10 March 2001
Copyright © 2001 World Expertise LLC – All rights
reserved
A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,
edited by Russel C. Jones, PhD., P.E.
China has reported a 14% increase in students entering
higher education, according to a note by Daniel Walfish in the Chronicle of
Higher Education. The number of students entering higher education
institutions this year will be 2.5 million. The increase reflects a drive by
China’s government to broaden access to higher education, with a goal of more
than 20% of the eligible population to be receiving higher education by the year
2015. The current percentage is about 11%, compared to around 60% in the nearby
countries of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Concern has been expressed by
academic experts that such rapid expansion is causing education quality to
suffer. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030509n.htm
South Africa has announced a major higher education reform
plan, according to an article by Linda Vergnani in the Chronicle. The
plan is aimed at ending fragmentation, duplication, and racial inequalities left
over from apartheid. The plan also aims to increase the participation rate of
college age students to 20%, from the current 15%. The racial composition of the
student body has changed – increasing the black portion from 53% in 1993 to
71% in 1999. But the graduation rate of white students is double that of black
students. Mergers of institutions are expected, and a distance education
institution will be created. See http://chronicle.com/2001/03/2001030606n.htm
There is a worldwide rise in the number of private
colleges, as the public monopoly on higher education ends in nation after
nation. According to an article by David Cohen in the Chronicle, the
world’s desire for higher education has outstripped the ability of many
countries to pay for it. In countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin
America, and throughout much of the developing world, private colleges now
represent the fastest growing area of postsecondary education. The private
college mechanism is well established in the United States, although some 60 to
80 percent of students are in public universities. Private institutions
worldwide may be run for profit or not, may offer traditional academic programs
or vocational or technology oriented programs, and may or may not get some
government support. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i26/26a04701.htm
In China, ‘publish or perish’ is becoming the new
reality, according to an article by Ding Yimin in the 23 February issue of Science.
A new program is funneling money and resources to a chosen few who are found
to be highly productive as measured by publication output, at the expense of
older researchers. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has since 1998 been slimming
down its traditional cradle-to-grave funding of researchers at its sprawling
range of 123 institutes, and replacing it with targeted funding of a cadre of
elite researchers. It has adopted the practice of ongoing performance reviews,
with the lowest performers being dismissed. In addition to selecting based on
quality, the Academy hopes to deepen the talent pool by bringing in more young
scientists – 20,000 graduate students by the year 2005, up from the current
12,000. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Japan’s Education Ministry plans to submit legislation
this year to allow colleges there to accept students as young as age 17,
according to a note by Michael Chan in the Chronicle. The ministry’s
intent is to permit more academically gifted students to benefit from a learning
environment more suited to their abilities. See http://chronicle.cpm/2001/02/2001022806n.htm
A new project among universities in northern Europe and
East Africa will use the Internet to provide African scholars with wide access
to academic journals, according to Burton Bollag writing in the Chronicle. During
the initial three-year phase, African scholars will have access to the full text
of articles in only two disciplines – developmental studies and business and
management – but they will have unlimited access to abstracts in other fields.
The documents will be made available free to any scholars who want them, through
ten cooperating African universities. Four universities in Denmark, Belgium, and
the Netherlands are providing the service. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/02/2001022601t.htm
The European Commission, hoping to breathe new life into
its fragmented scientific community, has approved a 4-year, $16.2-billion,
research program aimed at focusing its research programs on common goals. Slated
to spend 17% more than previous programs, Framework 6 will spur more
pan-European projects and pay for more scientists to country hop. According to
an article in the 2 March issue of Science by Robert Koenig, areas
targeted for support include: information technology, genomics and
biotechnology, sustainable development and global change, nanotechnologies,
aeronautics and space, and food safety. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Britain is pushing for the introduction of SAT-like tests
for use in higher education admissions, at a time when the SAT is facing
increasing attacks in the U.S. According to a note in the Chronicle by
David Walker, a report from an educational research body recommends that
universities should use such standardized tests alongside the results of the
‘advanced level’ examinations taken by 18 year olds, which focus on
knowledge rather than aptitude. Both the Labor government and the vice
chancellor’s association are studying the report. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030204n.htm
Britain will be providing $979-million in science grants to
universities and academic laboratories, aimed at raising its global standing in
research. According to note by David Walker in the Chronicle, the one
hundred institutions that are benefiting from the program are required to raise
25% of their costs from business or foundation sources. Government officials
note that science is the bedrock of the ‘knowledge economy’, and expect
growth in areas such as health care, new technologies, and environmental
protection. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001022105n.htm
The University of Limerick in Ireland may be entering a
bidding war for top academics, according to an article by Karen Birchard in the Chronicle.
It plans to pay top dollar for 24 new positions as part of its innovative
Research Scholars Program, which will involve virtually no teaching. The
university has started an international campaign for candidates, aiming for at
least four senior professors. The university will provide seed money to the
scholars for 5 years, after which they will be expected to get their own
research funding. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001021906n.htm
The United States must invest more resources and entice
more students into science and engineering, or risk losing the lead in areas
that have spurred innovation, sustained national security, improved public
health, and driven a strong economy. This message was delivered by the president
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the group’s
annual meeting, according to a report by Lila Guterman in the Chronicle. Mary
Good, of the University of Arkansas, also recommended that the federal
government should establish a cabinet position in science and technology. She
expressed concern about decreases in funding for scientific research, and
decreases if bachelor’s degrees in engineering, mathematics, and computer
science. To remedy the situation, Good said that scientific and engineering
leaders must team up to develop proposals which attack both concerns. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001021903n.htm
U.S. scientists are debating their role in President
Bush’s missile defense plan, according to an article by Ron Southwick in the Chronicle.
Proponents of the antimissile system say it is essential for national
security. Opponents express concerns about whether the technology can be
developed to build a reliable system, and note opposition by European allies who
fear another arms race. University scientists are concerned that an expansion of
spending on a missile defense system will siphon funds from the Defense
Department’s other research programs, where funding of university research is
more likely. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i24/24a02701.htm
The human genome is featured in the 16 February 2001 issue
of Science. Several major articles cover the human genome projects and
their potential impacts. Policy issues are dealt with in “Political Issues in
the Genome Era”, written by Senators James Jeffords and Tom Daschle. This
article cites the many potential benefits in medicine, but raises concerns about
ethical, legal and social issues. The Senators note that one of the most
difficult issues is determining the proper balance between privacy concerns and
fair use of genetic information – which could lead to such problems as genetic
discrimination by employers. Other ethical issues are raised by research methods
used to gather genetic data, and how genetic information is catalogued and
maintained – including use in forensic data banks for criminal cases. See http://www.sciencemag.org
The new U.S. Education Secretary, Roderick Paige, has
called upon colleges and universities to help improve elementary and secondary
education through partnerships with local schools. According to an article in
the Chronicle by Alex Kellogg, Paige noted that some 30% of college-bound
students regularly need remedial work – thus making it in university’s self
interest to upgrade their pre-college educations. He noted the key role
universities play in teacher preparation, and in educational research. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001022102n.htm
In a series of articles in the Chronicle, Stephen Burd and Ron Southwick reviewed President Bush’s recent budget message to the Congress for details on his spending agenda for higher education. While the President called education his ‘highest priority’, he did not indicate in his speech how much money he would request from congress for the Education Department or for federal student aid programs. His speech did reiterate a commitment to double the NIH budget by 2003. In the budget document released the day after the President’s speech to Congress, $1-billion in new funds for Pell grants was included – without the controversial plan to increase such grants for first-year students only. Other proposals of interest to higher education include: increased support for historically black colleges and institutions with large Hispanic enrollments; expansion of student loan forgiveness limits for math and science majors who teach in schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students; raising the cap on contributions to tax-free education savings accounts; giving tax breaks for philanthropic giving; and making it easier for parents to invest in prepaid tuition plans at private colleges. In the budget document, the NSF budget would increase only 1%, with some continuing programs slated for less funding than they are getting this year while funds are transferred to bolster math and science education. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001022801n.htm,
http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030101n.htm,
and http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030102n.htm.
Chronic shortages of high-tech and other skilled workers
are starting to ease in many parts of the U.S. as layoffs rise and job-hopping
abates, according to an article in the 8 March 2001 Wall Street Journal by
Greg Ip. The findings, based on a Federal Reserve survey, suggests that demand
has eased for the best paid workers – those in high tech, Internet,
manufacturing, and construction jobs. See http://www.wsj.com
for the article, and http://www.wsj.com/JournalLinks
for the Federal Reserve’s report.
The March 2001 issue of ASEE’s Prism features an
article on attracting women to engineering, “Getting it right” by Margaret
Mannix. The author states that attracting women to engineering is tough, but
that some schools have found formulas that seem to work. She describes efforts
that are working: using current women students to attract new women students,
creating courses that involve women students in hands-on engineering earlier in
their college level studies, and including parents of prospective female
students in the recruitment process. See http://www.asee.org
“Affirmative action and new demographic realities”, a
substantial review article by John Skrentny in the Chronicle, reviews the
history, current status, and future possibilities of affirmative action as a
tool to address discrimination. The author points out that recent court cases
have breathed new life into affirmative action, at least in the arena of college
admissions. Arguments for the value of diversity on campuses have prevailed
recently. The author points out that, more and more, members of nonblack
minority groups – notable Latinos and Asian Americans – benefit from racial
preferences. He argues that we need a bipartisan presidential commission to
produce a thorough study of discrimination in the U.S., to provide guidance for
national and local equal-opportunity policy. See http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i23/23b00701.htm
An Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid, which
advises Congress and the Education Department, has reported that financial
barriers are still keeping many of the neediest students from pursuing a higher
education. The report says that the gap in the college-going rates between
students from low-income families and those from high-income families is nearly
as wide today as it was three decades ago, when federal student-aid programs
were created. And because there is expected to be a tidal wave of college
students over the next 15 years, matters are likely to get worse as most of them
will be unable to afford college without major government help, according to an
article in the Chronicle by
Stephen Burd. The report says that the federal government, states, and colleges
have shifted their attention away from helping the neediest students to bolster
more politically popular programs that make higher education more affordable for
middle-class families. Committee members hope that the Bush administration will
take the report into consideration when crafting its student-aid proposals. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001022203n.htm
Following similar moves by Harvard and Princeton
Universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced changes in
its financial aid policies that will increase the size of annual grants for
undergraduates by $3100. According to a note by Ron Southwick in the Chronicle,
MIT’s average student assistance package will rise to about $24,600 next
year, including grants and loans. Cost of an MIT undergraduate education year
will be $34,460 next year, and about 75% of its undergraduate students will
receive financial aid. In January, Princeton University announced that it would
replace all loans with grants, setting off a wave of increased financial aid
packages at other elite institutions. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030504n.htm
Massachusetts is the first state in the U.S. to mandate
engineering in the pre-school through 12th grade education
curriculum, according to an article in the March 2001 Prism by Barbara
Mathias-Riegel. Spearheaded by a Tuft’s University dean, the Massachusetts
plan took more than a decade of working closely with teachers and young students
to produce. Supporters of this development in Massachusetts hope that schools
across the U.S. will embrace the concept that children need to be taught problem
solving and design skills in order to understand our technological world. See http://www.asee.org
Northwestern University’s president has warned faculty
members that unproductive professors may lose research space, according to an
article by Scott Smallwood in the Chronicle. As the university expands
its research facilities in a bid to become one of the top 20 universities in the
U.S. in research spending, President Henry Bienen has made it clear that faculty
members must compete more successfully for federal research grants, or risk
losing space to those more competitive in using space productively. Northwestern
is building three new research centers on campus, and the comments by the
President were apparently aimed at assuring that these new facilities would be
used effectively – through outside support for activities there. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001022601n.htm
Standards developed by the International Technology
Education Association are aimed at technological literacy in kindergarten
through 12th grade, according to an article in the March 2001 IEEE
Institute. ITEA says that while some school districts have comprehensive
technology programs, most students nationwide receive little or no formal
instruction in the study of technology. As a result, they have minimal
understanding of one of the most powerful influences affecting their lives. The
ITEA guidelines contain 20 standards, citing what students should know and be
able to do in order to be technologically literate. The standards are intended
to provide a road map for teachers, schools, school districts, and states. It is
hoped that as pre-college students learn more about technology, more will be
attracted to selecting engineering as a career option. See http://iteawww.org
to learn more about the standards.
A recent study of the migration patterns of college
graduates indicates that they are more likely to leave a state if they earned a
degree in engineering, had a high grade point average, or graduated from a
research-intensive university or a historically black college. According to a
note by Jeffrey Selingo in the Chronicle, college graduates are 10 times
as likely to stay in a particular state if they attended both high school and
college there. The study also shows that students are likely to stay in a
particular state even if they only graduated from college there, so states might
be well served by lowering out-of-state tuition to attract college students who
got high school degrees elsewhere. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/03/2001030601n.htm
U.S. graduate schools are heavily populated by foreign
students, according to an article by David Wessel in the 1 March 2001 Wall
Street Journal. This trend is caused by the desire of foreign students to
get high quality graduate degrees, and by the lack of interest by U.S. students
to compete for places in graduate programs. For example, nearly 40% of graduate
students at MIT are from abroad. The author asks whether this is good for the
U.S., and notes that one major benefit is that many of the international
students so attracted stay to join the U.S. workforce. This enriches the pool of
talent for U.S. academia and industry – especially in areas such as science
and engineering. About 27% of all graduate students in science and engineering
are foreigners, and the percentage is rising. The number of Americans enrolling
is falling, partly due to a strong job market that lures young Americans away
from graduate student stipends. See http://www.wsj.com
MIT professors have proposed a costly effort to put all
course materials on line, according to an article by Jeffrey Young in the Chronicle.
Under the proposed program, MIT would publish a vast collection of course
materials on the Web, although it would not deliver the courses to students at a
distance. Many colleges and universities encourage professors to publish Web
pages for their courses, but few make it standard. The proposed MIT project
might cost as much as $100-million over 10 years, with a goal of creating Web
pages for about 2000 courses. Much of the money would pay for support services
to help professors get their lecture notes and other teaching materials on line.
The program would be voluntary, but every professor would be encouraged to
participate. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/03/2001030101u.htm
A study-abroad program targeting undergraduate engineering
students hopes to equip graduates with global experiences and cultural awareness
that will help them adapt to an expanding international business environment. An
article in the March 2001 issue of Engineering Times describes the Global
Engineering Education Exchange (E3) Program, a consortium of worldwide and
American universities administered in the U.S. by the Institute of International
Education. Currently 74 universities in 15 countries are members if Global E3,
including at least 30 in the U.S. For more information see http://www.iie.org/pgms/global-e3
The 12 March 2001 issue of Time contains a major
special report: “Should SAT’s Matter?” With a growing number of colleges
spurning or downplaying the test that has been used in American college
admissions for 75 years, the articles explore alternative approaches. The
President of the University of California, for example, plans to drop the SAT
for his systems 90,000 yearly applicants and replace it with standardized
achievement tests that measure student’s mastery of specific subjects. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/02/2001021901n.htm).
One of the Time articles points out that this approach is similar to that
proposed by President Bush for public school children – mandated standardized
tests in reading and math to encourage students to master factual material. See http://www.time.com/education
The Global University Alliance, an online venture of 10
institutions, has decided to start offering courses of its own, in addition to
courses offered by its member universities. According to a note in the Chronicle
by Geoffrey Maslen, the graduate level courses will be in business and
information technology, with plans to market them to students in Asia starting
in June. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/03/2001030201u.htm
Distance education students are often required to trek to
campus to take proctored tests. In Texas, 22 colleges and five public libraries
have joined forces to make proctored testing more convenient for online
students, according to an article in the Chronicle by Jeffrey Young. The
colleges and libraries are setting up testing centers that will be available to
students taking online courses from any member college. The testing centers,
funded by a $748,000 grant from the state, are expected to be in place by this
summer. Other states, such as Illinois, have similar programs. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/02/2001021501u.htm
As online education surges, some colleges remain
uninvolved. According to an article in the Chronicle by Dan Carnevale,
only about 10 to 15 percent of all colleges and universities in the U.S. have
avoided creating online programs. Most of the institutions that have chosen not
to jump aboard the online bandwagon are liberal arts institutions. But other,
non-liberal-arts institutions have also avoided online education for a variety
of reasons, such as lack of money and resources, or a no-growth strategy. The Chronicle
article describes three such institutions in some detail – the University
of Texas at Austin, Boston College, and the University of New Hampshire. See http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i24/24a04101.htm
Universities often have provided modem pools which allow
off campus students, faculty and staff members to dial in to get access to the
campus network or the Internet. According to an article in the Chronicle by
Florence Olsen, many universities are now weighing whether to keep their modem
pools, and for how long. Such pools are expensive – the University of
Maryland, for example, spends $350,000 a year just in phone line charges to
service the modems. And commercial alternatives are available, through the
Internet that users can access through inexpensive or free access services.
Several universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and George
Washington University, have terminated their modem services and provided
alternative connection mechanisms such as negotiated discounts for Internet
access. But Internet connections are not as fast as on campus networks, and
high-speed DSL lines for off campus users are expensive. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/02/2001022301t.htm
Servers are better for schools than PCs, according to an
article by Terry Costlow in the 26 February 2001 issue of Electronic
Engineering Times. Educators and technologists are arguing that the practice
of schools buying PCs is now a waste of money, saying that the better
cost-effective approach is for schools to invest in client-server systems. The
latter are said to be less expensive, have lower maintenance costs, and save
classroom space. Another benefit of the new systems is that schools could afford
to give students a second server to use at home, at a cost of around $200 rather
than the $1000 cost of a PC. Teachers would need additional training to make
such a change.
Internet2 officials have announced a new effort to reach
out to colleges and universities that are not research oriented, as well as to
elementary and secondary schools. According to an article in the Chronicle by
Jamilah Evelyn, the developers of Internet2 are committed to finding creative
ways of providing high-speed access to institutions that do not need all the
amenities that research universities demand. The Internet2 project comprises
more than 180 universities that spend more than $80-million yearly for
membership dues and campus infrastructure upgrades. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/03/2001030201t.htm
The U.S. believes that it must prepare for a new breed of
Internet-enabled terrorists over the years ahead. Adversaries are expected to
launch attacks with computer viruses and logic bombs, according to two reports
released by the US-CIA and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Other countries share similar concerns. See http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/computing/01/04/internet.threatens.security.idg/index.html
The January 2001 Journal of Engineering Education contains
several papers from the 1999 Frontiers in Education Conference. Of particular
interest is “The view from the top: leader’s perspectives on a decade of
change in engineering education”, by Stefani Bjorkland and Carol Colbeck. It
discusses the sources and pervasiveness of each change, how each has influenced
policy or practice in engineering education, and the best ways to encourage
faculty involvement in change – based on interviews with engineering education
leaders by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University’s Center for the
Study of Higher Education. Another key article is “Do online students perform
as well as lecture students?” by James Dutton, Marylin Dutton, and Jo Perry.
Their study, done at North Carolina State University, indicates that where
significant differences in outcomes appear they favor the online students. See http://www.asee.org
The March/April 2001 issue of Foreign Affairs contains
an interesting set of five articles on ‘The Age of Technology’.
In an article entitled “The Great Disruption”, authors Christenson,
Craig and Hart argue that national economies rise and fall these days due to
their ability to nurture innovations that lead to new classes of products that
are cheaper, better, and more convenient than their predecessors. In
“Digitally Empowered Development”, author Hammond states that the
information revolution has created unexpected wealth around the globe, and that
technology and policy can work together to help all countries to reap the
benefits. In “Trade for a Networked World, former U.S. Trade Representative
Charlene Barshefsky explores the opportunities and challenges for global trade
created by the information economy. See http://www.foreignaffairs.org
The March 2001 European Journal of Engineering Education contains eight articles on advances in engineering education, including “International dimensions: a challenge for European engineering education” by Said Irandoust and Jorgen Sjoberg, and “Toward culturally inclusive global engineering” by S.F.Johnston. See
http://tandf.catchword.com/ini=saramail/rpsv/catchword/tandf/03043797/v26n1/contp1.htm
The March/April issue of the online journal TechKnowLogia,
has been posted on the Web. Articles include “Capacity Building for
Science and Math Education” by Molly Teas, “Science Literacy: Project
2061/AAAS Experiences in Panama” by Fernando Cajas, and “Evaluating Computer
and Web Instruction: New Opportunities” by Gregg Jackson. See http://www.TechKnowLogia.org
“Best Assessment Processes IV”, 7-8 April 2001, Rose
Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana. See http://www.rose-hulman.edu/assessment2001
“Sustainable Development and the New Economy”,
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 14-16 May 2001, Paris.
See http://www.oecd.org/forum2001
“International Conference on Information Technology Based
Higher Education and Training”, Kumamoto University, 4-6 July 2001. See http://www.eecs.kumamoto-u-ac.jp/ITHETo1/
“International Conference on Engineering Education –
interfacing the world”, ICEE 2001, 6-10 August 2001, Oslo/Bergen, Norway. See http://www-pors.hit.no/tf/icee01/
From the 9 March 2001 Chronicle of Higher Education:
Ø Engineering faculty positions, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
Ø Building faculty positions, National University of Singapore
Ø Planning and development positions, University of West Indies
Ø Provost and VPAA, Florida A&M University
Ø VP for Research, Michigan Technological University
Ø
President, Tennessee Board of Regents
And from the 2 March 2001 Chronicle:
Ø Chair, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ø Chief Technologist, Air Force Research Laboratory, OH
Ø Dean, Fenn College of Engineering, Cleveland State University, OH
Ø German/Engineering, Rice University, TX
Ø VP Research, University of Alaska
Ø Provost and Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, North Carolina State University
Ø Dean, Graduate School, University of North Dakota – Grand Forks
Ø Provost, New Mexico State University
Ø Dean of International Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Ø
Provost/Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin
– Madison
From the March 2001 issue of Prism:
Ø Chair, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Iowa State University
Ø Chair, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida
Ø Chair, Electrical Engineering, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Ø Dean, School of Mineral Engineering, University of Alaska – Fairbanks
Ø Chair, Mechanical Engineering, Ohio Northern University
Ø
Dean, School of Engineering and Engineering technology. LeTourneau
University, TX
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