) coordinate outreach efforts with the College of Education and
Human Services; (3) engage current undergraduate students to interact with K-12 students; (4) enhance
our outreach to high school teachers, guidance counselors and parents to educate them about
engineering education and the engineering profession overall; (5) develop strong collaborations with
community colleges to facilitate the process for students to transfer to our programs; (6) broaden the
educational path for engineering students. We will also develop a pathway for high school students to
be engaged in our co-op program even before the graduate from high school. Moreover, we will work
with community colleges such as Cuyahoga Community College and with MAGNET, to develop a
pathway for non-traditional and first generation college students to proceed from high school
graduation to an Associate Degree and then to a Bachelor’s Degree.
Retention
One of our challenges in retaining our students is that most of their first year classes (mainly in
math, physics and other sciences) are taken outside of our college. Currently, our freshmen students
only take one 3 credit-hour class in engineering in their first semester. To increase our retention, we
propose the following:
(1) Enhance the curriculum, including optimizing the first two years of study by: (i) engaging our
students early in engineering studies to show the applications of math and physics to real-life
engineering processes and problems; (ii) engaging instructors in math and the sciences to incorporate
engineering topics and connections with engineering in their classes; (iii) enabling students with diverse
backgrounds to obtain the foundation needed by providing a range of skills, including the ability to think
in three dimensions (something that is mostly learned from hands on experiences) and improved study
habits, (iv) encouraging students to become active in engineering student organizations and societies;
(v) streamlining and modernizing our courses and graduation requirements.
(2) Enhance advising and mentoring of students. Anecdotally, we lose students who are doing well in
their introductory classes (e.g., math and physics), citing their loss of interest in engineering because of
lack of exposure to engineering early on. Currently, we require that students meet with their
mentor/advisor at least once every academic
year, for multiple-term registration. This
effort will be enhanced by requiring
mentors/advisors to reach out to students
with a set of discussion topics designed to
assess the student’s progress in our program.
This will build on the university-wide concept
of Intrusive Advising created to guide
freshmen students from all disciplines. We
will expand on this idea, with our Engaged
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Advising approach.
(3) Make attendance mandatory in freshmen and sophomore classes, as it is well established that
class attendance is key for student success.
(4) Improve the quality of teaching (see below).
(5) Develop a five-year program for students who are defined as pre-engineering to include co-op
opportunities and ensure their full engagement with and successful completion of the program.
(6) Strengthen the college’s co-op program, allowing for a flexible curriculum for our students.
(7) Strengthen the support for student organizations by providing adequate space, funding and
guidance.
The Engineering Incubator
Appropriate infrastructure is a core part of engineering education. Our students are highly sought
after by companies in Northeast Ohio. They are appreciated for their hands-on education, resulting in
Ready-to-Go-Engineers upon graduation. To build upon this strength, we will build a Maker Space in the
new addition to Fenn Hall, where students will have access to equipment for building prototypes and
where they can interact across departments and classes.
Primarily, but not exclusively, focused on undergraduate education, the Maker Space will provide an
interdisciplinary, hands-on education beyond the classroom. In addition to taking the required
fundamental engineering lab courses and working on design projects that span the four years of study,
students will have the ability to work on their own innovations. Additionally, we will encourage
students from other disciplines, (e.g. the arts, business and sciences), to become involved in design and
innovation.
The Maker Space will provide integrated project management, prototyping and experimentation
spaces with an emphasis on experiential learning and collaborative team building. It will strengthen the
core of undergraduate courses in design and experimentation, provide opportunities for industry and
alumni involvement in undergraduate programs, and further enhance the college’s reputation as a well-
respected leader in hands-on learning through educational innovation and technology.
The Maker Space will be an important part of our capstone course Senior Design. We will enhance
the current course by providing multiple options for students, including structured industry-sponsored
Senior Design Projects. The outcome will be functional prototypes to the extent this is feasible. We will
also have a venue for student organizations to include their projects – as appropriate – as a Senior
Design project. Yet, another alternative path for students will be to develop their own ideas for
inventions and partner with students from the College of Business, thereby fostering an environment of
innovation and entrepreneurship.
Student Learning
Teaching should be of the highest level of excellence. Our ultimate goal is to educate students that
are not simply ready for the future, but will help to create the future. Via our active engagement with
local industry, we will help students secure high quality jobs, where they can make significant
contributions. We will enable faculty to improve upon their teaching, by including active teaching
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evaluations as well as peer mentoring, and award excellence in teaching. We will also recognize
scholarship in teaching, for example publishing innovative and successful pedagogy in high quality, peer-
reviewed journal publications.
High quality teaching goes far beyond the
classroom lecture. In fact, in many subjects, where
lectures traditionally have been the norm to
disseminate course material and explore problem-
based learning, learning studios are now favored
instead. In these learning-based environments,
students are more engaged and retain their newfound
knowledge significantly better.
To monitor and facilitate the changing teaching
and learning environment, we will encourage
continuous teaching improvement methods for our entire engineering faculty. In collaboration with
other colleges at CSU, we will develop and utilize teaching evaluations that will serve as guides for
faculty members seeking continued improvement. These evaluation methods will also be used for
annual faculty evaluations.
New Programs
An engineering education can roughly be divided into two parts: fundamentals – which includes
mathematics, physics and engineering science – and state-of-the-art engineering. The fundamentals last
a lifetime. However, the National Academy of Engineering estimates that the half-life of the state-of-
the-art engineering knowledge is approximately 5 years. What we teach today in many of the upper
level classes might be obsolete within 5 years! Thus, engineering students need to be exposed to an
education that prepares them not only for the current workplace but also the future. To this end, we
will explore the possibility of developing a undergraduate program that is interdisciplinary, provides a
solid foundation in engineering but also allows for students to focus on topics of interest, including
business (e.g., 4+1 towards an MBA) and law (4+2 towards a degree in patent law), or special interest in
engineering such as wind power. Moreover, we will review options for enhancing the Engineering
Technology program, including exploring a combined engineering-business degree.
Online Education
Online education is rapidly evolving as an alternative means for effective learning. It is critical for
our future success to fully utilize this strategy for disseminating educational content. A large number of
schools already have fully on-line options for Master’s degrees in various engineering disciplines, and
the State University of New York is planning provide full Bachelor Degrees online. Furthermore, the
Council of the Deans of Engineering in the State of Ohio has a taskforce developing ideas on how state
engineering colleges can collaborate via on-line learning. The Washkewicz College of Engineering will
actively pursue and implement online education alternatives, both to enhance the campus experience
for current students and to reach off-camp
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2.2 Graduate Programs
strong graduate program is essential when addressing the science, engineering and technology
skills associated with solving the great challenges of humanity. A graduate education in
engineering provides both: (1) a professional education focusing on Master’s degrees in engineering;
and (2) a research education to train the next generation of engineering innovators and scholars.
The student credit hours generated by graduate students increased by 11% from AY2009 to AY
2013. Over the course of our five-year strategic plan, we will work towards significantly increasing this
rate of credit hour enrollment.
Master Degree Programs
With our increasing technologically advanced society, a Master’s (rather than a Bachelor’s) degree in
engineering is often expected ‒ or even required ‒ by employers. Most engineering schools now offer
the Master’s degree as a professional degree, rather than as the traditional first step towards a research
degree. As part of our curriculum revision, we will enhance and expands the offering of Course Only
options to satisfy the needs of local industry and students alike. These students will be expected to be
self-funded, either from their own resources or from their employers. In addition, we will develop
partnerships with local industry to support their specific employee skill needs. For example, we can
create tracks where students can select a combination of courses geared towards their and their
employer’s particular interests. Options for online education will also be incorporated.
In addition, we will review and enhance our research based Master’s degree programs, and
encourage students to pursue our doctoral degree.
Doctoral Program
The College currently offers a Doctor in Engineering (D.Eng) program, rather than a Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.) program. National Science Foundation (NSF) and other organizations consider these
two degrees equal and many European countries consider the D.Eng to be the more prestigious degree.
Nevertheless, there is a perception among our students and our peer institutions here in the US that a
D.Eng is of less prestige and value than a Ph.D. Furthermore, there is a notion (anecdotally) that it is
harder for our graduates to secure the more coveted employment positions due to the naming of our
degree.
Thus, we will transform our D.Eng to a Ph.D., as we enhance and improve our research programs.
This will provide an excellent opportunity to review, from a holistic approach, how our research
education is conducted. We must create a stimulating research environment for our doctoral students,
where they can strive, exchange ideas and build a foundation towards research and innovation. To
develop a viable Ph.D. program, we will improve recruitment, instruction and retention. The qualifying
exams will be reviewed to make sure we have high quality doctoral candidates in our program, including
an assessment of their ability for creative thinking and research competencies.
We will increase the number of full-time doctoral students whose support will be primarily via
externally funded research projects. In part with the college’s assistance in securing scholarships as a
recruitment tool, we aim to double the number of doctoral students over this five-year period.
A
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2.3 Enrollment Prediction
he current enrollment and the predicted enrollment for FY 2020 for the Washkewicz College of
Engineering are summarized in Table 4. The prediction is based on a detailed analysis of past
enrollment trends and estimated future trends for each program (such as national trends), which are
summarized in Appendix A. As a benchmark, Table 2 shows the past enrollment in the College for the
last five years.
To predict the enrollment, each program has been considered separately. The short term history
has been considered as well as national and regional trends. In general, we believe that the graduate
programs will continue to grow, in particular the Master Degrees program in Electrical and Computer
Engineering, as well as in Mechanical Engineering. There is also potential to grow these programs in
Chemical and Biomedical, and Civil Engineering. The MS programs in Environmental Engineering and
Engineering Mechanics needs to be reviewed for sustainability. Moreover, we predict that the
undergraduate programs will continue to grow in particular in Mechanical Engineering. Chemical, Civil,
Electrical, and Computer Engineering will also grow but to a lesser extent.
Table 4 Current and predicted head count in the Washkewicz College of Engineering
FY 2015* Prediction FY 2020
** 5-year %Increase*
Under- graduate
MS Dr.E. Under-
graduate MS Dr.E.
Under- graduate
MS Dr.E.
Engineering Only
1,398 486 73 1,865 607 107 20.5% 37.9% 46.6%
Computer Science
250 100 0 250 120 0 0% 20% 0%
Total 1648 586 73 1935 790 107 17.4% 34.8% 46.6%
* Based on “The daily enrollment report” from September 7, 2014
** Assuming that Computer Science has moved to the Washkewicz College of Engineering
3. Review and Improve College Operations
3.1 Faculty
aculty is the heart and soul of an academic institution. An engineering school must maintain a
critical mass of faculty to fulfill accreditation requirements and to secure efforts in key teaching
and research areas. By expanding the College’s faculty, we will attract more students and generate more
research, and thereby increase revenues, along with obtaining more visibility and recognition.
The Washkewicz College of Engineering currently has 48 tenured/tenure-track faculty members,
and 3 lecturers, totaling 51 faculty members. We expect that with the move of Computer Science, 5
tenured faculty members will move along with one college lecturer to engineering. To accommodate
the predicted enrollment growth through FY 2020, we request additional faculty hires which would
bring the number of faculty to 77 -82 members, including 10 -12 college lecturers. The higher numbers
will be needed if Engineering Technology is reinvested in. Thus, in addition to the Computer Science
faculty moving to the college, we need to add another 20 to 25 faculty members. This is summarized in
T
F
February 2015 Page 15(32)
Table 5 below. The detailed breakdown of the number of faculty in each department for each year is
included in Appendix B.
Table 5 Current faculty size and predicted faculty size to provide the teaching and research levels
required to meet the demands of increased student enrollment. The higher number corresponds to if we
reinvest in Engineering Technology, corresponding to 3 additional t/tt and 2 additional College
Lecturers.
Tenured/tenure track College Lecturers Total
Number of Faculty FY 2015 48 3 51
Moving from CS 7 1 8
Predicted Faculty FY 2020 66-69 11-13 77-82
Total New Positions Needed 11-14 7-9 18-23
Figure 2 on the next page shows the student-to-faculty ratio in the College for FY2015 and FY2020.
In that figure, student-to-faculty ratios are compared with the average student to faculty ratio for
engineering schools in USA. This is based on data from the American Society of Engineering Education,
ASEE, and polling from 360 engineering colleges. The ASEE data does not include college lecturers, while
the data from our college does. If college lecturers were excluded from our calculations, our student-to-
faculty ratio would increase significantly. Hence, we believe that the request of 75 -80 faculty members
is very modest.
Faculty development and mentoring will be of high importance as the College embarks on hiring
new faculty. We will develop a faculty mentoring program, so to guide Assistant and Associate
Professors in teaching and research initiatives, as well as towards promotion and tenure. New faculty
will be expected to pursue a significant research portfolio that is sustained via externally funded
projects. Teaching methodologies are changing, and newer faculty members will be expected to readily
adapt and evolve in supporting the next generation of students’ learning needs. This will be a
generational shift that will be carefully monitored via the soon-to-be implemented mentoring program.
February 2015 Page 16(32)
Figure 2 The number of students per faculty in Washkewicz College of Engineering (WCE), current and
predicted for 2020. Benchmarked with the average number of students per faculty according the American Society
for Engineering Education, ASEE, 2013, based on polling 360 engineering schools in the US. Note: ASEE numbers
includes only tenure/tenure track faculty, while our numbers also includes lecturers. Thus, the numbers for our
student-to- faculty ratio should be higher.
4.2 Staff
taff is critical for a well-functioning organization and we currently have a highly competent and
hardworking, albeit small, College staff. As the number of students and faculty grows, along
with increased research activities, additional staff will be necessary. Presently, the Dean’s office has a
total of five staff members (one administrative coordinator, one budget manager, two members
working on student success, and one co-op manager).
The College has 15 staff members within all departments, including technicians. This corresponds to
a ratio of 0.28 staff per faculty, which is by far the lowest at CSU. The second lowest ratio is in the
College of Business at 0.34. However, considering the profile of the teaching and research activities
among various colleges (e.g., need for technicians), the College of Engineering should have a ratio closer
to the that of the College of Science and Health Professions, which is 0.39. This data is summarized in
Appendix C.
As the college continues to grow, staffing needs will be continuously evaluated. Consequently, the
college request to increase the college staff from its current 15 to 26 over the five year period in order
S
February 2015 Page 17(32)
to provide reasonable service to our students and faculty. This request includes moving two positions
that are currently on temporary funding to permanent funding. A summary of the request is outlined in
the table below, and a detailed discussion included in Appendix C.
To optimize the resources of the University, staff members will be “cross-trained” as appropriate.
Table 6: Additional staff needed for the college ‒including department secretaries and technicians‒
in the next five years (FY15 – FY19)
*This number does not include the two positions currently on temporary funds.
** Currently, the Dean’s office secretary and the co-op coordinator are both on temporary funds. We request
these positions be moved to permanent funds starting FY 16. Thus, three new positions plus two converted from
temporary to permanent are requested in FY16.
***The Student Engagement and College Communications Coordinator positions are urgently needed, which we
request to start in January 2015.
****Not included in the general request but noted here.
3.3 Space Utilization:
enn Hall is the home of the Washkewicz College of Engineering. As the former site of a car
dealership, the building was not originally built with research and teaching in mind. After years
of neglect, Fenn Hall is long overdue for renovation and modernization. Current state funding will be
used for renovating parts of the basement, as well as the crumbling façade and part of the roof.
Based on the generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Washkewicz and remaining state funding an
approximately 30,000 sft addition to Fenn Hall is being planned. This addition will be located between
the current building and Chester Avenue, on the playground that was abandon when the child care
center closed.
Currently FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 FY 18 FY 19
Total Number of Permanently Funded Staff
(for the entire college)*
15 17 23 26 26 26
Student Advisor 1
Co-op Coordinator 1**
1
Student Engagement 1***
Budget Assistant 1
College Communications Coordinator
1***
Dean’s Office Secretary 1**
Department Secretary 1 1
Lab specialist/technician 1 1
Advancement Staff****
1
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February 2015 Page 18(32)
This plan clearly leaves gaps in renovation of the current building and the need for modern space. To
bridge this budget gap, we will continue to pursue donations, with particular focus on revenues
generated through naming rights for research and teaching laboratories.
Fenn Hall was a car dealership before it became an academic building.
Specific Renovation Plans
A modern engineering curriculum, along with advanced research and entrepreneurship, is enabled
via modern and flexible facilities that can accommodate a wide-range of activities within an
interdisciplinary setting. By renovating Fenn Hall, we can build a transformative program with a holistic
approach to engineering education and research.
The total assignable space in Fenn Hall is approximately 120,000 ft2. Currently, almost 15,000 ft2 is
not under the college’s control. Of the total assignable space, engineering has about 29,000 ft2
dedicated research space. During the next five years, as the number of faculty research activities grows,
approximately 35,000 ft2 of additional research space will be needed. Improving the existing layout of
Fenn Hall will provide a short-term solution as the building becomes saturated by an increase in faculty
and student body. Due to the current internal layout, there is a significant amount of “lost” space: (i)
load bearing columns are situated at inconvenient locations, impeding the view of the front of the room
from half to two thirds of the seating area within each of the class and meeting rooms; (ii) rooms are
oversized, with only half of the space being used during classes; (iii) in several cases, due to current
curricular structure and scheduling, only one undergraduate laboratory course occupies one room; and
(iv) the basement is in extremely poor condition, rendering it nearly unusable. Such problems of
underutilization can be solved by renovation, with the walls and spaces within being holistically
redistributed.
To optimize use of the current space, we will build flexible, multi-purpose laboratories and
classroom facilities. Undergraduate laboratory equipment will be stored and rolled out as needed.
Thematic applications will be used to stimulate students’ interests (e.g., illustrating fluid dynamics from
the perspective of flow around an airfoil, flow in a blood vein, or the flow of a river) by putting subject
matter into perspective. With flexible space and laboratory set ups, instructors and students will have
February 2015 Page 19(32)
access to a range of experiments, as well as the ability to design their own. Changing undergraduate
laboratory layouts, thereby making them more flexible, will be accomplished through tech-fees and
donations. This holistic approach of utilizing technology fees for long-term gain will make
modernization of our teaching labs feasible.
To best utilize the space in the college, a space committee will be formed who will first develop
general guidelines and procedures for allocating space and then recommend space allocation to the
dean. As appropriate, requests will be forwarded to the University Space Committee.
In order to accommodate the projected increase in students and personnel, the following space is
necessary in addition to what is available in Fenn Hall today:
20,000 sqf of research labs, where approximately 5,000 sqf are wet-labs with fume hoods.
24 new offices, including offices for the computer science faculty, approximately 4,000 sqf
5,000 sqf to house graduate students funded for research and teaching assistants.
Accommodate 100 more students in Simulations and Computational Instruction Labs.
Access to seven 60 seat classrooms.
Updated equipment for teaching laboratories to accommodate more students in each lab
session.
Detailed Analysis of Space Needs:
Additional Research Space
The estimated need for research space is based on current usage per faculty. Currently, 36 faculty
have assigned research labs. The total area of the research labs is 35,000 sqf. Thus, the average research
lab space is approximately 1,000 sqf. Some of this space can be obtained inside Fenn Hall by relocating
IS&T’s general purpose computer lab (FH 128) elsewhere on campus.
We assume three tenured/tenure-track faculty and one college lecturer will be moving to
Engineering when Computer Science is transferred here. In addition, we expect to hire 14 new tenure-
track faculty and 6 college lecturers over the next five years (this excludes the number of replacements
for retirements; see below). We do not have any additional offices in Fenn Hall, so 24 new offices are
needed. Approximately 15 office spaces could be gained in Fenn Hall if the suite currently occupied by
Health Sciences was reassigned to Engineering. Based on the range of existing faculty offices in Fenn
Hall, an average of 160 sqf per office is reasonable; thus, a total of 3,840 sqf of new office area is
necessary.
In addition, through retirement and attrition, it is anticipated that 13 faculty will have to be
replaced. Out of these, 6 will need new research space, however, no additional office space is needed.
New research space for 20 (14 new and 6 replacement) faculty would be necessary. This translates
to 20,000 sqf of new research area which will have to be identified.
Additional Teaching Space
A. Simulation and Computation Labs (for instruction only):
February 2015 Page 20(32)
We need to double our capacity for teaching tools associated with engineering simulations and
computations. Currently we can seat approximately 100 students per class period, but we will need to
double that capacity. We need four 50-seat labs, each with the ability to be partitioned into 30 and 20
seat labs when needed.
B. Classrooms:
We need seven additional 60-seat classrooms, each with the ability to be partitioned into 40 and 20
seat classrooms when needed. Currently, the College has four mid-size classrooms ranging from 40 to 44
seats plus a small auditorium-like classroom with a maximum of 65 seats. Having five engineering
classrooms in Fenn Hall is insufficient, as many engineering classes are being taught in other buildings,
such as the Chester Building or Main Classroom Building. Twelve total classrooms, with seven being
larger and more flexible than our current classrooms, will satisfy our needs.
NOTE: In Fall 2014, the College offers a total of 167 class sections. Thirty-six out of 167 (22%) are
being taught outside the Fenn Hall. We currently use 5 classrooms in FH, which are now too small.
However, with increasing engineering enrollments, and 350 Computer Science students joining the
College in fall 2015, a need for seven 60-seat classrooms is predicted.
C. Laboratories for Teaching:
We do not anticipate any additional need for space for our required laboratory courses. Rather, the
equipment needs to be modernized and flexible so multiple labs can be conducted in the same space.
3.4 Operating Budget
he initiatives outlined above can only be implemented via a strong institutional support system,
which requires the development of a sustainable budget model. Unfortunately, the permanent
budget was eliminated for the College of Engineering a few years back, but we will work with the Budget
Office and the Provost’s Office to develop a budget model for the College. We will also work with
Advancement to develop a strategy for increasing donations to the College. Through budgeting and
philanthropic efforts, we envision reaching our goals, including all aspects of the Fenn Hall renovation
and the creation of named professorships, undergraduate student scholarships, fellowships for graduate
students, and funding for various student organizations.
The Washkewicz College of Engineering currently does not have a permanent operating budget. The
budget was removed for FY2012 when the university was going through significant budget cuts. The last
three years, including the current fiscal year, the college has operated on temporary funds from the
Provost’s Office and the University, on Indirect Cost Returns (SCR), Vacancy Savings, and on the Dean’s
Discretionary Account.
The budget request is summarized in Table 4, with full documentation in Appendix D.
FY2015 budget is based on expenditures from FY2014 plus the cost for one new faculty member.
The annual operating budget increase is proportional to the increase in enrollment. The relatively large
increase from FY15 to FY16 stems from the assumption that the Computer Science Program will move to
Engineering. NOTE: The salaries for the faculty moving to Engineering are NOT included in the
Permanent Budget in the table.
T
February 2015 Page 21(32)
We request to move the department chairs from a 9-month salary base to a 12- month salary base.
We request additional funding to cover startup costs for new faculty and preparation of research
labs as needed. The upgrades are only basic upgrades to comply with current general requirements.
3.5 Review Administrative Processes, Protocols and Standards
n order to optimize the University’s and the College’s resources, it is important to have effective
and meaningful processes, protocols and standards. Of high priority is to document and
implement processes for the college, and to review the current ones. These will be included in the
College’s Business and Administrative Manual which will be updated as needed and, at a minimum,
reviewed annually.
I
February 2015 Page 22(32)
Appendix A Predicted Faculty Hires for FY 2016 to FY 2020 in the Washkewicz College of Engineering
The prediction of student credit hours for the Washkewicz College of Engineering is summarized in
Table A.1 and detailed in Tables A.2. Following methods and assumptions were made:
(1) The historic enrollment data of each program was reviewed and assessed. Some programs have
increased significantly during the last few years, and we believe they will continue to increase but at a
lower rate (e.g., Chemical Engineering BS program). Other programs, such as Civil Engineering BS
program has had a lower rate of increase.
(2) National trends in engineering education predicts a continued increase in enrollment
Based on these two observations, each program was assessed for the likely annual increase in
enrollment, to predict the total enrollment in the College (Table A.2). For example, the BS program in
Chemical Engineering doubled in three years, but clearly this rate of increase will not be sustained.
However, we believe that we will have a continued increase based on the student interests, and assume
30 more students for Fall 2015 and thereafter an additional extra 10 students per year (Table A.3). Each
program has been reviewed in such manner and the increase for each individual program is presented in
Table A.2.
Table A.1 Current and predicted head count in the Washkewicz College of Engineering
FY 2015* Prediction FY 2020
** 5-year %Increase*
Under- graduate
MS Dr.E. Under-
graduate MS Dr.E.
Under- graduate
MS Dr.E.
Engineering Only
1,398 486 73 1,865 607 107 20.5% 37.9% 46.6%
Computer Science
250 100 0 250 120 0 0% 20% 0%
Total 1648 586 73 1935 790 107 17.4% 34.8% 46.6%
* Based on “The daily enrollment report” from September 7, 2014
** Assuming that Computer Science has moved to the Washkewicz College of Engineering
February 2015 Page 23(32)
Table A.2 Current and predicted head count for the Washkewicz College of Engineering
Programs
# students 9/7/14 Fall 2015 Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018 Fall 2019
u/g MS Dr u/g MS Dr u/g MS Dr u/g MS Dr u/g MS Dr u/g MS Dr
Chemical Engineering 200 31 5 230 31 6 240 33 7 250 34 8 250 35 8 250 35 8
Biomedical Engineering 34 29 0 35 29 0 35 29 0 35 29 0 35 29 0 35 29
Civil Engineering 129 55 6 135 65 6 140 75 7 145 80 7 150 85 7 155 90 7
Environmental Engineering 3
0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mechanics 3
0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Electrical and Computer Eng. 168 227 22 178 260 24 188 270 30 195 280 36 205 290 40 210 300 44
Computer/Software Eng 112 28
115 30 0 120 33 0 125 36 0 130 39 0 135 40 0
Engineering Tech --Elect 52
50 0 0 50 0 0 60 0 0 60 0 0 60 0 0
Engineering Tech --Mechanical 94
90 0 0 90 0 0 110 0 0 130 0 0 130 0 0
Mechanical Engineering 356 85 11 390 100 11 420 115 14 430 130 16 440 145 18 450 150 19
Pre-engineering 283
290 0 0 290 0 0 290 0 0 290 0 0 290 0 0
Undecided 4 20
5 20 0 5 20 0 5 20 0 5 20 0 5 20 0
Total w/o CS 1398 486 73 1483 547 76 1543 581 87 1610 615 96 1660 649 102 1685 670 107
Computer Science 250 100 0 250 100
235 105
235 110
245 115
250 120 Total including CS 1648 586 73 1733 647 76 1778 686 87 1845 725 96 1905 764 102 1935 790 107
February 2015 Page 24(32)
Appendix B Predicted Faculty Hires for FY 2016 to FY 2020 in the Washkewicz College of Engineering
The Washkewicz College of Engineering currently has 48 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, and
3 lecturers, totaling 51 faculty members. To accommodate the predicted enrollment growth through FY
2020, the college should reach 75 faculty members, with 65 being tenured/tenure-track and 10 being
college lecturers. We expect that with the move of Computer Science to Engineering, 3 tenured faculty
members will move along with one college lecturer. Thus, we would need to add 14 new tenure-track
positions and 6 lecturer positions in Engineering. Out of the 14 tenure-track positions, one is already
approved, being unfilled from our previous year’s search.
Table B.1 shows the distribution of faculty hires for the next five years.
Table B.2 shows the possible research expenditures and indirect cost return for FY16 to FY20 of the
new hires since FY2013. Three scenarios of average, $100,000, $150,000 and $200,000 in research
expenditures, including $31,034, $46,522, and $62,069, respectively, in indirect cost returns starting two
years after their start date.
Table B.3 shows and estimate of the faculty distribution per department for FY 2015 to FY 2020. We
predict 14 new tenure track positions, and 8 new lecturers.
February 2015 Page 25(32)
Table B.1 Distribution of faculty hires from FY 2015 to FY 2020 in the Washkewicz College of Engineering (Excluding fringe)
Total
Hires
Tenured and Tenure Track Lecturers
New Positions Salary Replacement Savings
Salary
Total startup Total Lab
renovation
New
Positions
Salary
Fall 2015 6 2 $85,000 2 $30,000 $1,200,000 $120,000 2 $140,000
Fall 2016 9 1 $425,000 5 $75,000 $1,800,000 $180,000 3 $210,000
Fall 2017 9 4 $255,000 4 $60,000 $2,400,000 $240,000 1 $70,000
Fall 2018 8 3 $255,000 3 $45,000 $1,800,000 $180,000 2 $140,000
Fall 2019 7 4 $170,000 3 $45,000 $2,100,000 $210,000 0 $0
Total 39 14 $1,190,000 17 $255,000 $9,300,000 $930,000 8 $560,000
Grand Salary Increase: $1,495,000
Total Required Startup: $9,300,000
Lab Renovations: $930,000
Comments: All funding is based on FY2015 salary values. Average salary for tenure-track faculty: $85,000; Current average salary for
tenured/tenure -track: $100,000. Average salary lecturer: $70,000
Table B.2 Predicted annual increase in Research Expenditures and Indirect Cost return for new faculty hires in the Washkewicz College of Engineering
Average Annual Research Expenditure
assumed at $100,000
Average Annual Research Expenditure
assumed at $150,000
Average Annual Research Expenditure
assumed at $200,000
Year
Increase in
Research
Expenditures
Increase in
Indirect Cost
Return
Increase in
Research
Expenditures
Increase in
Indirect Cost
Return
Increase in
Research
Expenditures
Increase in
Indirect Cost
Return
FY 2016 $200,000 $62,069 $300,000.0 $93,103.45 $400,000 $124,137.93
FY 2017 $700,000 $217,241 $1,050,000.0 $325,862.07 $1,400,000 $434,482.76
FY 2018 $1,100,000 $341,379 $1,650,000.0 $512,068.97 $2,200,000 $682,758.62
FY 2019 $1,700,000 $527,586 $2,550,000.0 $791,379.31 $3,400,000 $1,055,172.41
FY 2020 $2,500,000 $775,862 $3,750,000.0 $1,163,793.10 $5,000,000 $1,551,724.14
February 2015 Page 26(32)
Table B.2 Distribution of faculty hires from FY 2015 to FY 2020 in the Washkewicz College of Engineering for
each Department (t/tt = tenured/tenure-track faculty)
FY 2015 – Actual Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer visitors New positions
CBE 12 11 0 1 12
CEE 10 9 0 1 10
ECE 15 15 0 0 15
CS 8 7 1 8
ET 5 2 2 1 5
ME 12 11 1 0 12
Total 62 55 4 3 62
FY 2016 – Predicted* Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer visitors New positions
CBE 12 11 1 0 0
CEE 10 9 0 1 0
ECE 16 14 1 1 1
CS 10 7 2 1 2
ET 5 2 2 1 0
ME 13 11 1 1 1
Total 66 54 7 5 4
* Six retirements are announced, including one in CS
FY2017 – Predicted Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer New positions
CBE 13 12 1 1
CEE 10 9 1 0
ECE 18 16 2 2
CS 10 8 2 0
ET 5 3 2 0
ME 14 13 1 1
Total 70 61 9 4
* The numbers include visitors, allocated to t/tt or lecturer for simplicity
February 2015 Page 27(32)
FY2018 – Predicted Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer New positions
CBE 13 12 1 0
CEE 10 9 1 0
ECE 19 17 2 1
CS 11 9 2 1
ET 6 4 2 1
ME 16 14 2 2
Total 75 65 10 5
FY2019 – Predicted Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer New positions
CBE 13 12 1 0
CEE 10 9 1 0
ECE 20 17 3 1
CS 12 10 2 1
ET 6 4 2 0
ME 18 15 3 2
Total 79 67 12 4
FY2020-Predicted Number of Faculty
Total t/tt lecturer New positions
CBE 13 12 1 0
CEE 10 9 1 0
ECE 21 18 3 1
CS 13 11 2 1
ETE 6 4 2 0
ME 18 15 3 0
Total 81 69 12 2
February 2015 Page 28(32)
Appendix C Predicted Staff Hires for FY 2016 to FY 2020 in
the Washkewicz College of Engineering
Staff structure in College of Engineering at a Glance The college administration is performed/executed by the Dean and two Associate Deans, one for
Academic Affairs and one of Operations. The Dean’s office has only two support staff members: one
administrative assistant and one secretary. However, the secretary is on temporary funds for FY15. The
college also has one Budget Manager.
The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs supervises the Manager for Student Affairs and Advising
and the Manager for Engineering Student Programs. Currently, there is one advisor reporting to the
Manger of Students Affairs and Advising, but no staff under the Manager for Engineering Student
Programs.
The Associate Dean of Operations supervises the Manager of Co-Op program, one co-op
coordinator on temporary funds, one computer specialist and three technicians.
Moreover, the Departments of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Civil and Environmental
Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering have one department secretary each. Electrical and Computer
Engineering has 1.5 department secretaries and Engineering Technology has 0.5. The two halftime
positions are filled by one person.
In summary, the College currently has 15 full-time staff members on permanent funds plus
another two of temporary funds. Based on data from 2013, this is the lowest number of staff per
faculty of any college at CSU.
The two staff positions that are on temporary funds must be renewed for FY2016, either on
temporary funds, but preferable on permanent budget.
Future Staff Request The Washkewicz College of Engineering requests to increase the College staff from the current 15 to
25 over the five year plan in order to provide the services our students and faculty need as we grow.
Below is a summary and justifications of the staff requests.
Student Advisor (1 additional position)
Currently, the College has only two staff members in advising, including a manager for advising.
However, the manager spends about half her time on other important duties, such as teaching
New Student Orientation (ESC 100) each fall semester, administering all college scholarships and
a range of student oriented position.
February 2015 Page 29(32)
The College has more than 200 new freshmen students plus more than 100 transfer students
each year. New student enrollment is predicted to increase substantially over the next five
years.
Currently, our “pre-engineering students” are temporarily advised by the University’s special
advising office. However, these students should be advised by engineering advisors to ensure
their successful integration into engineering. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide this
service with our current level of staffing.
The College’s new undergraduate fall enrollment has increased by 85% (F’08-F’12). The College
SCH for Fall ‘14 exhibits a 22% increase over Fall ‘13 (as of September 25, 2014), the only college
in the university with SCH increase.
Adding the Computer Science Program to engineering will result in a 25% increase in
engineering enrollment for FY16.
Adding an additional advising staff member will help address these needs and provide better
service to our students.
Co-op (2 additional, including making a temporary position permanent)
The engineering co-op program has grown very rapidly from less than 10 students a few years
ago to 60 today with another 140 waiting to be placed in the coming year.
A strong co-op program will lead to a strong recruitment, retention and job placement for the
students. However, it requires significant effort to maintain such a program. Currently, we have
one program manager and one temporary staff member for this program in FY15.
It is essential to convert the temporary position to permanent funding starting FY16.
One additional staff member in FY17 is also needed as the program continues to grow.
The co-op program provides an excellent opportunity for our faculty to connect with local
industry. This will, in turn, lead to external funding from industries.
Student Engagement: Recruitment and Retention (1 position)
The College has realized a steady, and more recently, fast growth in student enrollment over the
last 5 years.
The increased enrollment can be partially attributed to our unique recruitment mechanism,
Fenn Academy, that affiliates with more than 40 local high schools.
The college leads the University with an 80% retention rate. In addition to highly engaged
faculty, our program in Student Engagement includes student organizations, a lunch-time
lecture series for undergraduate students, and a wide range of additional student activities.
All these activities have been handled by only one program manager, with some help from
students. We are at a point where a single person can no longer handle all these activities.
To maintain a steady increase in enrollment, one additional staff member in FY16 is needed.
Budget Assistant (1 position)
The research awards for the College have steadily increased in recent years. During the 2013
calendar year, for instance, the College received $5 million dollars in external funding from 21
grants. A tremendous amount of time is required to manage these current grants, not to
February 2015 Page 30(32)
mention the new grants coming in for 2014. All grant expenditures are handled by the Budget
Manager.
In addition to many existing scholarships in the College, the recently established $5 million in
Parker scholarships requires more accounting work to keep track of account balances.
The College of Engineering also has several active student organizations which design and build
everything from Baja cars, to bridges to concrete canoes. All these student activities require
constant tracking of expenditures.
Our newly established industry sponsored senior design projects require accounting work.
One additional accounting staff member is needed in FY16.
Director of Communication and External Affairs (1 position)
The Director of Communications and External Affairs will develop and manage partnerships
between industry, alumni and the community for the betterment of the College, as well as the
management of all College external communications.
Department Support Staff (2 positions)
The College projects adding 14 new tenure-track positions and 6 lecturer positions in five years.
The new faculty will be hired in departments with growing enrollment such as Mechanical
Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
About 350 Computer Science students (undergraduate and graduate) are expected to join our
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in Fall ‘15, there is an urgent need to add an
additional secretary in FY16 to the existing 1½ secretaries in that department (where the other
half of a secretary’s time is for Engineering Technology Department). Mechanical Engineering is
the fastest growing undergraduate program in engineering. We see a strong need to add second
secretary to that department in FY17.
Lab specialist/technician (2 position)
As the College grows, we will need more technicians to help support our educational efforts. In
particular, maintaining and setting up equipment for students and faculty requires the help of
skilled technicians. We also must manage the growth in students due to the move of the
computer science program
We project a need to add two additional technicians in FY17.
February 2015 Page 31(32)
Additional staff needed for the college ‒including department secretaries and
technicians‒ in the next five years (FY15 – FY19)
*This number does not include the two positions currently on temporary funds.
** Currently, the Dean’s office secretary and the co-op coordinator are both on temporary funds. We request these
positions be moved to permanent funds starting FY 16. Thus, three new positions plus two converted from
temporary to permanent are requested in FY16.
*** The Student Engagement and College Communications Coordinator positions are urgently needed, which we
request to start in January 2015.
Currently FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 FY 18 FY 19
Total Number of Permanently Funded Staff
(for the entire college)*
15 17 22 25 25 25
Student Advisor 1
Co-op Coordinator 1**
1
Student Engagement 1***
Budget Assistant 1
College Communications
1***
Dean’s Office Secretary 1**
Department Secretary 1 1
Lab specialist/technician 2
February 2015 Page 32(32)
Appendix D Faculty and Staff in Selected Colleges
The table shows the distribution of staff and faculty among the colleges at CSU. Engineering has by
far the lowest number of staff (per faculty but also per student –not shown). The staff number includes
“technicians.” Considering the need of technicians in engineering to help with labs etc, the need for
staff in engineering is in general higher than in most other colleges.
Business Education & Human Services
Engineering Liberal Arts
& Social Sciences
Sciences & Health
Professions
Urban Affairs
Staff 26 38 15 55 46 12
Faculty 76 64 54 149 117 24
Staff /Faculty
0.34 0.68 0.28 0.37 0.39 0.5
*Staff does not includes “funds available”
*Staff includes technicians
** Faculty includes lecturers and visiting faculty