Faculty of Engineering Report for VC s STRATEGIC PLANNING

Faculty of Engineering Report for VC’s STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT AUGUST 2009 © August 2009, Faculty of Engineering Mission: To be the provider of a world class quality education in Engineering, Geoinformatics and Geosciences and Research and Development programmes in support of Caribbean business, industry and infrastructure, with its graduates, staff and facilities being at the forefront, propelling growth, development and innovation in the Region.

1. Priority Areas and Objectives 1. Curriculum and Pedagogical Reform (CPR) at all levels, i. e. , UG as well as PG. 2. Effective Research and Innovation processes 3. Support Systems a. Well defined, efficient and effective support and enabling processes b. Infrastructure that supports educational thrust c. Environment that provokes creative thought

2. Actions 2 K 8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. CPR Strategy completed in 3 Departments at UG & PG. Execution started. Completion by end 2009. Faculty regulations overhauled. All UG programmes in Surveying & Land Information reengineered. Progress at different rates, wide variations in objectives. Use the Flying Geese approach R&I : Strategy completed. Some stakeholder engagement – positive. Faculty presentation on 11/09/08 Graduate School: CPR strategies in 1 Department – proposed. Review required

2. Actions 2 K 8 7. 8. 9. R&I : Strategy completed. Some stakeholder engagement – positive. Faculty presentation on 11/09/08 Graduate School: CPR strategies in 1 Department – proposed. Review required. Moving to establish a Caribbean-based Accreditation system with assistance from IEEE

3. Actions 2 K 9 CPR (T&L, GSR): STAFF Staff on Courses/workshops on T&L = 28 COURSES/PROGRAMMES: Eliminated New/market responsive Inter-campus course accessibility Cross campus collaboration With online/elearning component With OC = 5 = 10 = 0* = 4* = 58 = 1*

3. Actions 2 K 9 Significant CPR Highlights: 1. UG Seminars: scholarly research, report writing, time management and delivery of professional oral presentations to support project work 2. Orientation to Learning workshop, Mathematics Level 1 Support Programme 3. DECE Math syllabus redesigned - more closely reflect DECE & IET requirements & previously identified deficiencies. Courses removed, courses added. HR Requirements 4. Engineering practice overhauled to relate more with industrial practice: protocol, industry standards, codes of practice, IP control, planning & design, team dynamics,

3. Actions 2 K 9 Significant CPR Highlights: 5. Faculty-wide transition to LO centric course structures 6. Foundation Programme in Engineering* geared for those deficient in qualifications for entry. 1. Mathematics (core), Technical Drawing and Communication Skills. 2. Self-contained vocational training component for a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certificate award at Level 1 at least. This component aims at lifting the technical competence of candidates for acceptability into the core engineering programme and uses the vocational component to facilitate academic learning through practical application. 3. Dual certification

3. Actions 2 K 9 Significant CPR Highlights: 7. Caribbean Accreditation Council for Engineering & Technology (CACET) 1. Draft Charter and Operations Manual completed 2. Accreditation Manual and The Financial Manual in process 3. November 2009 launch with a training session for the CACET Accreditors. 4. CACET on CARICOM agenda formal acceptance as for CAAMS –HP 8. !! BSc Petroleum Geoscience reaccredited to 2016 9. Engineering Expansion to Mona campus through the Department of Physics

3. Actions 2 K 9 Towards the ideal grad… 1. Critical thinker: dedicated modules in CHNG 1008, ENGR 1001 and ECNG 1012 2. Problem solving: embedded. Poster presentations , redesigned lab & proj design suite 3. Comm Skills: Specialised courses, communication “across the curriculum” 4. Knowledgeable & informed: Student chapters/IEEE & STLE, new tutor/tutee structure in DECE, sponsored int’l seminars for UG & PG* 5. Competence: continuous accreditation, math curriculum overhaul (staff allocations needed!!!)

3. Actions 2 K 9 Towards the ideal grad… 1. Leadership: team activity (Belbin test to assign roles), CSL 2. IT skills: always embedded. Some Depts need to improve a bit 3. Socially and culturally responsive: Engineering Practice Stream/DECE, Fo. E backed CSL 4. Ethics: module in Y 1 course, Engineering Practice Stream, strict adherence to plagiarism/collusion rules 5. Innovative/entrepreneurial: Fo. E Mission statement, DECE Engineering Practice Stream, modules in selected crses 6. Lifelong, self-motivated, self-directed learners: Group & individual projects, Online student centre (DECE)

3. Actions 2 K 9 1. UG Enrolment Target: 400 intake, no increase due to limited academic staff and lab resources. 2. Taught Master’s programme intake (enrolment) for 2008/2009: = 253 (636) 3. Projected programme intake for 2009/2010: ≈ 253 +30 = 283 4. Research methodology adopted by all depts 5. Int’l collaborations re PG supervision 6. 7 research grants*

3. Actions 2 K 9 7. PG Intake 2007 2008 2009 (proj) MPhil programme intake 13 14(33) 15 Ph. D programme intake (enrolment) 3 5 (17) 6 8. International research collaboration with Mc. Gill University, Trinity College/Dublin, University of Calgary, Lund Universitet

3. Actions 2 K 9 Cross campus or Int’l University Research Collaboration 1. Transport Mechanism & Thermodynamics in biofilms 2. Sediment Transport in rivers/ Mc. Gill University 3. School of Architecture at MIT: development of new building blocks for home construction. 4. Trinity College: Semantic Presentation and Access for Cricket 5. Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks 6. Developing a Contemporary Casebook for the Teaching of Industrial Engineering (City University of Hong Kong) 7. Brain/Computer Interface research and laboratory development

4. Outstanding issues of note 1. Clustering for an effective research portfolio: Research cluster development across the Faculty still grossly premature … stymied by the traditional academic paradigm where everyone seeks to explore his/her own interest. DO Have clusters (¿units/centres? ) at Fo. E level (Eng. Institute (e. g. Steelpan Dev Centre), and at Department level. HOWEVER, overall R&D output remains low and little collaborative effort across the Fo. E.

4. Outstanding issues of note 2. Increasing calls for 4 -Year UG – e. g. comments from Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering QA review. NB: Step 1 in providing a good basis for Fo. E research portfolio & PG is strengthening the UG programmes. 3. A&P policy for Fo. E – penultimate stage at staff meeting of August 25 th. to determine and agree upon the Faculty role model a la Arreola.

5. Activities and achievements of note Broadening student experience: The Fo. E has been actively supporting UG & PG student participation in international conferences and symposia. STAN April 2009 E. g. Year 3 DECE student Purdy Mohammed, won the 2009 Clayton Griffin Student paper award sponsored by the Georgia Power Company. Presented her paper, a summary of her final year project work, at the 2009 Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference.

5. Activities and achievements of note Community Service Learning experience: 1. Online Tutorials - St. Mary’s Home 2. Installation of an Intercom System - Curepe Presbyterian School 3. Promoting Eco-Tourism in the Valencia Area Through Web. Based Technology 4. Web Based Skills Database Application: Skill Joy – Penal 5. Replacement of Lighting System - Arunodai Presbyterian Church, Couva 6. Lights of Hope – St. Dominic’s Children Home 7. Installation of an Emergency Light Backup System at the St. Vincent De. Paul Home for the Aged. 8. The SMS Based Community Messaging System - Chaguanas

5. Activities and achievements of note “It was one of my proudest moments in life thus far. . . " Mr. Yohan Seepersad – Year 2 student and former representative for Trinidad and Tobago at the Mathematics Olympiad in Mexico and Viet Nam:

5. Activities and achievements of note Internal CSL: Fo. E employed‘ 09 graduates Jayanatee Ramkissoon and Avinash Gookool to conduct acoustic tests and speaker placement studies on the Engineering Auditorium

5. Activities and achievements of note One PHI plays bass on the road at the St James We Beat Festival 2009 PHI: Working with the Community Security Programme of Min of National Security – working with youth in high risk areas of Tn. T Project status: written GORTT for commercialization capital. Shareholdings with UWI, GORTT upcoming

“Like a bolt of lightning …rocket man from the Caribbean” Edwin “Crazy” Ayoung, 2009