To inspire and help students to build their career in Engineering by helping the student know their local community, their state, their nation and the world, and the opportunities they have to change it through the profession of Engineering and to provide excellent academic instruction and support, with a variety of offerings in various Engineering fields.
The Engineering for transfer program is designed to prepare students for the rigors demanded by CSU and UC Schools of Engineering. Fundamental engineering courses including the study of Statics (ENGR-8), Circuits (ENGR-17) and Materials Science (ENGR-45) complement course completions in Mathematics (calculus-based), Physics (for Scientists and Engineers) for students preparing for bachelor's degrees in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Mechatronic Engineering. To obtain an Associate's degree, students must complete both the major requirements and the graduation requirements for the college. The Civil Engineering Technology program is designed to prepare students to enter the world of Civil Engineering Technologists with a Certificate of Achievement for technician-level surveying competency. The program has sufficient breadth to include surveying, map drafting, and computer aided drafting (CAD). After completion of the certificate of achievement requirements including a mathematics and computer science completion, the student will be prepared to enter civil engineering technology at the entry level.
New full-time faculty member
The ability to have a Full-time Faculty in Engineering has been invaluable to the program. After ENGR went through PRR it was realized that there was a lot of work to be done to get the ENGR department up and running to the standards we have at Butte. This faculty member has been instrumental in helping to revitalize the program. They have been able to:
- Work on Curriculum Updates
- Teach core ENGR Courses
- Foster a community within ENGR students
- Procure necessary equipment
- Create a classroom whose sole purpose is to teach ENGR
The ENGR program is in great hands with our Full-time Faculty and the work they continue to do is strengthening the program.
PLO Assessed:
Describe the history, functions, and types of engineering.
This program learning outcome could be applied to all engineering courses offered at Butte College. Many students choose Engineering as their pathway without knowing exactly what engineering as a discipline entails. Including portions of this PLO in each engineering course would reinforce a student's decision to either obtain the Associate's degree and/or transfer to a four year institution. This PLO could also be stretched to include explaining the engineering curriculum as it relates to advancement and the career opportunities.
In ENGR-1, this topic is discussed at length throughout the course. Students investigate different types of engineering. One specific activity requires students to work together to explain an assigned engineering discipline to the class as a whole. This occurs at the beginning of the semester and is a spring board for looking into different types of engineering.
This PLO could also be applied to the other engineering courses, as related to the course. ENGR 3 and 4 could include a module that speaks directly to civil engineers and surveyors and what their role is in the engineering realm and pathways to licensure.
|
ACADEMIC_YEAR |
PERIOD |
Retention Rate |
Success Rate |
|
2015 |
FA |
88% |
78% |
|
2015 |
SP |
86% |
55% |
|
2016 |
FA |
86% |
75% |
|
2016 |
SP |
84% |
60% |
|
2017 |
FA |
94% |
75% |
|
2017 |
SP |
90% |
71% |
|
2018 |
SP |
89% |
69% |
|
2018 |
FA |
87% |
83% |
We believe that sustained growth should follow given the overwhelming data that supports the growth of the Engineering program including extensive involvement in STEM improvements and Guided Pathways development. The college supports students in their progress toward their educational goals by collaborating with industry, external agencies, and other institutions of higher education to ensure that programs are relevant and meeting current needs and the Engineering program is consistent with said goals. The Engineering program is working directly with the UC and CSU Schools of Engineering to provide a shared guidance and oversight of curriculum that is relevant and meeting the needs of higher education rigor through our membership and participation in the Engineering Liaison Council (ELC) of all CCC, UC and CSU Engineering programs. In addition, we are working with local and regional industries to develop engineering programming that is relevant and needed to assure that local candidates for employment as prepared, ready and able to succeed in an engineering or technical profession. Enhancing a Culture of Inclusiveness: Improving access, success, and completion of targeted student populations through the implementation of the Student Equity Plan. The Engineering program is working closely with MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) and the STEM pathways at Butte College and local high schools to develop connections and achievements of target populations identified in the current District Student Equity Plan including outreach, intern opportunities and transfer successes into engineering pathways.
The Engineering program will be subject to a complete program review in 2020 as its own program. Previous results were aggregated with the Physical Sciences and are not uniquely relevant to stand out except the following items from 2013-2014 program review. We are currently working on these recommendations:
- Engineering revitalization through the hiring of new faculty (This has happened with the hire of our new full-time faculty)
- Structure of ENGR1 as an exploration of the myriad pathways of Engineering.
- Computational course addition
- Dynamics course addition
- Continued position of ENGR as a vital part of Butte College instructional offering is affirmed as a continued perspective.
Engineering Department 2020/2021 Goals
- Increase the predictability of course offerings within the engineering curriculum.
- In recent years, engineering courses have not been offered in a predictable pattern due to the lack of instructor availability which results in student frustration and not being able to take all available course offerings for their major at Butte College.
- Current course offerings will be intended to be offered at regular intervals to alleviate this student concern.
- Increase enrollment in the engineering courses.
- By increasing predictability of engineering course offerings, this will most likely increase enrollment as students will be able to plan ahead.
- Contacting local high schools and notifying counselors that Butte College has an active engineering program may increase local enrollment at Butte College. This would affect engineering as well as GE, math and the science enrollments.
- Increase completion of students currently enrolled in engineering program.
- Counsel students who only need several more classes to achieve certificate or AS degree. This is done informally through the instructor/student contact while enrolled in current courses.
- The current AS in Engineering is in need of modification to reflect completion by discipline within engineering. Creating civil, electrical, mechanical, and mechatronic specific engineering AS degrees would increase completion at the Butte College level. Most students transferring to the four year institution do not complete the AS degree because it currently includes courses that are not required for the four year BS degree.
Strategy 1 - Engineering Program Facilities
Centralize location of Engineering program lecture and laboratory spaces.
Centralize location of Engineering program lecture and laboratory spaces to every extent possible to synergize all instructional delivery with CSCI and DFT programs.
Strategy 2 - Professional Development
Faculty and staff professional development including events, workshops, training, externships and trade shows.
STEM programs mandate a continued pursuit of professional development that extends beyond local resources. Professional development keeps faculty and staff at the leading edge of development of relevant instructional programming, courses, certificates and degrees.
Strategy 3 - Curriculum Alignment to All Programmatic Needs
Align all curriculum to C-ID requirements and to all UC, CSU and CC Joint-Engineering-Program task force recommendations.
The Engineering Program at Butte College should be designed to help students get wherever it is they desire to go. All or almost all Engineering students take Drafting and Computer Science classes. Many of our students believe that they can be engineers, yet the vast majority do not even know what an engineer really is, or what an engineer does. It is OUR collective opportunity to guide those students and help them understand that and every education opportunity we have with those students prepares them for success. Some will succeed and transfer as engineering students. Others will transfer as technologist students and still others will exit at the lower division level with certificates or associates degrees but each and every one is ours to help. Developing curriculum to align with those different outcomes is an important task.
The Engineering Liaison Council (ELC) ELC (http://www.caelc.org/ ) is a unique organization in California that has been serving a very important and critical function in engineering education since 1947. It is composed of representatives of engineering and engineering technology education throughout California and several other states including: deans and associate deans from the colleges of engineering of the University of California system, the California State University system and the independent universities and colleges, and the engineering professors from the California Community Colleges. The purpose of the ELC is bring these professionals together in order to collaborate on ideas to better align community college engineering courses with the UC and CSU engineering courses and increase articulation.
Strategy 4 - Update Instructional Equipment and Instrumentation
Continue the replacement of all equipment and instrumentation to current technology standards of practice for an engineering for transfer and technology based completion strands.
The current equipment that is available for the engineering department is outdated and not reflective of current standards and/or is not operational. This equipment is paramount to student success and their ability to learn using different modalities.
The Engineering Program requests the following in consideration for non-financial resources:
Facilities: The conversion of MC 145 into the dedicated lecture and lab area will still be in process during 2020/2021. It is requested that this classroom be scheduled only for engineering or computer science courses.
The department is looking at applying for various STEM based grants that support Engineering, espcially the ATE grant through the NSF. Additionally Strong Work Force funds are an avenue for funding.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Engineering Program | Facilities | $97,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Engineering Laboratory | Engineering as a program needs a centralized laboratory, properly equipped with computers sufficient to match the requirements and demands of an engineering-for-transfer and a technology based engineering certificate completion program. Current program demands exceed effective facility space that is not adequately enabled for student success. Request one-time augmentation for remodeling. |
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| 2 | ENGR Engineering Program | Equipment | $210,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Purchase Materials, Technology and Equipment | There is much equipment in need of repair or replacement. New/Refurbished Equipment Includes: -Digital tension and compression test machine -Hydraulic tension and compression test machine -Hydraulic tension and compression test machine with digital controls and connectivity -Hydraulic beam deflection tester -Hydraulic beam deflection tester with digital controls and connectivity -Metallurgy specimen furnace -Control computers for Lab Environment -Training for instruction and lab technician -Site License for Circuits Build Lab -Digital multimeters with data collection interfaces -Statics - Friction, Forces and Moments Kits -Statics - Internal reactions, thermal, shear and bend -Computing devices for dedicated classroom/laboratory |
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| 3 | Engineering Program | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $2,000.00 | ||
| Professional Development | STEM programs mandate a continued pursuit of professional development that extends beyond local resources. Professional development keeps faculty and staff at the leading edge of development of relevant instructional programming, courses, certificates and degrees. Each semester the ELC meets too discuss Statewide engineering program concerns, such as course development/augmentation, ensuring articulation with CSU/UC systems, and collaboration on new course offerings. It is valuable for engineering faculty to attend these meetings to ensure Butte College's program is in-line with other community colleges as well as ensuring the engineering course offerings continue to articulate with the universities. |
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| 4 | ENGR Engineering Program | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $20,000.00 | ||
| ENGR Budget | The Engineering Program has been sharing it's budget with Computer Science and Drafting Technologies. It needs it's own budget to handle day-to-day activities as well as maintaining the new and current equipment that it has. Several of the engineering courses have associated labs and require consumables on a semester basis. It is important to be able to include these materials in the course as it allows students to learn even more effectively. ENGR-1, ENGR-3, ENGR-17, and ENGR-45 all have labs that require material/consumable purchase. |
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| 5 | ENGR Engineering Program | Equipment | $10,000.00 | $0.00 | ||
| MatLab License | MatLab is industry used software and is used at other institutions that we would like to articulate with. This course offering is under development and is planned to be offered Spring 2021. |
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