17 June 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.
Higher education officials from 30 European countries,
meeting in Prague, have reaffirmed their commitment to harmonize the
continent’s diverse national university systems. According to an article by
Robert Koenig if the 25 May 2001 issue of Science, the movement which
began as the “Bologna process” two years ago is aimed at creating a European
Education Area by 2010. Elements of the plan include: compatible degrees,
undergraduate and graduate programs, transfer of course credit, greater
mobility, institutional accreditation, and joint degrees. During the
discussions, some speakers defended
the value of keeping the typical European degree system for medicine,
engineering, and law, in which students begin their specialized studies right
after secondary school and do not earn a bachelor’s degree along the way. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Prominent scholars and education leaders gathered in Ghana
recently to promote efforts to revitalize the African continent’s feeble
higher-education and research system, according to an article by Burton Bollag
in the Chronicle of Higher Education. One mechanism discussed was the
promotion of links between African academics who live there and those who now
work elsewhere. It is estimated that some 100,000 Africans with specialized
skills have taken jobs in the West because of lack of opportunities at home.
Recommendations of the gathering deal with two areas: promoting links between
African institutions and African scholars living abroad, and promoting fields of
research and study that can provide particular benefits to African countries.
The latter will include using indigenous knowledge to ensure a secure supply of
food and adding value to Africa’s primary commodity exports – crops, fish,
forest products, and minerals – by developing modern techniques of processing
them. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001053120n.htm
The United Nations plans to establish a university to train
young entrepreneurs and policy makers in the poorest countries to play a bigger
role in the global trading system, according to an article by Burton Bollag in
the Chronicle. The World Trade University will be based in Toronto, with
additional campuses in Africa and Asia. The university, slated to open in two
years, will provide training in international banking, trade law, and other
skills useful in promoting exports. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001052503n.htm
The governing body of the Russian Academy of Sciences has
drafted a plan for strict oversight of its members, which would require them to
report any international activities and contacts to the academy’s governing
presidium. According to an article by Constance Holden in the 8 June 2001 issue
of Science, the plan is intended to avoid any harm to the Russian state
in the sphere of economic and scientific cooperation by preventing the
transmission abroad of information concerning national security. It calls for
strengthening controls on articles being prepared and the exchange of
information with foreign countries. Observers wonder whether this is a benign
measure to protect Russian scientists from unwittingly revealing state secrets,
or a chilling return to Soviet-style authoritarianism. See http://www.sciencemag.org
Japan’s universities are rapidly increasing the number of
faculty positions for which tenure is not awarded, according to a note by
Michael Chan in the Chronicle. New data indicate that 56 universities
hired a total of 607 professors or researchers for non-tenure track jobs in
2000, compared with 17 universities that made 83 such hires in 1998. The
Education Ministry introduced a limited-tenure system in 1998; previously all
public university professors were hired with tenure, as civil servants. The new
law is aimed at increasing the quality of research by making it easier for
universities to hire people with specialized skills. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001052208n.htm
The Austrian government has approved plans for a major
shakeup of the country’s university system, according to an article by Min Ku
in the 1 June 2001 issue of Science. Proponents say that the proposal
would infuse fresh blood into a system that has become stagnant, because most
professors currently are civil servants with lifetime positions that provide
raises not tied to job performance. That system leaves essentially no positions
for young people. The education and science minister has proposed abolishing
civil service status for all new university professors and assistants, with only
senior professors retaining permanent positions. The plan also downplays
Habilitation – a lengthy apprenticeship necessary to apply for a
professorship. The Austrian Rectors
Conference has rejected the plan, saying that it supports the direction in
principle but contending that the government has not provided funding for
effective implementation. See http://www.sciencemag.org
The Australian government has announced plans to spend
$19-million to develop a high speed Internet backbone to connect 80 major
universities and research organizations across the country, according to a note
by Geoffrey Maslen in the Chronicle. Funds for the project are to be
split between, universities, government research organizations, and private
companies, with $47-million of additional resources expected from collaborating
groups. In addition, there are plans to use undersea cables to connect this
network with the United States and Canada, offering the additional prospect of
international collaboration. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001060403t.htm
The challenge of building a viable treaty response to
climate change is enormous and multifaceted, according to an article by Sandalow
and Bowles in the 8 June 2001 issue of Science. The authors note that
scientific and political time scales are mismatched, with little change
occurring in any given political cycle. They also note that responses to climate
change involve modifications in energy and transportation infrastructures, which
presents politicians with substantial challenges, and that widely varying
national circumstances complicate policy responses. Particularly challenging is
defining the relative responsibilities of industrialized and developing
countries acceptable to each. The authors assert that a treaty response needs to
accomplish at least three basic objectives: create strong incentives to start to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions; provide a cost effective framework for
international collaboration; and maintain options and flexibility as an
international regime is built over the years and decades ahead. See http://www.sciencemag.org
The European Union and the European Investment Bank have
signed an agreement to promote research and technical innovation, according to a
note by Burton Bollag in the Chronicle. The two groups will join their
substantial forces in hopes of increasing research financing and in using their
funds more effectively. There is concern that while European scientific quality
is on a par with the US and Japan, they lag behind in patenting and setting up
companies to develop products. This paradox is partly explained by Europe’s
relatively low spending on research and development – with the EU countries
investing 1.9% of GNP in research, compared with 2.6% in the US and 3% in Japan.
See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/06/2001061304n.htm
Technology workers worldwide are beginning to feel the
effects of a slowing economy, according to an article by Kathy Kowalenko in the
June 2001 issue of the IEEE Institute. The engineering community has not
been hard hit, but there have been many layoffs in the technical areas in
positions that are not as fully qualified as engineers in companies such as the
dot-coms. High talent and high demand areas are expected to remain secure, but
there will likely be less of a barrage of headhunter calls. The article suggests
strategies for those who face layoff. See http://www.ieee.org
Independent libraries in Cuba are defying the government’s lock on information, according to an article by Marion Lloyd in the Chronicle. In a country where the government wields nearly absolute control over information, private collections represent a significant challenge to state authority. The majority of independent librarians are active members of opposition political parties, many with ties to Miami-based exile groups. New books of any kind have been hard to come by since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which deprived Cuba of its main supplier of textbooks and papers. While some fields such as political science have severe censorship, engineering is not so inhibited. In Cuba, only government officials and academics usually have access to the Internet, and then only to certain sites. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i39/39a04001.htm
The $1.35-trillion tax-cut bill passed by Congress and signed by President Bush contains several provisions of interest to the higher education community, according to an article by Lila Guterman in the Chronicle. The legislation will help students and parents save for college and repay student loans, and it makes permanent a tax deduction for educational assistance provided to an employee by an employer. The new law also eliminates taxes on interest earned under state prepaid-tuition plans and allows private colleges to set up such plans. One casualty in the final bill coming out of the House and Senate conference committee was permanent extension of the research and development tax credit, which is slated to expire in 2004. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001052901n.htm
Specifics of the tax bill can be found at http://www.senate.gov/~finance/fin-leg.htm
Congressional lawmakers are vying to shape programs at the
National Science Foundation, after President Bush’s proposal to spend
$200-million a year on science and math education programs offered scant
details. According to an article by Jeffrey Mervis in the 25 May 2001 issue of Science,
a slew of bills that would flesh out Bush’s sketchy plan to forge
partnerships between universities and local school districts are in the works.
One important bill has been proposed by Representative Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY),
chair of the House Science Committee. His proposal would authorize $267-million
a year in NSF programs to strengthen teacher training and professional
development through the linking of universities and nonprofit organizations to improve math and
science instruction in elementary and secondary schools. Boehlert’s plan
appears to be closely aligned with NSF’s thinking. See http://www.sciencemag.org
The shift of control of the US Senate to the Democrats,
resulting from the departure of Senator James Jefford’s from the Republican
Party, has college lobbyists hoping that they can win more money for federal
student-aid programs and scientific research that President Bush has proposed.
According to an article by Stephen Burd and Ron Southwick in the Chronicle, this
change in Senate leadership will likely change the whole appropriations dynamic.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will be chair of the Senate appropriations committee,
which sets the budgets of student aid programs and the National Institutes of
Health. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) will chair the appropriations panel that
oversees the National Science Foundation and NASA. She has urged more money for
the overall research and development budget, and for NSF in particular. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001052401n.htm
and http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/06/2001060701n.htm
Under a plan released by the Bush administration, federal
grants would be easier to apply for and researchers seeking them would find out
more quickly if they had won awards. According to an article by Jeffrey Brainard
in the Chronicle, the plan represents the largest effort to consolidate
and reform federal rules on grants since 1969. Congress ordered the overhaul in
1999, and the Department of Health and Human Services has been the lead agency
on the project. Some of the proposed changes have already been underway, such as
a uniform system for submitting proposals electronically. Federal officials also
want to reduce the amount of time between application and decision – a gap
that can now be six months or more. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/05/2001052205n.htm
The US Senate has passed education reform legislation by an
overwhelming vote of 91-8, according to an article by Helen Dewar in the15 June
2001 Washington Post. The bill calls for annual testing of students in
reading and mathematics, and requires schools to demonstrate progress in
eliminating achievement gaps. Failing schools would receive aid to improve, but
would face the loss of funds and other penalties if they fail to make adequate
progress. To encourage improvement and innovation, local school officials would
be given more flexibility in how they spend federal funds – currently 7% of
public education funds. In a major failure for President Bush, both the Senate
and the House have rebuffed his bid to win approval of vouchers designed to help
low-income children escape failing public schools by enrolling in private
schools. The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference, which must work out the
estimated $15-billion difference between what Bush and the Democrats want to
spend to implement the anticipated reforms. See http://www.washingtonpost.com
The National Academy of Sciences has rejected Bush administration skepticism about global warming, according to an article by Eric Planin in the 7 June 2001 Washington Post. In a report that came in response to a White House request for guidance on the conclusions of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, NAS declared that global warming was a real problem caused at least in part by man-made pollution, and that it could well have a serious adverse impact by the end of the century. The 24 page report acknowledges that some uncertainties remain about how much natural variation is contributing to global warming, but in general it provides ammunition to European leaders and environmental groups who are demanding action on greenhouse gas emissions from the Bush administration. See http://www.washingtonpost.com
In partial response to the NAS report, President Bush
called for more climate change research and voluntary controls on greenhouse
emissions. He announced several new programs to study climate change and
greenhouse gases, and vowed to fully finance climate change science over the
next five years. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/06/2001061201n.htm
College presidents should support and encourage
collaborations between university researchers and private corporations,
according to a report recently issued by the American Council on Education and
the National Alliance of Business. As reported in an article by Julianne
Basinger in the Chronicle, a two-year effort by the Business – Higher
Education Forum led to recommendations for ways for universities and industries
to work better together, covering controversial areas such as intellectual
property rights, indirect costs, and conflicts of interest. The report notes
that some university leaders and faculty worry that collaborations with industry
could threaten their academic missions by influencing what kind of research is
done and even what is taught. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2001/06/2001061103n.htm.
The full report can be found on the ACE web site at http://www.acenet.edu
The Library of Congress and 100 or so other libraries around the world have been helping one another to provide round-the-clock answers to reference questions. Now, according to an article in the Chronicle by Goldie Blumenstyk, the libraries are gearing up to expand their membership and hope to extend the service soon to anyone with access to the Internet. The Collaborative Digital Reference Service hopes to recruit as many as 200 additional academic, national, public and private libraries by the end of the year. The service was conceived by librarians at the Library of Congress who want to provide an intellectually richer alternative to a quick-hit Web search – which can only access information that happens to be on line. So far the service has operated as a library-to-library operation, with reference experts submitting patron’s questions online via software that routes the question to the library best suited to answer it. Organizers hope to begin offering the service directly to the public via the Internet soon, with an aim of responding to patron’s questions within two hours. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/05/2001052201t.htm
Eleven universities in the US and Britain have joined
together to create and sell online graduate courses, according to an article in
the Chronicle by Sarah Carr. Worldwide Universities Network hopes to
provide a much higher quality offering to students than could be offered by a
single institution. The network includes Penn State, the University of
California at San Diego, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the
University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and in the UK
the Universities of Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton, and
York. The organization hopes to grow through the addition of private colleges
and institutions in a range of countries. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001060802u.htm
Some US institutions are trying to broaden their
international reach by offering their online courses in both English and
Spanish, according to a note by Dan Carnevale in the Chronicle. As more
countries get improved access to the Internet, people who do not speak English
well or at all are looking for distance education courses in their native
languages. Jones International University, for example, has been translating
online courses needed for an MBA and for a master’s in education. Another
example, the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering and its extension
program are providing continuing education credits in disaster management in
Spanish. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001061501u.htm
In Beijing, Jakarta, and elsewhere in developing countries,
enrollments are increasing in distance education courses. According to an
article in the Chronicle by Burton Bollag, developing countries are
responding to increased demand with online courses instead of with new
brick-and-mortar universities. But educators face many challenges in this shift
– including how to use online technology in countries where few people have
access to computers or even phone lines, and how to ensure the quality of
programs offered to their citizens by online institutions both inside and
outside their borders. In China, where only one out of 20 young people receive
higher education, distance education is playing a central role. China Central
Radio and Television University has 1.5 million students, two-thirds in degree
programs, and caters to working adults. Beijing has ordered the system to expand
by 100,000 students per year. One response to the quality control issue is in
place in Argentina and Chile, where all distance education offered in their
countries is under the purview of their national university accreditation
agencies. The World Bank is expanding its financial support for low-tech
correspondence courses and radio programs to upgrade the skills of rural
schoolteachers across Africa, in Brazil, and elsewhere. See http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i40/40a02901.htm
The US Senate has passed a bill that would allow faculty
members to use many of the same copyrighted works in online courses that they
have long been allowed in traditional courses, as reported in a note by Dan
Carnevale in the Chronicle. If an identical bill makes it through the
House and is signed by the President, it would extend the existing copyright
exemptions for classroom use to nonprofit distance education courses. Publishing
associations originally opposed the changes, but later offered support after the
bill’s language was narrowed to protect copyright holders while allowing
academic use. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001061201u.htm
The University of Washington plans to offer free, short
versions of some of its online courses, partly as a marketing strategy.
According to a note in the Chronicle by Sarah Carr, subjects such as
“Business Writing” and “History of New Orleans Jazz” will be offered.
The courses will take students only a couple of hours, and will be followed by a
brief online quiz. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001060601u.htm
At least 35 states now have a virtual university or other
statewide organization to deliver or promote distance education, according to an
article by Jeffrey Young in the Chronicle. An updated list of these
organizations is maintained by the Instructional Telecommunications Council, and
is available on its web site. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001061301u.htm
Distance education is playing an unusual role in Cuba’s literate but desolate society, according to an article in the Chronicle by Marion Lloyd. The University of All transmits hour-long classes via television to homes and to public places such as restaurants, covering such topics as English, geography, and classical dance. The effort is in response to a substantial decrease in the number of Cuban’s going to college – now 145,000 compared to 350,000 in 1985. The decrease is due to the lack of jobs in traditional fields such as engineering, and the ability of less well educated people to earn money by servicing the growing tourist industry. See http://chronicle.com/free/2001/06/2001060801u.htm
Because times are tough in the semiconductor business,
Intel Corp. is eliminating 5000 jobs, delaying raises and reducing spending on
travel, overtime and consultants by 30%. Yet, according to an article in by
David Wessel in the 14 June 2001 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Intel
is continuing its program of building relationships with community college
presidents and deans to establish a long term flow of appropriate graduates to
fill its long term personnel needs. One goal is to make sure that new plants in
Colorado and Massachusetts have workers five years from now. Intel recognizes
that training programs cannot be turned on and off like a spigot. Intel is also
spending less money on trash collection in its plants, but still spending on
contests and scholarships for science-minded high school students. See http://www.wsj.com
The US Supreme Court has declined an opportunity to clear
up the muddled legal status of affirmative action in higher education
admissions, according to an article by Michael Fletcher in the 30 May 2001 Washington
Post. The Court refused to review an appeals court decision that upheld the
use of race as a factor at the University of Washington Law School. Offering no
explanation, as is customary, the Court’s decision not to review the case lets
stand the legal principle undergirding an appeals court decision last December
which ruled that racial diversity on campus is a compelling public interest that
allows race-conscious admissions decisions. One observer said: “There is a lot
of confusion out there – but for those who oppose affirmative action and have
already proclaimed it dead, the Supreme Court order undercuts that
proposition”. See http://www.washingtonpost.com
After a year and a half of study and deliberation, the Task Committee on the First Professional Degree of the American Society of Civil Engineers has completed a draft report. It can be reviewed at http://www.asce.org/firstprofdegree/report050701.cfm.
Its major recommended policy for the society: “ASCE
supports the concept of the Master’s Degree or Equivalent as a prerequisite
for licensure and the practice of civil engineering at the professional
level”. Discussion is invited at http://ascecf.minus.com/Forums/Main.cfm?CFApp=20
“Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and University Leaders: (A.A.Bates, 2000, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 235 pages, $34.95) is a new book reviewed by Donald Tucker in the June 2001 AAHE Bulletin. The reviewer characterizes the book as not so much a handbook for using and implementing technology in education as it is about rethinking our educational methods, institutional purpose, learning goals, core values and priorities. Bates urges institutions to ask hard questions about how quality teaching at the highest levels of learning (analysis, synthesis, problem solving, and decision making) takes place. See http://www.aahe.org
A pilot electronic conference on engineering education is
available for review and interaction at http://www.webconferences.org.
The emphasis of the electronic conference is to allow engineering educators in
developing countries to participate in a ‘meeting’ with peers, without
having to travel. Several papers have been posted, and discussions are invited.
The pilot project is being done by the National Technological University, and a
summary of papers and discussions will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the
European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) in Copenhagen in September,
with Internet broadcast of the session.
A unique opportunity for US and other non-European
engineering educators to learn first hand about engineering education in the new
Europe will take place this September. A day-and-a-half pre-conference will be
held prior to the SEFI Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, on September 10-11,
providing exclusive briefings by leading European engineering educators. Then
participants registered for the pre-conference will participate fully in the
SEFI Annual Meeting itself, from September 12-14. For details on the
pre-conference program see http://www.worldexpertise.com/SEFI_pre-conference.htm,
and for on line registration to the combined pre-conference and SEFI conference
see http://www.sefi2001.dk
Positions
of possible interest
From the 8 June 2001 Chronicle of Higher Education:
Ø Vice Provost/Graduate Studies, University of Denver, CO
Ø VPAA, Morgan State University, MD
Ø
President, University of Dayton, OH
From the 15 June 2001 Chronicle:
Ø
Dean of Academic Affairs, DeVry Institute of Technology, CA
From the 22 June 2001 Chronicle:
Ø Dean, Science and Engineering, San Francisco State University, CA
Ø
Dean, College of Engineering, Valparaiso University, IN
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