5 August 2002
Copyright © 2002 World Expertise LLC – All rights
reserved
A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,
edited by Russel C. Jones, PhD., P.E.
International developments
1.
Chaos on
African campuses
2.
Progress
at Makerere University in Uganda
3.
Reversal
of India’s brain drain?
4.
Corruption
plagues academe around the World
5.
UNESCO
forum on open courseware
6.
EU
scholarships for foreign master’s students
7.
German
conversion to BA and MA programs
8.
Online
Islamic University
9.
Engineering
Council of India formed
10.
Learning
curve for children
11.
Foreign
students face new hurdles
12.
Benefits
of international exchanges
13.
Healthy
increase proposed for NSF budget
14.
House
science committee chair praised
15.
IEEE
concerned about engineering unemployment
16.
Educators
want more engineering graduates
17.
Math and
science discussed at White House
18.
Six new
NSF centers to be funded
19.
NAS to
discuss papers that withhold information
20.
Science
community critiques Homeland Security
21.
TIAA-CREF
pushes for accounting reform
22.
US – EU
alliance on distance education meets
23.
Southern
Maine debates review of course materials
24.
China
pushes IT development
25.
Company
failures impact networks
26.
State
budgets curtail technology expenditures
27.
Students
use web for research
28.
ABET
undertakes study of EC2000 impacts
29.
Latino
parents often unable to guide children toward college
30.
Internships
give boost to students
31.
Advanced
degrees lead to more lifetime earnings
32.
Standards
set for part-time faculty members
33.
Teaching
Entrepreneurial Engineering
34.
Enhancement
of the Global Perspective for Engineering Students by Providing an International
Experience
35.
Journal
of Engineering Education
36.
Issues in
Science and Technology
37. European Journal of Engineering Education
International developments
1) There is chaos on many African campuses, according to a
review article in the Chronicle of Higher Education by Burton Bollag. In
country after country on the African continent, learning has been interrupted by
faculty and student walkouts for the past 20 years. Such interruptions
demoralize students and faculty members, weaken learning, and delay producing
the next generation of professionals, teachers, and leaders that Africa needs so
badly. The underlying problems are depravation and repression, according to
African sources. This article details poverty and lost years of study in several
African countries. The primary future challenge is described as turbulence as an
increasing number of governments, facing large growths in enrollments, consider
tuition charges for students. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i44/44a03901.htm
2) In the bleak landscape of African higher education
described above, a handful of institutions have been able to renew themselves,
according to an article by Wachira Kigotho and Burton Bollag in the Chronicle.
Makerere University in Uganda, for example, has renovated its campus, filled
its libraries with recent books, and pays faculty members enough that they do
not have to moonlight. These are major accomplishments in sub-Saharan Africa,
and have earned Makerere considerable outside respect. Tuition charges for
students were introduced in the 1990’s, government support is now provided
through a flexible budget, and external funding has been attracted as reform
efforts have succeeded. Four American philanthropies have recently pledged
$100-million to assist African higher education, singling out three institutions
they viewed as especially able to benefit from their assistance: Makerere,
Eduardo Mondlane University in Mosambique, and the University of Dar es Salaam
in Tanzania. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i44/44a04101.htm
3) India’s brain drain may be reversed, according to an
article by Erica Vonderheid in the July 2002 issue of the IEEE Institute. The
recent trend has been that the best and brightest of India have been lured to
leave their homeland to work in Australia, Canada, the United States, and
Western Europe, typically to work in the information technology industry.
According to a United Nations report, that brain drain represents a $2-billion
loss for India. But a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California
suggests that as many as 45% of these Indian high technology workers intend to
return to their homeland – often interested in starting a business there. The
downturn in the US economy has slowed the recruitment rate for new engineers –
including those from abroad. By contrast, the IT industry in India is still
going strong – with software exports last year up 29% over the previous year.
See http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/INST/ti.html
4) Corruption is plaguing academe around the world,
according to a note in the Chronicle. Students have others take their
tests, fake diplomas are sold, and theses are ghost written. Such corruption is
not limited to the developing countries – recent cases have involved using
political influence to gain a medical school admission in Japan, a proposed
large financial contribution to buy a spot in a prestigious British university,
and students in the US buying term papers and admission essays online.
Professors worry that students will get used to buying grades instead of earning
them. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i47/47a03201.htm
5) UNESCO has recently held a “Forum on the Impact of
Open Courseware for Higher Education in Developing Countries”. The group of
about twenty world experts participating defined open courseware (or
their preferred term ‘open education resources’) as: “Information and
communications technology enabled, open provision of educational resources for
consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for non-commercial
purposes”. One major planned source of such educational resources is the MIT
OpenCourseWare project, which will eventually put information from some 2000
courses online for free non-commercial use. The experts at the UNESCO forum
emphasized that courses posted on the web would have to be ‘sustainable’ –
meaning that other could freely edit, change, or make use of part of a course.
In addition they stressed that the technology used in posting such courseware
needed to be designed to allow the use of a variety of appropriate tools at
receiving institutions, with a minimum of integration problems. International
cooperation is expected to lead to free exchanges of enhanced materials as well
– a university can download a course from the Internet, translate it, adapt
it, then put it back online so that others can make use of the new material. See
http://www.wcet.info/unesco for papers
presented at the forum, and see http://web.mit.edu/ocw
for information on the MIT OpenCourseWare project.
6) The European Union plans a scholarship program for
master’s-level students from elsewhere, according to an article in the Chronicle
by Burton Bollag. Under the planned program, some 2000 students from outside
the region would be supported in two-year master’s programs at any one time.
‘Erasmus World’ will have a budget of about $200-million for the four
academic years starting in 2004, to support some 4200 foreign students. Except
for Britain, European countries have attracted far fewer foreign students than
the United States and Australia. European Union officials hope that this new
program will create a pool of young, educated decision makers around the globe
who will be more attuned to dealing with Europe. The program is also designed to
promote closer cooperation among European universities, through joint master’s
programs across institutions and national borders. The program also supports the
Bologna process, aimed at harmonizing Europe’s higher education system. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072303n.htm
7) Germany has gone
ahead at an accelerated pace to adapt university degree programs to be
compatible with international degree offerings. There are now 94 programs
with graduating diplomas designated B.A and M.A., conforming to degrees
offered in English speaking countries. These are run in parallel with the
traditional German degrees of Dipl.Ing. Many of these degree programs have a
strong international component with individual courses given in English. Of the
degrees offered by 'Fachhochschulen', newly titled as Universities of Applied
Sciences, 21 are at the B.A. level and 35 at the M.A. level. A total of 32 B.A.
and 62 M.A. programs are offered by all university types. Courses are
predominantly in engineering oriented categories and range from International
Technical Communication, offered by the University of Hildesheim to Paper
Science and Technology, offered by the University of Darmstadt. See German
Universities Information Service at http://www.his.de
8) A new online
Islamic university based in the United States is seeking recognition from
leading Islamic universities in Egypt, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, according to
a note in the Chronicle by Andrea Foster. The nonprofit Internet Islamic
University, which opened last August, awards diplomas and bachelor’s degrees
in Islamic disciplines. Its 55 or so current students mostly live in the United
States. Courses are offered live in English by faculty members affiliated with
American and foreign universities. The institution’s mission is “to help
shape the destiny of the Muslim people through the opening of vistas of Islamic
knowledge for young Muslims that are inquisitive and deeply attached to
Islam”. Recognition by the major Islamic universities would allow graduates of
the Internet Islamic University to continue their studies at those institutions.
See http://chronicle.com/free/2002/07/2002072401t.htm
9) An Engineering
Council of India has been established recently, in the context of professional
services and the accountability of professional engineers. The Council will
coordinate the activities and responsibilities of the several Indian engineering
societies in developing a uniform code of conduct of Indian professional
engineers both inside the country and abroad. See http://www.aicte.ernet.in
10) The September
2002 issue of the World Press Review has as its cover story a series of
article from world papers on the learning curve for children. An article from
Poland argues for parent involvement in building better schools. One from
Germany describes a political turf war about jurisdiction over the school
system, between the federal government and local states and municipalities. An
article from Japan describes a new education initiative designed to relieve the
pressure on students and to broaden their perspectives and creative abilities.
One from Finland decries low pay and low prestige for teachers there. And a
final article in the series, from Nigeria, argues that schools must relate
education to work. See www.worldpress.org
11) Foreign
students will face new obstacles before being able to work on US campuses this
year, according to an article in the Chronicle by Sara Hebel. Because of
policy changes stemming from national security concerns, foreign students who
arrive at American universities this fall will confront a new procedural hurdle
to getting Social Security numbers. The US Immigration and Naturalization
Service will have to review their passports and immigration documents before the
Social Security Administration can process an application. Social Security
officials estimate that this extra step could delay processing by from 2 to 12
weeks. While Federal law does not require a Social Security number before the
start of work, many colleges will not hire or pay individuals until one is
obtained. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072903n.htm
12) US defense
experts have cited international education and cultural exchanges as among the
benefits of federal international affairs spending, according to a news release
from the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange. A diverse
group of America’s leading business, nongovernmental organization, and defense
experts met at the US Chamber of Commerce in July in support of an increased
budget for US international affairs programs that bolster national security and
fight terrorism. In addition to supporting international education and exchange
programs, the panel noted that America’s international affairs community needs
to do a better job of educating the public on international affairs issues. See http://www.alliance-exchange.org
13) The US Senate
appropriations subcommittee has approved a healthy increase of nearly 12% for
the National Science Foundation’s budget for next year, according to a note in
the Chronicle by Jeffrey Brainard. The proposed increase is more than
double that requested by President Bush, but is still short of the amount needed
to double the NSF budget in 5 years – a goal of many supporters. The House of
Representatives last month passed a bill authorizing a 15% increase, which would
be on track to the doubling of the budget in 5 years, but its appropriations
committee has not yet acted. Strong support in the Senate comes from Senators
Mikulski and Bond, who argue that the NSF budget should keep pace with increases
that are doubling the budget of the National Institutes of Health. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072402n.htm
14) In a related
article by Ron Southwick in the Chronicle, Representative Sherwood
Boehlert is described as a major supporter for increasing the NSF budget. He is
chairman of the House Committee on Science, and although a Republican is
critical of several of President Bush’s proposals. Boehlert calls the spending
plan for most scientific agencies “anemic”, and says that the president’s
blueprint for the Department of Homeland Security “does not give research and
development a high-enough profile”. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i47/47a02101.htm
15) Record
engineering unemployment has spurred IEEE-USA to call for congressional action.
Although the overall US unemployment rate fell in the second quarter, it
increased significantly for engineers and computer scientists – from 3.6% in
the first quarter to 4.0% in the second. IEEE-USA is concerned that this
increase in engineering unemployment is not a short-term cyclical phenomenon,
but represents a more fundamental shift in engineering utilization that has
potentially negative impacts for the US. It is asking Congress to investigate
the impacts of increased hiring of non-US guest workers, the greater use of
temporary workers and the outsourcing of engineering work overseas as causes of
the unemployment problem, in addition to the economic downturn. IEEE-USA is
particularly concerned about H-1B visas, with 163,000 issued in the last
government fiscal year. See http://www.ieeeusa.org
16) Educators say
that if the US does not increase the number of engineering graduates soon it
will lose out in the global marketplace, according to an article by Charles
Murray in EE Times Online. In 2000, the US brought in 90,000 foreign
engineers and computer scientists, compared to the 65,000 engineers and 15,000
computer scientists graduated domestically. Observers note the stigma attached
to ‘nerdy’ engineering and science studies by some high school students, and
note the high percentage of undergraduate students that drop out of engineering
schools. Statistics indicate that engineering schools graduate only between
one-third and one-half of the students who start out in engineering programs.
Recent curricula overhauls at some schools are aimed at reducing this dropout
rate. See http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020702S0041
17) Science and
math education were among the top concerns voiced at a recent White House forum
on the future of technology, according to an article by Cara Branigan in eSchool
News. The consensus of the over 100 IT executives gathered was that a better
math and science program for students would both benefit the national economy
and strengthen security, since foreign workers would not be needed for critical
positions. President Bush said that broadband rollout also plays a role in
education, and said the creation of the Presidential Council of Advisors on
Science and Technology would help steer policy on broadband rollout. The ‘No
Child Left Behind’ legislation provides $160-million this year for a
Mathematics and Science Partnerships program, the first installment in a planned
5-year, $1-billion push to bolster math and science partnerships between higher
education and secondary and elementary schools. See http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=3843
18) The National
Science Foundation is expanding its 15-year-old program of collaborative
academic-based research centers, according to a major review article by Jeffrey
Mervis in the 26 July 2002 issue of Science. This summer, six US-based
university consortia will be funded, the survivors of a grueling competition
that began with 143 entrants. The winners will receive up to $20-million over
the next 5 years, with the likelihood of another 5 years of support after a
midterm review. Fields likely to be supported range from space weather modeling
and biophotonics to water purification and Earth-surface dynamics. The
Center’s program, NSF’s flagship program to support long-term
interdisciplinary and cooperative research centers, began amid controversy in
1987. Many scientists feared that the proposed centers would drain funds from
NSF’s traditional support for individual investigators, and also promote
applied research at the expense of basic science. But the fears proved
groundless; the centers program will this year consume only 1.1% of NSF’s
budget, and many centers focus on the most basic of scientific pursuits. See http://www.sciencemag.org
19) The National
Academy of Sciences plans a debate on the publication of papers that might help
terrorists, according to a note in the Chronicle by Lila Guterman.
Fearful of helping terrorists, some scientists are hoping to withhold key
information from research papers on bioterrorism. But others wonder whether
journals should allow such papers to be published, because they withhold
information scientists at other laboratories would need to replicate the work. A
broad national debate is being scheduled for September by NAS. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072904n.htm
20) The US science
community has begun examining proposals to create the new Department of Homeland
Security, according to an article in the 5 July 2002 issue of Science by
David Malakoff. In recent congressional hearings, research leaders said that
there were serious flaws with the plans for the department’s science and
technology programs. Many biomedical scientists, for example, opposed giving an
agency with a strong focus on border security control over bioterror research.
Others questioned how the new department would manage research. Representative
Sherwood Boehlert, chair of the House Science Committee, says the White House
proposal “simply does not give R&D a high enough profile”. See http://www.sciencemag.org
21) TIAA-CREF, the
single biggest pension-fund manager for academics, is urging corporations to
account for stock options as expenses. According to a note by Goldie Blumstock
in the Chronicle, TIAA-CREF has written to more than 1700 major
corporations in which it invests, urging them to account for all stock options
as expenses in their financial statements. The pension fund believes that
reporting options explicitly in financial statements would enhance credibility
by providing a more accurate account of the company’s costs. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072504n.htm
Distance
education, technology
22) A first
transatlantic alliance on distance education between the US and the EU was
hosted at the end of May by the University of Maryland’s University College.
The European Union, currently under the presidency of Spain, organized the
conference through the Spanish National University of Distance Education.
Keynote speakers noted that distance education has become the future of
education, and that it provides opportunities to deliver quality education to
more people than ever before. High-ranking representatives from the US and most
of the 15 EU member countries attended the conference, and many offered
presentations on distance education and issues related to the use of technology
in education. PowerPoint slides and talks are available on the web. See http://www.umuc.edu/fyionline/july_02/fyionline1.html
23) Faculty members
at the University of Southern Maine are debating the review of distance
education materials, according to a note in the Chronicle by Scott
Carlson. After a student complained that he was offended by a tenured
professor’s remarks in a videotaped lecture, a faculty committee proposed that
all videotapes and other materials for distance-education courses be reviewed by
the university before the materials are used in class. The faculty union has
objected to the proposal, saying that the idea of having a committee censor a
videotape that is used in distance education is a violation of academic freedom.
The administration has yet to address the issue. See http://chronicle.com/free/2002/07/2002072302t.htm
24) China is
preparing to make a great leap forward in the IT field, according to an article
from Der Spiegel by Andreas Lorenz, reprinted in the August 2002 issue of
World Press Review. Leaders in Beijing have set a goal of 20% growth in
the country’s high tech sector each year, such that it becomes the major
source of economic growth and surpasses the US in IT production by the year
2010. About 150 million Chinese are already using cell phones – some 20
million more than in the US – and that number is expected to rise to 260
million by 2005. No other sector of the Chinese economy is a dynamic as the IT
area, and products from DVD players to floppy drives to color TVs are now made
in China. According to forecasts, more PCs will be sold in China next year than
in Japan. Much of the Chinese government’s motivation in setting a priority in
this area is a desire to liberate the country from dependence on the American
computer industry. One major obstacle to the information age, the Chinese
written language, is well on the way to removal. Chinese can now type in their
characters on a regular keyboard using their Latin transliterations. See http://www.worldpress.org
25) College network
managers are worried that company failures will threaten their high-speed
upgrades, according to an article by Florence Olsen in the Chronicle. Experts
say that the corporate failures could delay upgrades in high-speed research
networks, and that one bankruptcy in Europe could cut off high-speed
trans-Atlantic Internet service. The bankruptcy of KPNQwest in Europe, which has
provided the trans-Atlantic link between the Internet2 and its European
counterpart Geant, has left its circuits in doubt – currently working until
something malfunctions or the power is cut off. Replacement circuits have been
ordered, but are not yet operational. In the US, Internet2 is concerned that one
of its major corporate partners, WorldCom Inc., has filed for bankruptcy. There
is concern that the current chaos in the telecommunications market has the
potential for affecting not just the research and education community, but
everybody else. See http://chronicle.com/free/2002/07/2002072301t.htm
26) In states hurt
by the recession, technology is on the chopping block, according to an article
in the Chronicle by Dan Carnevale. Now that many states are mired in an
economic slowdown, many public colleges and universities are cutting back on
technology spending and are requiring students to pay more for computer
services. Many states have reduced spending for higher education, and technology
expenditures can usually be sacrificed more easily that professor’s salaries.
The extent of the cutbacks varies from state to state. For example, Oregon
students may see computer-help services reduced, Nebraska colleges are slowing
the growth of online education programs, California’s campus computers will
not be upgraded as frequently, and institutions in Indiana, Virginia, and Oregon
will increase student fees to help keep their technology current. See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i45/45a02901.htm
27) A survey has
found that students use the web extensively, but recognize its limitations,
according to an article in the Chronicle by Scott Carlson. The Online
Computer Library Center survey, “OCLC White Paper on the Information Habits of
College Students”, says that almost 80% of students surveyed use Internet
search engines for “every” or “most” assignments. About 50% of
respondents glean information from each of two other sources -- library web
portals or class web sites. Students appear to be driven by convenience, so tend
to begin their research on readily accessible search engines such as Google and
Yahoo, outside of library portals. Librarians worry that paper resources are
often ignored by such approaches. See http://chronicle.com/free/2002/07/2002071901t.htm
28) The
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology has undertaken a longitudinal
study to measure the success of its EC2000, the outcomes-based criteria recently
placed into use for the accreditation of engineering programs in the US. The
study, to be conducted by Pennsylvania State University’s Center for the Study
of Higher Education, will address the question: What impact has EC2000’s
emphasis on outcomes, innovation, and continuous improvement had? The study’s
findings, which will be reported regularly to ABET’s constituents, will be
used to improve ABET’s quality assurance process. See http://www.abet.org
29) Latino parents
in the US are largely unable to provide their children with basic information or
assistance about attending college, according to a recent report. As described
in an article in the Chronicle by Richard Morgan, “College Knowledge:
What Latino Parents Need to Know and Why They Don’t Know It” says that
Latino parents surveyed failed a number of tests designed to determine how
informed they are about college admissions and matriculation processes. Parents
with lower incomes, less education, and first generation immigrants have the
most difficulty helping their children – even though they often have high
aspirations for those children. Language and cultural barriers are at the root
of many of the problems encountered. Among other recommendations, the report
calls for government funding to be used to provide radio and Television public
service announcements – in both English and Spanish – about basic college
information. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002071503n.htm
30) An internship
gives students a leg up on the job market, according to an article by Scott
Kariya in the July 2002 issue of IEEE Spectrum. Internships offer
engineering students a unique window into the real-world marketplace, and can
help students make better career decisions. And in the current employment
landscape, the on-the-job experience and contacts can prove invaluable. The
National Association for Colleges and Employers has reported a 36.4% drop in
hiring of recent college graduates, who in many cases are competing for fewer
openings with more experienced unemployed workers. An internship can make the
difference as employers scan resumes in search of qualified candidates. See http://www.spectrum.iee.org
31) A Census Bureau
study has shown that advanced degrees result in higher earnings over the course
of careers, according to a note in the Chronicle. People with doctoral
degrees earn an average of $3.4-million over the course of their working lives,
compared with $2.5-million for those with master’s degrees, $2.1-million for
those with a bachelor’s degree, and $1.2-million for those with only a high
school degree. People with professional degrees do best of all, earning an
average of $4.4-million over the courses of their careers. Other findings are
that the gap in earnings for people with different levels of education has grown
over the years, that while women have closed the gap in educational attainment
in recent years the gap in earnings is still significant, and that educational
attainment and earnings vary greatly by race. See http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002071804n.htm
32) The American
Federation of Teachers has approved a set of standards for the treatment of
part-time faculty members, according to an article in the Chronicle by
Scott Smallwood. The union is calling for an equitable pay scale, evaluation
procedures for adjuncts, a seniority system for part-timers, and compensation
for office hours. It hopes that such an approach will improve working conditions
for those at the bottom of the academic pecking order. The union publication
“Standards of Good Practice in the Employment of Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty”
are available online at http://www.aft.org/higher_ed/.
For the Chronicle article see http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/07/2002072203n.htm
33) “Teaching
Entrepreneurial Engineering”, a conference sponsored by Engineering
Conferences International, will take place 13-16 January 2003 in Monterey,
California. The conference will assemble entrepreneurs, engineering educators,
and business school faculty to discuss relevant topics and to make outcome
recommendations. For details, and a registration form, see http://www.engconfintl.org/3as.html
34) “Enhancement
of the Global Perspective for Engineering Students by Providing an International
Experience”, another conference sponsored by Engineering Conferences
International, will take place 6-11 April 2003 in Tomar, Portugal. This
conference will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on methods of
enhancing the global perspective of engineering students, identify the key
obstacles, and discuss progress toward eliminating the obstacles. For details,
see http://www.engconfintl.org/3ai.html
35) The Journal
of Engineering Education for April 2002 contains 14 high quality articles,
plus a comment by the editor (on ABET EC2000) and a book review
(“Understanding by Design” by Wiggens and McTighe). Papers include
discussions of undergraduate research experiences, virtual fieldwork,
educational video conferencing techniques, engineering entrepreneurship,
collaborative learning, assessment, multi-disciplinary design, and globalization
of the curriculum. See http://www.asee.org/publications
36) The Summer 2002
issue of Issues in Science and Technology has as its lead article
“Memory Faults and Fixes”, discussing research on the limits of human memory
and how it should impact the courts. Two articles discuss terrorism and
security, two articles discuss technological literacy for the broad public, and
one discusses climate change. See http://www.nap.edu/issues
37) The June 2002
issue of the European Journal of Engineering Education contains nine
major articles on topics including engineering design, engineering ethics,
curriculum change in engineering education, internships, engineering education
in China, and university policy. See http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com
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