Strategic Plan for School of Engineering

Mission

Our mission is to prepare students to meet the challenges of the modern world as engineering professionals who have the potential to become innovative leaders. We fulfill our mission with a curriculum that is firmly based in the theoretical foundation of science and mathematics in application to real-world problems. The curriculum also provides for experiences in engineering design, analysis, and professional practice. Students develop technical competency through course and laboratory work, project work, and the co-operative education experience in industry or in research. Our mission is realized by a shared commitment to continual improvement, scholarship and research, and refinement through critical review. Such review requires both close contact with current engineering practice and a commitment to liberal education that enhances the practice of engineering in global societies through a deep understanding of the human condition and the relationship of engineering practice to the natural environment.

Vision

GVSUs School of Engineering aspires to be a premier education-oriented engineering school focused on applied engineering practice that is informed by research and scholarship.

Value Statement

Our values reflect our educational mission. We are an academic community in a nation for which the intrinsic value of each individual is taken as fundamental. Thus we strive to provide an environment in which each member of our academic community-- student, staff member, and faculty--can reach his or her fullest potential. Just as we value each individual in our community, we value the environment in which we live. The engineering community strongly influences the environment through the practice of its profession. For that reason we strive to build into our curriculum an awareness of, and a sensitivity to, those areas in which engineering practice affects the environment. Such awareness extends beyond technical knowledge to include ethical responsibility in the practice of our profession.

Strategic Priorities, outcomes, and key objectives

Strategic Priority Area 1: Actively engage learners at all levels.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 1.A.1

Review 100% required and elective courses and curriculum content to assure relevance

Baseline

2015-2016 data

Progress

2018 Status
Substantial Progress
All end of course assessments were performed for each semester as has been done in previous years. Each program curriculum committee ensures that all the course assessments are complete and reports these in their meeting minutes.

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
All end of course assessments were performed for each semester as has been done in previous years. Each program curriculum committee ensures that all the course assessments are complete and reports these in their meeting minutes.

Objective 1.A.2

Promote student engagement at key levels in the program

Baseline

2015: In the SOE office, as tour ambassadors, with Formula SAE, as EGR 106 tutors

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Additional opportunities for students include Freshman Engineering Welcome Picnic, MakerFaire, RogerThat

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
In addition to the opportunities in 2015 (In the SOE office, as tour ambassadors, with Formula SAE, as EGR 106 tutors) this year students participated in K-12 outreach

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 1.B.1

Increase diversity in student body by 10%

Baseline

2015: PCEC 20.6%

Progress

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
We need to get unit data but the diversity dashboard only provides college data. PCEC diversity: 19.2% undergrad, 54.2% grad by ethnicity, 14.8% undergrad, 21.5% grad by gender

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
PCEC is 21.6%

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 1.C.1

Increase opportunities for student professional development

Baseline

2015: Not collected

Progress

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
The metric chosen doesn't seem to be a very accurate representation for professional development in engineering. We are looking for a better metric.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
47

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 1.D.1

Improve freshman experience in an introduction/ exposure to mulitdisciplinary engineering professions and design to form a base for future academics

Baseline

2015-2016: F2015: 88.7%, W2016: 87.4%, S/S2016: 75% Note: this includes all students who passed not just those who passed EGR 107 in one try.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
F 16: 93.5%, W17: 91.3%, S/S17: 88.9% - these numbers include all students

Objective 1.D.2

Develop a well-defined set of relevant senior electives in each program with a schedule for offering them

Baseline

2015-2016 data: Total senior electives offered = 25 out of a possible 44. Ratio = 0.56

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
We have 8 CE, 17 EE, 10 PDM, and 11 ME senior electives total = 46 In 2017 we offered 4 CE, 13 EE, 9 PDM, and 10 ME for a total = 36

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
In the academic year we offered the same number of senior electives as the year before so our ratio didn't change. 25/44 = 0.56.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 1.E.1

Proportion of lecture and laboratory sections with recommended class sizes will increase by 10%

Baseline

2015-2016: Spring/Summer 2015: 73, Fall 2015: 73, Winter 2016: 235

Progress

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
Size override requests for S16: 145, F16: 297, and W17: 407. There is a sharp jump in these requests which has more to do with the fact that we made a number of sections accessible by permit only. This suggests that we may need to change our metric to track this objective.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
Our metric is the number of capacity override requests from Banner each semester. A decrease in these requests will suggest that we have adequate number of sections. The number of capacity override requests has increased significantly in each semester from the previous year. This could be attributed to our increasing enrollment and the fact that we have outgrown our facilities.

Strategic Priority Area 2: Further develop exceptional personnel.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 2.A.1

Reward and recognize faculty efforts in support of students groups.

Baseline

2015: 10 student organizations with 11 participating faculty advisors.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Started a Student Success Initiative with faculty participation. Still have 11 active student orgs with 11 advisors.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
The number of student groups increased to 11 as we have introduced a chapter of the NSBE

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 2.B.1

Progress

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
3 seminars/semester, 3 design days/year, 24 senior design project reviews, coop alumni event, first year engineers welcome

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
3 seminars/semester + 3 Design Days + 20 senior design reviews + coop celebration.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 2.C.1

Increase collaboration with other educational, industrial, and professional organizations by 10%.

Baseline

2015: 24 Grants and Contracts

Progress

2017 Status
Achieved
44 grants and contracts which represents an 83% increase.

2016 Status
Achieved
30 grants and contracts in 2016 which represents an increase of 25% from 2015.

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 2.D.1

Increased creative scholarship and development by faculty

Baseline

2015-2016 data: Total of Publications, Presentations, Contracts and Grants: 153 Total grants: $10690

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Grant total: $14,485 Publications 58, Presentations 36, Number of Grants 44.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
Grant totals are by AY so for 2015-2016 $10,690. Publications: 50, Presentations 17, Number of grants 37

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 2.E.1

Develop expectations for baseline service and baseline scholarship for each faculty level

Baseline

2015-2016 data

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
The guidelines and expectations for faculty has been fully approved and is being implemented.

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
The plan received full faculty approval and is being used to assess faculty up for T&P actions. It is being reviewed by the University governance to ensure alignment with University policy and language.

Strategic Priority Area 3: Ensure the alignment of institutional structures and functions.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 3.A.1

Develop handbooks, policies, and resources for undergraduate and graduate students in engineering. Both hardcopy and web based will be available

Baseline

2015-2016: Updated each year

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
We continue to improve information on our website. Our program plans are updated each year. Registration information for students is also updated each year. Our co-op policies for students has been updated in April 2018.

2016 Status
Substantive Progress
The SOE webpage has been updated for our most recent ABET visit. The program plans are updated regularly by our Student Advising Center. The date of the last update was June 6th 2016

Objective 3.A.2

Review and update the cross-disciplinary focus through shared curricular elements that meet the needs of each discipline and the needs of the profession

Baseline

2015-2016 data: No review

Progress

2020 Status
Achieved
The new first year engineering curriculum has been approved at all levels of university governance and is on the schedule beginning Fall 20.

2019 Status
Substantial Progress
The first year engineering sequence is being updated. The proposal to remove EGR 106 and 107, and replace them with EGR 100, 111, 112, 113, and 185 has been written and received faculty approval.

Objective 3.A.3

Develop faculty approved plan for curriculum changes

Baseline

2015-2016 data: The plan is in progress

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
The plan is done and we will be posting it on the School of Engineering Assessment site on Blackboard for all faculty to access. This will also be convenient for ABET accreditation review.

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
The plan is done and has received faculty approval. We are still considering where it should be housed. Whether on the shared drive, online, on Blackboard.

Objective 3.A.4

Seek stakeholder input regularly

Baseline

2015: 1/ year for the school and 1 every 2 years for each curriculum program

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
1/year for the school and 1 every 2 years for each program Alumi and coop employer survey each year for ABET accreditation

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
1/ year for the school and 1 every 2 years for each curriculum program

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 3.C.1

Increase interaction with coop employers by 20 %.

Baseline

2015-2016 data

Progress

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
136 coop employers which represents an increase of 16.2%

2016 Status
Achieved
145 coop employers which represents a jump of 24%

Objective 3.C.2

Increase meaningful stakeholder input and involvement in the program/school by 10%

Baseline

2015-2016 data

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
20 senior projects and 31 members on the advisory board

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 3.E.1

Match the administrative structure of the school to its size.

Baseline

2015-2016 data: 42 administrative credit hours. Chairs for the ME, CE/EE, PDM, and graduate programs along wit, Director and Assistant Director of SOE.

Progress

2020 Status
Achieved
All programs, including the new BME, have dedicated curriculum chair positions that are filled. These chairs act as a executive committee of the full faculty body. Each program is also represented in the unit committees like assessment committee, graduate committee etc. The unit also has dedicated Director and Assistant Director positions. We also have a dedicated Graduate Program Director.

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
We have got a dedicated CE chair now which helps. Earlier EE and CE shared a chair.

Strategic Priority Area 4: Enhance the institution's image and reputation.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 4.A.1

Progress

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
Changed the metric to count the number of stories featuring engineering students on GVnow 14 in 2017.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
17 stories done in GVNow

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 4.C.1

Improve communication of successful faculty scholarship and engagement with the community

Baseline

2015: Number of successful personnel actions: 0 of 0 total, Attendance at Project Days: not counted, Number of dissemination: 116, professional or community service activities: 112

Progress

2019 Status
Substantial Progress
A new dedicated Assistant Dean has been hired at PCEC to work on outreach and social networking to publicize the school's accomplishments.

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Number of successful personnel actions: 8 of 8 total. Professional service activities: 117, Community service activities 53. 29 faculty participated in project days. Number of disseminations (publications + presentations): 94

Objective 4.C.2

Increase visibility through website, social media,

Baseline

2015-2016 data

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Project Days attendance F15: 247, W16: 230, F16: 219, W16: 257, F17: 258, W17 239

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 4.D.1

Increase graduate enrollment by 10%; Increase high impact activities by 20%

Baseline

2015-2016: SS15= 40 students, F15= 59 students, W16= 63 students

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
8% enrollment increase since last year.

2016 Status
Minimal Progress
MSE students by semester. SS15= 40 students, F15= 59 students, W16= 63 students. SS16 = 44 , F16 = 67 , W17 = 73

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