February 2005
Copyright © 2005 World Expertise LLC – All rights reserved
A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education leaders,
edited by Russel C. Jones, Ph.D., P.E., and Bethany S. Oberst, Ph.D.
5 – Employment
6 – Journals
7 – Meetings
Global Tsunami Warning System – The Director General of
UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, has announced that his organization will build a
global tsunami warning system, starting with a $30-million network in the
Anti-AIDS drugs distributed by
Fundraising for African Institutes – A group of African
scientists, engineers and educators are planning
a network of four regional schools that will train 5000 scientists and
engineers per year, according to an article by Dennis Normile in the January 28th
Science. The planned African Institute
of Science and Technology (AIST) would address a dearth of technical graduates
in sub-Saharan Africa, which has only 83 scientists and engineers per million
residents – one-fifth the ratio for North Africa and one-sixth that for all
developing countries. The plan is for four institutes, one each in east, west,
central and south sub-Saharan
Important report recommends huge infusion of money to
NSF planned for Arab scientists – A Saudi millionaire has endowed the first pan-Arab science fund, according to an article in the January 28th Science by Richard Stone. Promising a million dollars a year to the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), the Saudi businessman will support a new peer-reviewed research competition. The fund will select 20 proposals a year based on merit, backing each at $50,000. Observers hope that the donation will spur Arab governments to strengthen their own support for science. Arab countries spend an average of 7% of gross domestic profit on defense, but less that 0.2% on research and development. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
German universities allowed to charge tuition – German universities were generally rejoicing over a decision by the courts to overturn a ban on tuition. The decision will permit universities in the various German states to decide how much to charge students, and to impose differential tuition scales in different programs. Tuition of 500 euros per semester appears to be the dividing line between acceptable and outrageous, but for students accustomed to paying nothing, and spending, unchallenged, long years earning degrees, $660 times two appears a heavy price to pay for a year at university, writes Aisha Labi for The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/01/2005012705n.htm)
Microsoft launches European research project – The Microsoft
Corporation is about to increase its research presence in
Nepalese students reported under attack by army –
Reports from
UN Goals require aid fund increases – The United Nations has
issued a report calling for big increases in development assistance, according
to an article in the January 19th Washington Post. The report, “A Practical Plan to Achieve the
Millenium Development Goals”, was spearheaded by
University students in
Taiwan spending plan for universities triggers debate – Taiwan
has adopted a $1.6-billion plan to strengthen its research universities,
reigniting a debate over how much of the money should go to a handful of leading
institutions. According to an article by Dennis Normile in the February 4th
Science, Taiwanese legislators have
voted to allocate $315-million a year for 5 years to refurbish university
facilities and boost faculty salaries. Under rules set out by the outgoing
cabinet, the bulk of those funds would go to only two institutions: the
Budget squeeze for ’06 – President Bush has sent his
proposed budget for FY06 to the US Congress, and its projected impact on areas
of interest to engineers and scientists is analyzed by Jeffrey Mervis in the
February 11th Science. Many
US science agencies would have to make do with less under the 2006 budget
request, which aims to cut the deficit, boost military and antiterrorism
spending, and make tax cuts permanent. Most science policy analysts are wringing
their hands over the tiny increase sought for the National Institutes of Health,
a small rebound for the National Science Foundation after a cut in 2005, and
reductions in the science budgets at NASA, the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration, and the departments of energy and defense. At a time
when other countries are ramping up their scientific efforts, they say, the
High profile CEO out at Hewlett Packard – The turmoil that has
surrounded CEO Carly Fiorina at Hewlett Packard has come to a head with her
dismissal by the corporation’s Board. A major cover story in the February 7th
Fortune by Carol Loomis detailed
“Why Carly’s Big Bet is Failing”, noting that buying Compaq three years
ago has not paid off for H-P investors. Wall Street pundits have been clamoring
for a breakup of the company, separating the lucrative printer business from the
computer and other technology areas – but Ms. Fiorina had resisted and to date
the Board has indicated that it will stay with her strategy, but without her at
the helm. Fiorina was the highest-ranking woman in corporate
NIH clamps down on consulting – The director of the US National Institutes of Health, under intense pressure from outside, has announced a ban on all industry consulting by its staff. Many staffers will also have to sell their stock in biotech and drug companies. According to articles by Jocelyn Kaiser in the February 4th and February 11th issues of Science, Congressional and other critics have been troubled by apparent conflicts of interest among some senior NIH scientists. Those critics are praising the new rules, which bar paid or unpaid consulting for drug and medical companies, and even nonprofit organizations. Many NIH staff members are outraged, calling the rules punitive and draconian. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
Federal grant legalese set to be streamlined –
The
Lockheed team to build presidential helicopters – After a
contest that pitted US domestic pride against global politics, the Pentagon has
chosen an international team, headed by Lockheed Martin, to build the next fleet
of presidential helicopters, according to an article in the January 29th
New York Times by Leslie Wayne. Losing
out was Sikorsky Aircraft, which had positioned itself as the “all-American”
choice, and had built previous generations of presidential helicopters. In
choosing Lockheed the Pentagon signaled a new openness to foreign partners on
sensitive military tasks – and also rewarded
NIH free access policy still controversial in final form – The US National Institutes of Health have released the final design of their free-access policy which has raised so much interest and concern. Under the plan, researchers funded by NIH will be asked to send their articles to NIH once they have been accepted for publication in a journal, and to indicate a date, within one year of the publication date, when the article can be released for free access on a central website. This is a compromise: NIH backed away from a plan to work for free access within six months of publication. Proponents of free access are lobbying for immediate release. Publishers, on the other hand, warned that this plan might raise the specter of copyright infringement, and point out, in any case, that many non-profit journals already make articles accessible free within twelve months, reports Lila Guterman in The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/2005020401n.htm)
New
Open University ICT project in Africa – The British Open
University is developing an ICT project in Africa to transform the quality of
education in some of the world’s most impoverished areas, according to an
article by Amanda Jordan in the February 2005 RSA Journal. The Digital Education Enhancement Project (DEEP) aims
to improve the effectiveness of teaching in some of the most under-resourced
schools in sub-Saharan and northern
Report on quality of on-line degree programs –
Reporter Dan Carnevale of The Chronicle of Higher Education recently
reported on a study that concluded that complete degrees offered on-line were
more successful than sets of individual courses offered in the same mode. The
author of the report, Rob Abel, says that complete on-line degree programs are
more aligned with institutional mission and represent more substantial support
by faculty and students. The report,
“Achieving Success in Internet-Supported Learning in Higher Education,” was
released by the
Land lines at colleges nearing end – Across the US, wired phones for students are becoming obsolete, according to an article by Susan Kinzie in the February 12th Washington Post. A transformation of campus culture has cell phones keeping students closely tied to friends and family, making social life fluid, and even intruding on professor’s lectures. Campus administrators, who have for years relied on land-line phones as a revenue source, are evaluating whether it makes sense to maintain systems that students rarely use. Wireless computer access on campuses has also enhanced student communications. Some concerns remain about eliminating land-lines entirely, however – student safety, such as 911 calls; cost of international calls on cell phones by foreign students; and dead zones for cell phones. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com)
Will Google’s on-line library project violate
copyright? – Google’s previously announced plan to digitize the
contents of several major libraries has prompted some publishers to speculate
that providing even brief passages might violate copyright provisions.
They also worry that some books assumed to be in the public domain
because they were published abroad, might, in fact, still be protected under
laws that vary greatly from those in the
Is instructional video game an oxymoron? – About 81% of people age 12 to 17 who regularly use the Internet sometimes play games online, according to a recent survey reported in an article by Matt Richtel in the February 4th New York Times. Some web sites, like that of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, have had instructional online games since the late 1990’s, and the use of such games is growing exponentially as more organizations see interactive games as a way to capture and hold the attention of people bombarded with numerous competing messages. A shooting gallery game from the American Cancer Society lets players flip virtual rubber bands at passing cigarettes, players on the Greenpeace site can intercept harpoons fired from a Japanese whaling ship, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing lets youngsters color and design currency while learning to spot counterfeits. Instead of hitting audiences with loads of information, such games package messages in a fun format, palatable to a young and Internet-savvy audience. (See http://www.nytimes.com)
Drop in investment in information technology reported – For a second year in a row, US colleges and universities will spend less on information technology, dropping by about 4%. While budget shortfalls might account for some of that decrease, increased quality and capabilities of hardware might be other factors in the decline, reports Vincent Kiernan in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The survey includes data from 1427 institutions. Among institutions that have a preferred vendor, Dell is the choice of 59%, with Apple a distant fifth, at 2%. Other findings were that there was a small decline in the number of institutions offering distance education programs and more classrooms are wireless than wired. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/205020903n.htm)
New on-line program supports recycling, reselling of old computers – eBay has introduced a new plan to encourage people to resell or donate their old computers or to recycle their parts, reports The Economist on January 27, 2005. A program can read the specifications of the hardware, thus making it easier to determine a fair selling price or the value of a donation. (See http://www.economist.com)
Second of MIT’s overseas media labs closes –
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab Europe is being
disbanded after only four years of operation, thus following the fate of a
similar project in
High tech digital health network – Eight of the USA’s largest technology companies have agreed to embrace open, nonproprietary technology standards as the software building blocks for a national health information network, according to an article in the January 26th New York Times by Steve Lohr. The goal is to improve care and reduce costs by abandoning paper and moving to a digital system for handling patient records, clinical research, claims and payments. The Bush administration had said that creating such a network should be a national priority over the next several years. The industry group wants the government to provide seed funding and incentives to help doctors and hospitals buy the computer hardware and software to participate in the network. (See http://www.nytimes.com)
Influential panel recommends major changes in US tenure policies – A panel of higher education leaders from major universities and university systems has recommended that the tenure track be made more flexible to better reflect the demands of today’s world. Specifically, they recommend that faculty be given up to ten years to achieve tenure, that faculty be allowed multi-year leaves of absence for personal and professional reasons, that faculty be permitted to step into part-time status for up to five years, and that ways be devised to provide for the re-entry into the academic life of faculty who stop out along the way, reports Robin Wilson from The Chronicle of Higher Education. “An Agenda for Excellence: Creating Flexibility in Tenure-Track Faculty Careers,” was sponsored by the American Council on Education and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. While many of the ideas have been discussed in other reports, this is the first time that presidents and chancellors have put their weight behind the implementation of such policies. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/2005021105n.htm)
Difficult crossing – The cover story in the February 2005 ASEE
Prism, written by Jeffrey Selingo, analyzes the post 9/11 pattern of foreign
graduate student applications to US schools. The author cites statistics on the
decrease in overall US graduate school applications between 2003 and 2004:
China, -45%;
Tax proposed on tuition benefits – A US congressional panel recommended recently that college employees be taxed on tuition benefits, writes Jeffrey Selingo in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Other proposals included lower the amount that students could earn without paying Social Security taxes. Supporters of the change in laws regarding tuition benefits say that it is justified because the benefit accrues to only a few, mostly employees at rich institutions that can afford to offer this perk. A similar proposal was killed in 1997. Another proposal would affect donations of land to colleges, limiting the tax write off to the cost paid for the property rather than the current fair market price. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/01/2005013101n.htm)
Texas Austin prez recommends tuition increases pegged to median incomes – President Larry R. Faulkner of the University of Texas at Austin made a major address at the recent annual meeting of the American Council on Education, in which he emphasized the need for colleges and universities to control academic costs and set targets for tuition as a percentage of median wages. Without this, the cost of attending college will continue to spiral up and the public’s confidence in higher education will continue to erode, writes Jeffrey Selingo in the February 14 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/free/2005/02/2005021403n.htm)
Harvard creates two panels in support of women faculty – In January, President Lawrence Summers of Harvard outraged some audiences by remarks taken to suggest that women have innate differences from men in areas related to science and mathematics. Harvard has created two panels now to develop plans for advancing female faculty members. A position will be created in the central administration to work on increasing gender diversity in the faculty. A second panel, the Task Force on Women in Science and Engineering, will examine career choices made by women and work to remove barriers to advancement, writes Piper Fogg in The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/2005020404n.htm)
Why few girls choose science and math – Many articles about
the status of women in math and science have followed the uproar about the topic
started by Harvard’s president. One comprehensive article, by Virginia Valian,
appeared in the January 30th
New
Large numbers of US high school grads unprepared for college, work – “Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work?” is the title of a report issued in February by Achieve Inc. The answer given for about 40% of those graduates is “No.” College professors who participated in the survey pointed out the greatest problems with writing and math, and students agreed, giving their approval to graduation tests in English and math. Significant numbers of students thought that they would have applied themselves more had they been pushed harder, writes Michelle Diament for The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/2005020704n.htm)
Cato Institute report recommends elimination of
federal student aid – The Cato Institute (USA) identified
Visa rules relaxed by
TV program sheds light on for-profit higher education – A report broadcast on the popular “60 Minutes” program about the for-profit higher education industry has drawn attention to some practices that have already caught the eye of critics. Practices such as providing false information on graduation rates and making misleading statements about job prospects were highlighted in the show, which focused on the Career Education Corporation, reports Goldie Blumenstyk in The Chronicle of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/01/2005013104n.htm)
Textbook publishers accused of overcharging US students – An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education written by Thomas Bartlett outlines a report, “Ripoff 101,” which accuses textbook publishers of issuing new editions of books when none are needed, and overcharging US students for the same materials sold abroad at lower prices. The study was made by the State Public Interest Research Groups: an earlier report on the same topic led the US Congress to hold hearings on the subject in 2004. The Association of American Publishers calls the methodology flawed. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/02/2005020205n.htm)
New score: Chinese government, 0: marriage and children, 1 – Paul Moony, reporting for The Chronicle of Higher Education, says that the Chinese government has lifted its ban on students marrying and having children while at university. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/01/2005012706n.htm)
5 – Employment
Engineering salaries top the charts – College graduates with
engineering bachelor’s degrees have among the highest annual earnings of any
field of study, according to a note in the February issue of Engineering
Times. Based on a recent book on employment trends by researchers at
German data reveal significant off-shoring of R & D – DIHK, the umbrella organization of German chambers of commerce, reported recently that about 20% of German companies planned to move R & D jobs abroad in the next three years. Further, according to a February 1, 2005, report in the on-line version of the Financial Times, companies that have off-shored production are more likely to move R & D functions out of Germany. Thus evidence is being presented that low-level off-shoring is a predictor of the migration of higher-level jobs as well. Not all of the off-shored R & D functions went to low-wage countries, however: nearly half were confined to the 15 countries that made up the European Union prior to the 2004 expansion. See http://newsft.com)
Gay engineers gain acceptance – Tech companies are increasingly accepting of gays and lesbians, according to an article by Prachi Patel Predd in the February 2005 issue of IEEE Spectrum. At a time when engineers and the organizations that employ them accept the need to diversify the profession in terms of race, gender, religion, and physical abilities, sexual orientation remains a prickly topic. But according to an index published by the Human Rights Campaign which scores firms on their treatment of gay and lesbian employees, almost all high tech firms in the Fortune 500 were rated “above average”. There is still room for improvement, however, such as in the area of health care for domestic gay partners. (See http://www.spectrum.ieee.org)
Offshoring, then nearshoring, now homeshoring – The online report Newsfactor reported in February 8 that virtual call centers provide some important advantages over “cubicle bullpens,” including reduced absenteeism, more reliable workers, and greater staffing flexibility to respond to seasonal demands. “Homeshoring” is the name given to these virtual call centers, reports Kimberly Hill. The downside is that workers tend to migrate to other jobs more quickly, there is a challenge to making technical support and training available, and equipment security is an important issue. (http://www.newsfactor.com)
Jobs are few in
H-1B visa holders become more expensive –
As of
Europe aims to draw highly skilled immigrants – The European Commission has unveiled a plan to attract highly skilled immigrants needed to rejuvenate Europe’s aging work force and faltering growth rates, according to an article in the January 12th Wall Street Journal. It is the first time the EC has proposed common rules governing migrants, in an effort to create a single permit system to make it easier for computer technicians, scientists and others to legally migrate. The Commission would also oversee a centralized database that would match companies with would-be immigrants. The proposal requires approval by the European Parliament and all 25 EU member nations. The plan is expected to be opposed by labor unions, which want governments to protect jobs at home, and from anti-immigrant political parties. (See http://www.wsj.com)
6 – Journals
Journal of Engineering Education – The January 2005 issue concentrates on the art and science of engineering education research. Sixteen papers cover topics such as assessment in engineering education, research on engineering student knowing, the ABET professional skills, diversifying the engineering workforce, engineering design, online engineering education, integrated curricula, and quality assurance through accreditation. (See http://www.asee.org)
International Journal of Engineering Education – Volume 21
Number 1 is a special issue on Virtual Instrumentation: Integrating LabVIEW with
Modern Engineering Education Tools, with guest editor Jay Porter of
IEEE Transactions on Education – The February 2005 issue contains over two dozen papers on electrical engineering education. One broader paper, “The Olin Curriculum: Thinking Toward the Future” describes the broad outlines of the curriculum of the newly created engineering school that admitted its first freshman class in the fall of 2002. (See http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/es)
7 -- Meetings
ASEE annual meeting – The annual meeting of the American
Society for Engineering Education will be held from 12-15 June 2005 in
ASEE/AaeE Global Colloquium on Engineering Education – The
fourth in a series of international meetings by the American Society for
Engineering Education will be held from 26-30 September 2005 in
International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists – The 13th annual conference will be held in Seoul, South Korea, from 26-29 August 2005, with the theme “Women Engineers and Scientists: Main Force to Reshape the Future World”. Information and registration can be found at http://www.icwes13.org
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