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SJSU Annual Program Assessment Form Academic Year 2013-2014

Department: General Engineering Program: M.S. General Engineering College: Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering Website: http://generalengineeringstage.sjsu.edu/ Program Accreditation (if any): Not Applicable Contact Person and Email: Robert Leonard Wesley, Leonard.Wesley@sjsu.edu

Date of Report: May 30, 2014

Part A Background About MS General Engineering (MSE):

MS Engineering currently offers a concentration in Electronic Materials and Devices, and four emphases in Green Technology, Environmental health and Safety, Bioinformatics, and Special. During AY 2012-2013, MSE consisted of approximately 71 students with about 30 in the Special Emphasis topic area, 21 in Bioinformatics, 5 in Environmental Health & Safety, 10 in Electronic Materials & Devices, and 5 in Green Technology. Effective Fall 2014, the Engineering Management emphasis will migrate to and become a concentration in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department.

MSE curricula are highly multi-disciplinary in nature. Each emphasis or concentration curriculum tends to be broader with respect to the courses and topics covered than the curricula of MS degree programs in other departments, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Illustration of difference between the MSE curricula and the curricula in other departments and colleges.

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Mission

The MS General Engineering (MSE) program supports the vision of the college, which is to

“Transform lives by preparing engineering students and professionals to be ready and able to fully contribute to the innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership of Silicon Valley and beyond. Through a cutting-edge learning environment, applied research and scholarly activity, we develop lifelong learners who are excellent in their fields, globally informed and socially responsible.” (Spring 2014)

MSE accomplishes this, in part, by offering relevant multidisciplinary programs that equip graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete successfully in a rapidly growing multidisciplinary world. MSE also helps the college achieve its mission by being a host incubator to new programs. The program educational objectives and outcomes that are common to all of the offered emphases and concentration degree programs hosted by MSE are defined below.

1. List of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

The Master of Science in General Engineering program uses the Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) shown below:

2. Map of PLOs to University Learning Goals (ULGs)

The five University Learning Goals are listed below:

1. ULG #1 - Specialized Knowledge: Depth of knowledge required for a degree, as identified by its program learning outcomes

2. ULG #2 - Broad Integrative Knowledge: Mastery of each step of an investigative, creative, or practical project. Understanding of the implications of results or findings from a particular work in societal context

The General Engineering department is committed to fulfill the following learning objectives in its Master of Science in Engineering program:

PLO 1 - Work collaboratively with various disciplines of engineering, science and business PLO 2 - Apply advanced theory and analysis for problem solving and synthesize and integrate information in the engineering process. PLO 3 - Effectively communicate for problem analysis and solution. PLO 4 - Deliver effective presentations of engineering activities in written and oral formats. PLO 5 - Be aware of ethical, economic and environmental implications

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3. ULG #3 - Intellectual Skills: Fluency in the use of specific theories, tools, technology, and graphical representation. Skills and abilities necessary for life-long learning: critical and creative thinking effective communication, conscientious information gathering and processing, mastery of quantitative methodologies, and the ability to engage effectively in collaborative activities

4. ULG #4 - Applied Knowledge: Ability to integrate theory, practice, and problem-solving to address

practical issues. Ability to apply their knowledge and skills to new settings or in addressing complex problems. The ability to work productively as individuals and in groups

5. ULG #5 - Social and Global Responsibilities: Ability to act intentionally and ethically to address a global or local problem in an informed manner with a multicultural and historical perspective and a clear understanding of societal and civic responsibilities. Diverse and global perspectives through engagement with the multidimensional SJSU community

The mapping of MS General Engineering PLOs to the University Learning Goals is shown in the table below.

MS General Engineering Program Learning Objectives (PLOs) ULGs 1 2 3 4 5

PLO1: Work collaboratively with various disciplines of engineering, science and business

X X X

PLO2: Apply advanced theory and analysis for problem solving and synthesize and integrate information in the engineering process.

X X X X

PLO3: Effectively communicate for problem analysis and solution. X X X PLO4: Deliver effective presentations of engineering activities in written and oral formats.

X X

PLO5: Be aware of ethical, economic and environmental implications. X X

3. Alignment – Matrix of PLOs to Courses

The levels of attainment of courses to the MS General Engineering Program Learning/Student Outcomes are shown in the Table 3 below. In the table , the numbers (1 to 5) represent the levels of support such that blank (or 0) means "no support," 1 is minimum support and 5 is the highest support. We begin with including a summary of the common MS Engineering common core courses (Engr201, ENGR202, and ENGR203), technical writing course (ENGR200W), and culminating project and thesis courses (ENGR281, ENGR 298, and ENGR299).

ENGR 201: Engineering Analysis - Mathematical techniques for solving engineering problems. Topics include linear systems analysis, probability and statistics, and differential equations. Applications include modeling and simulation, optimization, projection, experimental design. Several computer projects are required.

ENGR 202: Systems Engineering - Large scale system design and development. Integrated approach including mission statement, synthesis of design concepts, tradeoff studies, risk assessment and interactions encountered in the optimal design, development, manufacture and test of systems.

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ENGR 203: Engineering Management - Students will develop contemporary expertise in the principles of engineering finance, management, IP, operations management, performance metrics, and their application to design, development, and commercialization of new products and services in dynamic environments.

ENGR 200W: Engineering Reports and Graduate Research - Graduate level technical writing workshop designed to develop advanced communication skills that will readily transfer to the engineer’s professional needs, along with research methodologies, copyright issues, and proper documentation for the master’s thesis project.

ENGR 281: Master’s Project/Thesis Preparation Seminar - Preparation for project or thesis research, including development of scope, assembly of committee, preparation of schedule, completion of literature survey, completion of introductory chapter for final report, and research proposal examination at the end of the course.

ENGR 298: Master’s Project II - Completion of an in-depth project, a detailed project report, followed by a comprehensive presentation and demonstration of project.

Program Outcomes versus Courses

ENGR201 ENGR202 ENGR203 ENGR 200W ENGR 281 ENGR 298 ENGR 299

PLO1 5 5 5

PLO2 5 4 4 5 5 5

PLO3 2 2 2 5 4 4

PLO4 5 5

PLO5 4 4 4

Table 3: The levels of attainment of courses to the MS General Engineering Program Learning/Student Outcomes.

ENGR 201 Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: To learn how to formulate and apply differential equation, linear algebra, and probabilistic

models and methods to characterize and solve engineering-related problems. CLO2: To learn how statistical methods are used to design and predict the outcome of theoretical and

experimental data. CLO3: To relate physical, chemical, biological, electrical and mechanical problems and trends to

mathematical methods and statistical distributions.

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Mapping Between ENGR 201 Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X X CLO2 X X CLO3 X X X

ENGR 202 Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: Attain an understanding of the theory and application of systems engineering. CLO2: Understand the systems engineering project development cycle. CLO3: able to understand system requirements, and translate those requirements into engineering

specifications. CLO4: Know how and when to use simulation and modeling in the systems development cycle. CLO5: Develop application proficiency by completing a systems project in laboratory work. CLO6: Develop skills needed to be an effective systems team member. CLO7: Develop project Planning, implementation, and reporting skills. Mapping between ENGR 202 Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X X CLO2 X X CLO3 X X CLO4 X X X CLO5 X X X CLO6 X X X CLO7 X X X

ENGR 203 Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: Learn how to combine theory and practical case studies of the principles of engineering finance,

management, IP, operations management, performance metrics, and their application to design, development, and commercialization of new products and services in dynamic environments.

CLO2: Learn business strategy, strategic planning, decision-making, organizing, financial management, managing research, managing design, project management, manufacturing operations, marketing, and sales.

CLO3: Begin the development of design thinking skills and practices. CLO4: Begin to develop and enhance soft skills. CLO5: Develop the skills to be the translators between the engineering/technical and business

components of an organization.

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Mapping between ENGR 203 Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X CLO2 X X CLO3 X X CLO4 X X X X CLO5 X X

ENGR 200W Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: Able to write using a variety of technical writing formats. CLO2: Able to compose with a clear focus on purpose, scope, audience. CLO3: Able to properly document and provide accurately formatted references. CLO4: Able to locate and analyze information using a variety of research techniques (e.g., interviews,

library, online searches). CLO5: Able to demonstrate an understanding of the initial planning, brainstorming, and organizing of a

master’s project. Mapping Between ENGR 200W Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X X X CLO2 X X X X CLO3 X X CLO4 X X CLO5 X X X

ENGR 281 Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: Organize teams as necessary to complete a project/thesis. CLO2: Utilize information from a range of sources to develop the scope for the project/thesis. CLO3: Effectively communicate technical components for project/thesis to a professional audience. CLO4: Develop industrially sponsored project/thesis which incorporates contemporary resources and

personnel to address significant problems. CLO5: Effectively communicate technical components for project/thesis to a professional audience. CLO6: Effectively communicate all non-technical aspects for project/thesis to a professional audience. CLO7: Analyze the economic justification for the project/thesis activity. Mapping Between ENGR 281W Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X X CLO2 X X X CLO3 X X X X CLO4 X X X CLO5 X X X CLO6 X X X CLO7 X X X

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ENGR 298 Course Learning Objectives: CLO1: Continuing to enhance and improve their ability to collaborate with their colleagues in various

disciplines in engineering, science, and business. CLO2: Continuing to enhance the ability to apply ENGR 200W (Technical Writing), ENGR 201

(Engineering Analysis ), and ENGR 203 (Engineering Management) concepts and related advanced theory and analysis for problem solving.

CLO3: The synthesis and integration of information in the engineering process CLO4: Effective communication of problem analysis and solutions CLO5: Applying contemporary tools for computation, simulation, analysis, and design CLO6: Deliver effective presentations of engineering activities in written and oral formats CLO7: Enhancing awareness of the ethical, economic, and environmental implication of their

engineering activities Mapping Between ENGR 298 Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) and PLOs: Course Learning Objective (CLO)

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5

CLO1 X CLO2 X X X CLO3 X X CLO4 X X X CLO5 X CLO6 X X X CLO7 X

Summary of the total number of CLOs that map to PLOs for the above ENGR courses.

PLO1 PLO2 PLO3 PLO4 PLO5 Total # CLOs 14 15 22 10 11

4. Planning – Assessment Schedule The overall data collection (C), evaluation (E), and implementation (I) schedule for the General Engineering graduate program is shown in Table 4 below. The figure only shows the schedule for the assessment of the Program Educational Objectives. Data collection, evaluation, and implementation of any changes, if any, are conducted each

PLO F-14 S-15 F-15 S-16 F-16 S-17 F-17 S-18 F-18

1 C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I

2 C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I

3 C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I

4 C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I

5 C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I C, E, I

Table 4: The Overall Program Assessment Schedule

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5. Student Experience • The current set of MS Engineering Program Educational Objectives is available in the university

catalog and posted on the General Engineering Department website at http://generalengineering.sjsu.edu/assessmentms/student_experience 1

• The Program Educational Objectives are determined and evaluated through consultation involving students, Industry and academic advisers, and faculty.

• Students have limited knowledge of the program outcomes.

1 This URL is under development as of June 1, 2014. It is expected to be available by June 30, 2014.

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Part B

1. Graduation Rates for Total, Non URM and URM students (per program and degree)

Academic Programs

First-time Freshmen: 6 Year Graduation Rates

New UG Transfers: 3 Year Graduation Rates

Grads : 3 Year Graduation Rates

Fall 2007 Cohort Fall 2010 Cohort Fall 2010 Cohort

Entering % Grad Entering % Grad Entering % Grad

General Engineering Total 91 33.0% 8 25.0% 54 48.1%

URM 26 19.2% 1 0.0% 3 66.7%

Non-URM 62 38.7% 4 0.0% 25 32.0%

Other 3 33.3% 3 66.7% 26 61.5%

2. Headcounts of program majors and new students (per program and degree)

Fall 2013

New Students Cont. Students Total

Engineering Degree 1st Fr. UG Transf

New Creds

1st Grads

UGs Creds Grads UGs Creds Grads

Total 110 11 0 17 92 0 47 213 0 64

BS 110 11 0 0 92 0 0 213 0 0

MS 0 0 0 17 0 0 47 0 0 64

3. SFR and average section size (per program)

Fall 2013

Course Prefix Course Level Student to Faculty Ratio (SFR)

Average Headcount per Section

ENGR - General Engineering Total 19.9 30.7

Lower Division 26.6 51.8

Upper Division 15.3 21.8

Graduate Division 15.5 13.7

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4. Percentage of tenured/tenure-track instructional faculty (per department)

Fall 2013

% Tenured/Prob Tenured Probationary Temp Lecturer

General Engineering 22.3% 2.341 8.471 0.085

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Part C 5. Closing the Loop/Recommended Actions

The MS General Engineering assessment process is illustrated in Figure 1 below. This process is carried out as per the assessment schedule in Table 4.

Figure 1: Illustration of MSE Assessment Process that is carried out per schedule in Table 4. The conclusion reached from an analysis of the assessment data and information to date, indicates that the assessed PLOs and ULGs have been achieved to a satisfactory level. The current recommended action is to continue with the described assessment schedule and process, and to make adjustments as warranted by an evaluation of assessment data. 6. Assessment Data

Students typically enroll in ENGR 201, ENGR 203, and ENGR 200W within one to two semesters from matriculation. An entrance survey is given to assess their expectations and reasons for pursuing the desired program. Full-time students typically begin enrolling in the culminating course sequence ENGR 281 then ENGR 298 or ENGR 299 by the fourth or fifth semesters from matriculation.

Data to help direct assessment of PLOs is obtained primarily from grade rosters, graded assignments, and graded culminating course work. Indirect assessment of PLOs is obtained from student exit surveys, and industry advisory board advisers, and industry and faculty project advisers.

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Every Fall, MS level student entrance and exit surveys are conducted to obtain feedback about student perceptions of their degree program and obtain additional background and demographic information. In addition, the industry and faculty advisers of MSE students are periodically surveyed to obtain their impressions and suggestions regarding MS emphases and concentrations. The entrance survey is typically given to MSE students enrolled in one of the first semester courses of ENGR 201 Engineering Analysis, ENGR 202 Systems Engineering, or ENGR 203 Engineering Management. The entrance survey consists of the following 16 questions

1. What was your undergraduate degree? 2. From which university did you obtain your BS degree? 3. How did you learn about the MSE programs? 4. Why did you choose SJSU for your graduate work? 5. How many years since receiving your BS degree have you been working in industry? 6. What type of industry are you employed in, and what is your title? 7. While you are in the MSE program, do you expect to work in industry? 8. With respect to tuition, are you in-state or out-of-state, or international? 9. What class start times are best for you? 10. What is your purpose in pursuing a MS degree? 11. Upon completion of your MSE degree, what type of job do you expect to have? 12. Please tell us anything else you would like us to know about you and or your expectations of the

graduate program 13. List any particular laboratory skills and capabilities (instrument, mechanical, computer, and so forth)

you might have? 14. What features would you like to see in the graduate program to make it more attractive to you? 15. What benefit do you expect to achieve, for instance, career improvement, job in a different

industry, and so forth, in pursuing a MS degree? 16. Does your company have any job openings for [Put Your Major] Engineers, and if so, what company?

A summary of the responses to some of the above questions is presented in Figure 1. The figure shows that a significant percentage of MSE students have undergraduate EE degrees. A significant number of MSE students also have undergraduate degrees in domains other than EE, CS, CmpE, or Mechanical Engineering. They have come to know about the MSE program primarily from the internet or from family and friends. They chose SJSU almost equally for the location, reputation of the university, specific degree area, and offering evening classes. Although the majority of MSE students have international origins, they frequently reside in California long enough to qualify for in-state fee rates.

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Figure 1: Summary of MS Engineering Entrance Survey Questions.

The MSE student exit survey is typically given to MSE students enrolled in one of the two culminating experience courses, ENGR 281 Project/Thesis Prep and ENGR 298 Project II. The survey is designed to help assess the degree to which the program is meeting its outcome objectives. Students are asked to indicate, on a scale ranging from strongly disagree/not applicable to strongly agree their impression with respect to the following 10 questions.

1. I can work collaboratively with various disciplines of engineering, science and business. 2. I can apply advanced theory and analysis for problem solving and synthesis and integrate

information in the engineering process. 3. I can effectively communicate with respect to problem analysis and design. 4. I can apply contemporary tools for computation, simulation, analysis, and design. 5. I am able to deliver effective presentations of engineering activities in written and oral formats. 6. I am aware of the ethical, economic and environmental implication of my engineering activities. 7. What additional components would you recommend to better prepare you for professional

activities? 8. What change would you recommend to the program? 9. What new or related courses would you recommend? 10. Any additional comments?

A summary of the responses to some of the above questions is presented in Figure 2. The figure shows that there is virtually unanimous agreement among students that they agree or strongly agree that the program learning objectives have been achieved. In addition, although many did not provide opinions about areas of improvement, suggestions to have more leadership courses, more industry guest speakers, and perhaps more flexibility in scheduling classes were provided.

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Figure 2: Summary of MSE student exit survey responses and feedback

In addition to the student entrance and exit surveys, the industrial advisors of student project teams are surveyed to obtain their opinion about various aspects of the MSE programs, students, and curricula. Over the recent years, at least 65 percent of MSE student project advisers are from industry. Advisers are asked to indicate, on a scale ranging from strongly disagree/not applicable to strongly agree their impression with respect to the following six metrics.

1. Students can work collaboratively with various disciplines of engineering, science and business. 2. Students can apply advanced theory and analysis for problem solving and synthesis and

integrate information in the engineering process. 3. Students can effectively communicate with respect to problem analysis and design. 4. Students can apply contemporary tools for computation, simulation, analysis, and design. 5. Students are able to deliver effective presentations of engineering activities in written and oral

formats. 6. Students are aware of the ethical, economic and environmental implication of my engineering

activities.

In addition to the above metrics, industrial advisers were asked to provide suggestions with respect to changes that might be made to help improve the program. The summary of their feedback is provide in Figure 3.

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Figure 3: Summary of responses to Industrial Adviser Survey.

Students in ENGR 298 are assessed with respect to their retention of common core subject matter covered in ENR 201, 203, and the approved GWAR course ENGR 200W. This assessment is based on graded written assignments in each of the three course topic areas. The percentage of students retaining probed topic in each of ENGR 201, ENGR 203, and ENGR 200W is shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4: Retention and use of MSE Core Topics in student emphasis or concentration.

The degree that PLOs, and hence ULGs, have been achieved based on direct and indirect assessment data is displayed in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Illustration of the degree that PLO1 through PLO5 has been achieved

based on direct and indirect assessment data.

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7. Analysis In summary, the data obtained and summarized suggest that the MS Engineering PLOs and university learning goals (ULGs) have been successfully and achieved. 8. Proposed changes and goals (if any)

• No fundamental or major changes to course CLOs, program PLOs, and mappings are anticipated

for the near future.

• A near term goal is to maintain the current assessment and evaluation process while making

relatively minor adjustments as warranted.