Joint Wrap up session for Electrical and Computer Engineering

5/5/07
Time:  12:30

Attending: Douglas Lyon, Jerry Sergent, Mike Brienza, Sherman Poltney, Jeff Dennenberg,
Jack Beal

Jerry: ECE 495, Power Generation and Distribution;
Gave a take home exam with problems from the text. Duplicate answers from the
instructors manual. It was found by google. 

Microwave Structures, ECE 475
Numerical Methods for Engineers ECE 415
These were large classes, with 19 in one and 21 in the other. Micro wave sturctures. Students did not
appear to have a good command of the English language (English is a second language for them).

Mike: We need to improve our screening (increase TOFEL score?). Some transfer students are not taking SATs 
as undergraduates, and this is a problem. This is an occasional problem that we need to watch.
We should not be a remidial institution, in my view.

Jeff: We need to accomodate a wide variety of backgrounds and give remedial courses
when required.

Mike: transfer students should have bridge courses and high school prep is deteriorating.

Jeff: Students are often in need of a refresher course (i.e., calculus), because they forget.

Jack: Non-native English speakers are present and having trouble.

Jeff and Mike: EG32 Engineering II
Jeff: We can do both EG31 and EG32 in one term. 
Course went well, students enjoyed projects, but they did not go a well.
Mike: I took a slightly different approach from Jeff. I exposed them to a variety of tools,
and gave them some skills. 
For example, we covered differences in materials and how they impact design.
Jeff: I am changing the book next term (Mike: Thanks G-D).
The new book is almost sufficient (written by automotive engineering people).
Cars are used as examples. I intend to add a segment in insturmentation. 
The course works.
Helps students figure out what they want to be when they grow up.
Mike: They need to understand that a change of career is not a failure.

Jack: I object to the amount of coverage on content and we need to focus
more on process. I would like to see better supervision in the machine shop.
This is a critical safety issue.
STUDENTS SHOULD BE SUPERVISED IN THE MACHINE SHOP!
This is a very dangerous situation and needs to be addressed. The key to the machine
shop (i.e., the physics submaster) has been duplicated without permission.

Jeff: The dean knows about this issue.
Doug: I am shocked.

Jeff: EE221, AC Circuits
Extreme case of a bi-modal distribution. Mental learning issues in one student, perhaps
not a EE. This will become more of an issue down the road. Three people are just not
doing the work. One is a part time student. The other student is a known factor. Both
students are in deep trouble.
One student is very bright, but he cannot seem to do the work and show up for class, or
even exams.

Jerry: I spoke with one professor and for the next lecture, the students did not show.
Jeff: Students are going to flunk or get D's. We will change the book next year.
There was no 221L, we need this badly!
Doug and Jack agree.

Jack: Ee245/CR245/PS211 and the labs (Digital Design I).
Had 8 students and fit the bell curve. Couple of part-time students (who were outstanding).
We had a snow night and we lost a week. A lab was lost due to early closing.
A student with poor English had a lot of problems in the class. Can we add an extra
English course before they start more Engineering courses? They are part time.

The students issue is that English is a second language. Attendance was good this
year. Better than normal. This is a night class. Last year we had a 3:30 class and attendance
was poor. Students are late with HW and lab reports. Six lab reports on the last day of class!?

The missed days cause missed classes...and topics were missed. We had to adhere to the
final exam schedule.

Sherman: I checked my contract and it conflicts with the final schedule.
Jack: Students are protesting with finals being given during finals week in evening classes.
Some students are getting 3 exams in one day. This is a problem.

Doug: We need to synchronize the SOE academic schedule with the FU schedule.

Jack: PS16/PS16L Physics II.
We had 28 students, most are engineering students (1 math, 1 bio, 2 physics majors).
Mike: I have 11 students.
Jack: People are not showing up. Two students will fail. Another never took an
exam or did any HW. Another may fail. Students are not taking notes.
Students may have a learning disabililty. 
Jack: I am worried about one student who is going to fail a pre-req and
we may just allow him to take the subsequent course.
Mike: students are overloading.
Jack: Many students don't know how to study. They may never had to study before.

Mike: public school system has declined in its standards. 
When I give lectures, I give them the handouts. I teach them how to study.
Jack: I give an optional paper (bumps the grade up 1/3 of a grade).
Jerry: Eight week report on Calc II, students did not show up to the help session.
Mike: One of the benefits of EG31/EG32 is that we try to help student learn how to study.
I teach the day time course, once a week. This should be taught 2 or 3 times a week.
This was mentioned to the dean.

Sherman: CR206, Optics Lab.
We started with six students, but only 4 showed. One handed in almost no work the other
broke her leg. One student has 14 withdrawals and was not allowed to withdraw.

Problems: we have trouble with access to the room in Bnw. Keys will not be issued to the room.
And there are keys that are needed for the storage areas. Equipment cannot be put away, unless we have
a key. We need a swipe lock for BNW133 and BNW144.

Computer Engineering students are not up to the difficulty of not having a lab. We need mini-lectures.
We used to have EE345 with a 3 hour lecture (with a lab).

We need to use methal chloride to strip the fiber. We had a safety issue. Vagos
says you can't use it. However the mechanical stripping is very dangerous.
One experiment is done by the mechanical cut technique. Vagos
says that we should prepare the fiber optic cables at home (which should not be done.).

Doug: This term I taught Comp. Graphics and Image Processing. I also taught
the Thesis I, Thesis III and the Independent study courses.
Bob Distinti will be presenting his thesis and should graduate this year.

The thesis I student did very well, as did the independent study students.
The Ind. study student made a good contribution to the development of courseware in
the altera DE2 boards.

One problem was that students had a lot of trouble learning the tool. We needed
to spend a lot of time on this. Perhaps I need to go to altera school.

Motion was made to ajourn and we left:
2:00 PM