This paper describes ongoing efforts to institutionalize course committees that are charged with ... more This paper describes ongoing efforts to institutionalize course committees that are charged with overseeing the administration of undergraduate courses in a college of engineering in a mid-size university. Course committees were formed to address the need for formal collaboration among faculty to support educational processes, especially outcomes assessment and curriculum renewal. A critical component of the model is the empowerment of committees to maintain the learning objectives and to verify the instruction for each departmental course. The committees are also charged with maintaining and revising the assessment instruments and performance targets. Instruments developed to formalize and institutionalize the process are also described.
Volume 5: 17th Computers in Engineering Conference
This paper presents a software structure for a fully computer integrated JIT Supply Chain Product... more This paper presents a software structure for a fully computer integrated JIT Supply Chain Production Synchronization System using Internet and EDI technology. Forming a JIT supply chain makes the production scheduling activity much more complex because: (i) while a manufacturer is trying to synchronize its internal production activity, it needs to synchronize with the activities of external partners on the same chain as well; and (ii) under JIT, suppliers typically make smaller and more frequent deliveries, resulting in a significant increase in related business transactions and the variations of the inputs to the scheduling process is increased accordingly. This paper discusses why and how the application of Internet and EDI technology can improve the production synchronization of a JIT supply chain System. A software structure for system integration is also presented.
This paper undertakes a cultural interpretation of the roles professional expertise and context p... more This paper undertakes a cultural interpretation of the roles professional expertise and context play in workplace learning through human resource interventions with a community of postsecondary administrators at one institution. To better understand and evaluate Wenger’s (1998) concept of communities of practice, this case study explores boundaries, intersections, and learning communities in communities of practice in graduate enrollment management (GEM). The paper examines the value communities of practice contribute to African American administrators’ professional learning in an understudied context, Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Case study data define interventions as indicators of a community of practice in graduate enrollment management: a) boundaries of position; (b) constellations of communities; and (c) learning communities. The paper also considers implications for the study of workplace learning in context as well as implications for professional and organi...
The North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) project is an ongo... more The North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) project is an ongoing project aimed to substantially increase the number of underrepresented minorities who will contribute significantly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) areas, especially in graduate degree programs. To assess the effectiveness of the project, student information from the lead institution, NC A&T State University has been collected for analysis. To assess the effectiveness of the project, two control groups were carefully chosen for years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Statistical analysis was performed to ensure the compatibility between the control group and the experimental group. Student cumulative GPAs were recorded for each group over the past two years. Preliminary results from the statistical analysis indicated that the NC-LSAMP project has had a very significant positive impact on student performance. Participants of the NC-LSAMP project performed significantly better than their counterparts in the control group for both years. Although this project is ongoing, it has the potential to significantly impact the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented STEM students.
This paper presents planned activities and some recent successes related to collaborative efforts... more This paper presents planned activities and some recent successes related to collaborative efforts between engineering and biology at North Carolina A&T State University. For many years, faculty in engineering and biology have teamed up to submit research proposals, much of this collaboration has occurred through personal relationships among faculty members. More recently, the university has encouraged a formal and intentional cooperation between the two disciplines in an effort to find mutual benefits. Spurred by the establishment of new bioengineering degree programs and helped by the NSF Engineering Research Center for metallic biomaterials, the partnership between engineering and biology has strengthened and is yielding significant benefits for students. The partnership has grown in several dimensions including coursework, funded proposals, joint faculty positions, and shared facilities. During 2010 a team of faculty representing engineering and biology and administrators were awarded an NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration (I 3) grant titled EBEE: Enhancing Bioscience and Engineering Education through curriculum integration and research experiences in systems biology. The main theme of the project is to incorporate life sciences education and research across the campus and to demonstrate it by creating intentional and sustained collaborations between the College of Engineering and the Biology Department at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T).
21880.5-M-H a G. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Sb. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZ... more 21880.5-M-H a G. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Sb. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION North Carolini-&& T Univ.
This paper discusses the importance of documentation and records in the administration of an engi... more This paper discusses the importance of documentation and records in the administration of an engineering program. The new trends in academic program evaluation for accreditation indicate an ever increasing role of documented procedures and systematic data collection and reporting to support curriculum reform. The paper also recommends a documentation structure that is borrowed from the generally accepted principles of document management in the context of quality systems standards.
Discrete-event simulation is a powerful tool for solving many problems, especially in manufacturi... more Discrete-event simulation is a powerful tool for solving many problems, especially in manufacturing. Formulating the problem, building the simulation model, running the model, and analyzing the output are the basic steps in a simulation study. Because building a simulation model can be a difficult and time-consuming task, it will be useful if a decision-maker could reuse a simulation model if possible and change it to solve a different problem or evaluate another option. Thus, it is desirable to have adaptable simulation models that are easy to change with little or no programming effort. Using simulation models in real-time scheduling and operational settings also requires adaptable simulation models that can represent the changing shop floor. Also, as a manufacturing system progresses from a concept to a detailed design, and to an installed and operating facility, the simulation model of the system must change. Adaptable simulation models will reduce the time, effort, and cost of using simulation in these types of scenarios. This paper reviews the concepts of adaptability, suggests some measures for adaptable simulation models, and discusses factors that affect adaptability.
This paper presents a simple plan to enable engineering programs to begin preparing for ABET Crit... more This paper presents a simple plan to enable engineering programs to begin preparing for ABET Criteria 2000. It is aimed at engineering programs that have done no more than simply read the new criteria. The paper focuses on Criteria 2 and 3 of the new accreditation standard, two criteria that represent the major change from the old accreditation requirements.
This paper examines the validity of self-assessment as a tool for measuring student abilities, in... more This paper examines the validity of self-assessment as a tool for measuring student abilities, in particular, whether self-assessments can be used as valid substitutes for instructor evaluations. Data is obtained from in-class student self-assessments and subsequent course tests that measure the same abilities. Correlation between self-assessment ratings and test scores are used to comment on the validity of self-assessments. Some
The current interest in international accreditation of engineering programs is motivated by a num... more The current interest in international accreditation of engineering programs is motivated by a number of factors, not the least of which is the increasing need for mobility of engineers across the globe. Although the accreditation bodies of several countries have made significant progress towards harmonizing their accreditation systems and processes, most of the world is still not an active participant in this activity. One reason may be the lack of an international organizational structure to promote and facilitate accreditation of programs across national borders. This paper introduces the organizational structure for global quality assurance based on the ISO-9000 quality systems standard and proposes a similar model to enable international accreditation of engineering education programs. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), is a voluntary, non-governmental, peer review process that ensures educational quality [1]. It is understood that the graduates of an acc...
ABSTRACT This paper explores similarities and differences between the new ABET accreditation crit... more ABSTRACT This paper explores similarities and differences between the new ABET accreditation criteria (EC-2000) and a well-established quality assurance standard in industry (ISO-9000 series). The premise of the paper is that an appreciation of EC-2000 as a tool for quality assurance will lead to greater faculty interest and participation in accreditation-related activities. Some suggestions are also provided for effective implementation of EC-2000.
This article describes a decision support system (DSS) for planning course offerings in an academ... more This article describes a decision support system (DSS) for planning course offerings in an academic department. The system involves selection of courses, assignment of instructors to courses, and scheduling of courses. The DSS has been implemented and is currently in use.
A generalized network structure is essentially a linear program whose coefficient matrix ignoring... more A generalized network structure is essentially a linear program whose coefficient matrix ignoring simple bounds on variables, contains at most two non-zero entries in each column. When flow variables are required to be integers, the resulting problem is termed Discrete Generalized Network (DGN). The DGN structure has been used to model problems such as scheduling variable length networks, designing communication networks and capital allocation problems. The primary objective of this project has been to identify solution methodologies for problems having the DGN structure. Some secondary outcomes of the research include a program for generating random networks and an application of DGN formulation to model an important problem in flexible manufacturing systems.
... ALGORITHM FOR LARGE SCALE SCHEDULING PROBLEMS VAHID LOTF School of Management, State Universi... more ... ALGORITHM FOR LARGE SCALE SCHEDULING PROBLEMS VAHID LOTF School of Management, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA SANJIV SARINI North Carolina AT ... Two vertices Vi and v in graph G are said to be adjacent if there exists an edge (v. ...
This paper describes ongoing efforts to institutionalize course committees that are charged with ... more This paper describes ongoing efforts to institutionalize course committees that are charged with overseeing the administration of undergraduate courses in a college of engineering in a mid-size university. Course committees were formed to address the need for formal collaboration among faculty to support educational processes, especially outcomes assessment and curriculum renewal. A critical component of the model is the empowerment of committees to maintain the learning objectives and to verify the instruction for each departmental course. The committees are also charged with maintaining and revising the assessment instruments and performance targets. Instruments developed to formalize and institutionalize the process are also described.
Volume 5: 17th Computers in Engineering Conference
This paper presents a software structure for a fully computer integrated JIT Supply Chain Product... more This paper presents a software structure for a fully computer integrated JIT Supply Chain Production Synchronization System using Internet and EDI technology. Forming a JIT supply chain makes the production scheduling activity much more complex because: (i) while a manufacturer is trying to synchronize its internal production activity, it needs to synchronize with the activities of external partners on the same chain as well; and (ii) under JIT, suppliers typically make smaller and more frequent deliveries, resulting in a significant increase in related business transactions and the variations of the inputs to the scheduling process is increased accordingly. This paper discusses why and how the application of Internet and EDI technology can improve the production synchronization of a JIT supply chain System. A software structure for system integration is also presented.
This paper undertakes a cultural interpretation of the roles professional expertise and context p... more This paper undertakes a cultural interpretation of the roles professional expertise and context play in workplace learning through human resource interventions with a community of postsecondary administrators at one institution. To better understand and evaluate Wenger’s (1998) concept of communities of practice, this case study explores boundaries, intersections, and learning communities in communities of practice in graduate enrollment management (GEM). The paper examines the value communities of practice contribute to African American administrators’ professional learning in an understudied context, Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Case study data define interventions as indicators of a community of practice in graduate enrollment management: a) boundaries of position; (b) constellations of communities; and (c) learning communities. The paper also considers implications for the study of workplace learning in context as well as implications for professional and organi...
The North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) project is an ongo... more The North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) project is an ongoing project aimed to substantially increase the number of underrepresented minorities who will contribute significantly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) areas, especially in graduate degree programs. To assess the effectiveness of the project, student information from the lead institution, NC A&T State University has been collected for analysis. To assess the effectiveness of the project, two control groups were carefully chosen for years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Statistical analysis was performed to ensure the compatibility between the control group and the experimental group. Student cumulative GPAs were recorded for each group over the past two years. Preliminary results from the statistical analysis indicated that the NC-LSAMP project has had a very significant positive impact on student performance. Participants of the NC-LSAMP project performed significantly better than their counterparts in the control group for both years. Although this project is ongoing, it has the potential to significantly impact the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented STEM students.
This paper presents planned activities and some recent successes related to collaborative efforts... more This paper presents planned activities and some recent successes related to collaborative efforts between engineering and biology at North Carolina A&T State University. For many years, faculty in engineering and biology have teamed up to submit research proposals, much of this collaboration has occurred through personal relationships among faculty members. More recently, the university has encouraged a formal and intentional cooperation between the two disciplines in an effort to find mutual benefits. Spurred by the establishment of new bioengineering degree programs and helped by the NSF Engineering Research Center for metallic biomaterials, the partnership between engineering and biology has strengthened and is yielding significant benefits for students. The partnership has grown in several dimensions including coursework, funded proposals, joint faculty positions, and shared facilities. During 2010 a team of faculty representing engineering and biology and administrators were awarded an NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration (I 3) grant titled EBEE: Enhancing Bioscience and Engineering Education through curriculum integration and research experiences in systems biology. The main theme of the project is to incorporate life sciences education and research across the campus and to demonstrate it by creating intentional and sustained collaborations between the College of Engineering and the Biology Department at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T).
21880.5-M-H a G. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Sb. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZ... more 21880.5-M-H a G. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Sb. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION North Carolini-&& T Univ.
This paper discusses the importance of documentation and records in the administration of an engi... more This paper discusses the importance of documentation and records in the administration of an engineering program. The new trends in academic program evaluation for accreditation indicate an ever increasing role of documented procedures and systematic data collection and reporting to support curriculum reform. The paper also recommends a documentation structure that is borrowed from the generally accepted principles of document management in the context of quality systems standards.
Discrete-event simulation is a powerful tool for solving many problems, especially in manufacturi... more Discrete-event simulation is a powerful tool for solving many problems, especially in manufacturing. Formulating the problem, building the simulation model, running the model, and analyzing the output are the basic steps in a simulation study. Because building a simulation model can be a difficult and time-consuming task, it will be useful if a decision-maker could reuse a simulation model if possible and change it to solve a different problem or evaluate another option. Thus, it is desirable to have adaptable simulation models that are easy to change with little or no programming effort. Using simulation models in real-time scheduling and operational settings also requires adaptable simulation models that can represent the changing shop floor. Also, as a manufacturing system progresses from a concept to a detailed design, and to an installed and operating facility, the simulation model of the system must change. Adaptable simulation models will reduce the time, effort, and cost of using simulation in these types of scenarios. This paper reviews the concepts of adaptability, suggests some measures for adaptable simulation models, and discusses factors that affect adaptability.
This paper presents a simple plan to enable engineering programs to begin preparing for ABET Crit... more This paper presents a simple plan to enable engineering programs to begin preparing for ABET Criteria 2000. It is aimed at engineering programs that have done no more than simply read the new criteria. The paper focuses on Criteria 2 and 3 of the new accreditation standard, two criteria that represent the major change from the old accreditation requirements.
This paper examines the validity of self-assessment as a tool for measuring student abilities, in... more This paper examines the validity of self-assessment as a tool for measuring student abilities, in particular, whether self-assessments can be used as valid substitutes for instructor evaluations. Data is obtained from in-class student self-assessments and subsequent course tests that measure the same abilities. Correlation between self-assessment ratings and test scores are used to comment on the validity of self-assessments. Some
The current interest in international accreditation of engineering programs is motivated by a num... more The current interest in international accreditation of engineering programs is motivated by a number of factors, not the least of which is the increasing need for mobility of engineers across the globe. Although the accreditation bodies of several countries have made significant progress towards harmonizing their accreditation systems and processes, most of the world is still not an active participant in this activity. One reason may be the lack of an international organizational structure to promote and facilitate accreditation of programs across national borders. This paper introduces the organizational structure for global quality assurance based on the ISO-9000 quality systems standard and proposes a similar model to enable international accreditation of engineering education programs. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), is a voluntary, non-governmental, peer review process that ensures educational quality [1]. It is understood that the graduates of an acc...
ABSTRACT This paper explores similarities and differences between the new ABET accreditation crit... more ABSTRACT This paper explores similarities and differences between the new ABET accreditation criteria (EC-2000) and a well-established quality assurance standard in industry (ISO-9000 series). The premise of the paper is that an appreciation of EC-2000 as a tool for quality assurance will lead to greater faculty interest and participation in accreditation-related activities. Some suggestions are also provided for effective implementation of EC-2000.
This article describes a decision support system (DSS) for planning course offerings in an academ... more This article describes a decision support system (DSS) for planning course offerings in an academic department. The system involves selection of courses, assignment of instructors to courses, and scheduling of courses. The DSS has been implemented and is currently in use.
A generalized network structure is essentially a linear program whose coefficient matrix ignoring... more A generalized network structure is essentially a linear program whose coefficient matrix ignoring simple bounds on variables, contains at most two non-zero entries in each column. When flow variables are required to be integers, the resulting problem is termed Discrete Generalized Network (DGN). The DGN structure has been used to model problems such as scheduling variable length networks, designing communication networks and capital allocation problems. The primary objective of this project has been to identify solution methodologies for problems having the DGN structure. Some secondary outcomes of the research include a program for generating random networks and an application of DGN formulation to model an important problem in flexible manufacturing systems.
... ALGORITHM FOR LARGE SCALE SCHEDULING PROBLEMS VAHID LOTF School of Management, State Universi... more ... ALGORITHM FOR LARGE SCALE SCHEDULING PROBLEMS VAHID LOTF School of Management, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA SANJIV SARINI North Carolina AT ... Two vertices Vi and v in graph G are said to be adjacent if there exists an edge (v. ...
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