UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

Academic Program Approval

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs. Proposing department should complete this form. For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

Submitted by: _Steven Dentel _________________________phone number__x-8120___

Action: Revision of chemistry, computer skill, and biology course requirements_____

(Example: add major/minor/concentration, delete major/minor/concentration, revise major/minor/concentration, academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change, etc.)

Effective term ______06F_____________________________________________________________________

(use format 04F, 05W)

Current degree _____BENE_________________________________________________

(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

Proposed change leads to the degree of: ____ BENE ____________________________

(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

Proposed name: _____(same)_______________________________________________

Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

(if applicable)

Revising or Deleting:

Undergraduate major / Concentration: Environmental Engineering B.S. _

(Example: Applied Music – Instrumental degree BMAS)

Undergraduate minor:_______________________________________________

(Example: African Studies, Business Administration, English, Leadership, etc.)

Graduate Program Policy statement change:____________________________

(Attach your Graduate Program Policy Statement)

Graduate Program of Study:__________________________________________

(Example: Animal Science: MS Animal Science: PHD Economics: MA Economics: PHD)

Graduate minor / concentration:______________________________________

List program changes or curriculum revisions:

See attached

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum:

(Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

None

Other affected units:

(List other departments affected by this new or revised curriculum. Attach permission from the affected units. If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)

Biological Sciences -

BISC 302 General Ecology – add for all majors. Estimate 15 students per year.

Chemistry:

CHEM 103/104 General Chem - putting more of our students into this sequence instead of 111/112/119. Estimate 5-10 students per year.

Chemical Engineering:

1) CHEG 325 Thermodynamics II net decrease 5-10 since we are dropping this from core requirements

2) CHEG 332 Chemical Engg Kinetics and CHEG 342 Heat and Mass Transfer

- required for one concentration. Estimate 2-5 students per year. We've had approximately this same number of students in these courses already as Technical Electives

Rationale:

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

See attached

Program Requirements:

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog. If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the present curriculum.)

See attached

ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION: (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

Department Chairperson Date

Dean of College Date

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies Date

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com. Date

Secretary, Faculty Senate Date

Date of Senate Resolution Date to be Effective

Registrar Program Code Date

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning Date

Provost Date

Board of Trustee Notification Date

Revised 11/03/04 /khs

Memorandum

January 12, 2006

TO: Keith Goossen, Chair, Educational Activities Committee

FROM: Steven K. Dentel, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

RE: Proposed revision to Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering: I. Core Curriculum

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering wishes to propose the following revisions to the core curriculum for the Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering:

1. Chemistry core: Replace the General Chemistry sequence CHEM111/112/119 with CHEM103/104 as the core freshman chemistry requirement for the degree, and also remove CHEG 325 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II) from the core requirements for two of the three existing areas of concentration for the major.

2. Computer-based skills: Replace CISC 105 (General Computer Science) with CIEG126 (Computer Aided Design, GIS, and Surveying).

3. Environmental Biology Core: Replace BISC 321 (Environmental Biology) with BISC 302 (General Ecology).

These proposed changes stem from careful assessment of our existing curriculum and the abilities of our graduates. In addition to the deliberations of our own faculty, we also obtained input from our Constituent Committee of outside stakeholders, student focus groups that we assemble prior to their graduation, the Alumni Survey that we conduct annually, and a questionnaire sent to alumni specifically regarding the proposed revisions. These changes have been approved by the faculty group involved with Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Chairman of our department.

Below are presented the justifications for each of the three revisions summarized above. Appended to this document is the complete tabulation of the curriculum as it should appear with the enactment of these revisions.

These revisions all involve the core coursework for our degree. Please note that we are also submitting a second proposal, which relates primarily to our upper-level coursework and how it should divide the degree into four formal concentrations. The two proposals are independent.

Justifications for the Proposed Changes

1. Chemistry core: Based on the technical electives and career directions our students have chosen, the majority do not require either the CHEM 111/112/119 sequence (the highest level of General Chemistry offered) or a second course in Thermodynamics (CHEG 325). For these students, the requirement for these courses has led to frustration and excessive attrition. The revised chemistry core still maintains high standards for the ENEG majors; the CHEM 103/104 sequence is at the same level as required for all engineering majors except Chemical Engineering (Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering only require CHEM 103). There is no net change in credit hours (8 for each set of CHEM courses).

We do have some students who wish to focus specifically in the chemical aspects of our field. These students have customarily chosen our “area of concentration” in Pollution Transport and Control Processes. Students choosing this area of concentration should still take CHEM 111/112/119 and CHEG 325 because these are prerequisites for their intended technical electives. Students who may select this area of concentration following their freshman year may take CHEM 220 to “upgrade” their CHEM 103/104 level of preparation; this alternative has historically been offered by the Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering programs to accommodate special cases such as transfer students. In any case, this is an optional feature to our degree and therefore does not affect the level of our core course requirements.

We will advise all entering freshmen with adequate high school chemistry preparation to enroll in CHEM 111/119 to maintain their options for all areas of concentration, although some will not elect to do this. Students who take CHEM 103/104 and then elect the area of Pollution Transport and Control Processes will be required to take CHEM 220, which is the current practice for transfer students.

We investigated the possibility that students taking the CHEM 103/104 sequence would not be adequately prepared for CHEG 231 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics). Due to transfer circumstances or inadequate high school preparation in chemistry, we have already had some students go through the CHEM 103/104 sequence (and also taking the CHEM 220-221 sequence), so the records of these 5 students were compared with those of 10 students in the same cohorts who took CHEM 111/112/119. Although the former students have done less well in CHEG 231 and CHEG 325 than the latter, grade records show that they do not suffer in other relevant courses such as the environmental chemistry courses, CIEG 337 and 437, or in their overall grade point average (see Figure 1). The students will no longer take CHEG 325 which shows the greater disparity between the two student groups. The effect of CHEM 220/221 on this comparison is considered less significant.

Although this evidence appears compelling, our ABET accreditation requires that we monitor curriculum changes and regularly assess our outcomes. Thus, the same comparison will be continued after the revisions are in place to assure that CHEM 103/104 sequence provides adequate preparation for subsequent coursework.

2. Computer-based skills: Replace CISC 105 (General Computer Science) with CIEG126 (Computer Aided Design, GIS, and Surveying).

The replacement of a computer programming course with a more applications-oriented course has been requested by our students, alumni, and outside advisory committee. CIEG 126 (Introduction to Surveying and CAD, 3 cr) is a new course recently added to the required Bachelors in Civil Engineering curriculum. The course is slated to add content on geographical information systems (GIS) as of 2006, which will also meet the professional needs of environmental engineering students. The instructor, Professor Attoh-Okine, and our department are amenable to the addition of ENEG students to this course.

3. Environmental Biology Core: Replace BISC 321 (Environmental Biology) with BISC 302 (General Ecology).

The Department of Biological Sciences has not offered BISC 321 in several years although it is required for our ENEG curriculum. We expect the course to be removed as a regular offering since the Biological Sciences department no longer has the previous instructor. BISC 302 is the best alternative available, and our students are currently taking this course. ENEG students do not take BISC 208, the generally expected prerequisite, but are admitted with permission and the outcome has been satisfactory to date.