INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION DIGEST
October
2004
Copyright © 2004 World Expertise LLC – All rights
reserved
A periodic electronic newsletter for engineering education
leaders,
edited by Russel C. Jones, Ph.D., P.E., and Bethany S.
Oberst, Ph.D.
CONTENTS
1 - International developments
-
UK
universities change admissions timetable
- Collaboration
in European R&D
-
Russia
hopes to inhibit corruption with national entrance examination
- Kerry
is widely favored abroad
-
Japan
opens its door (slightly) to foreign higher ed
- Canadian
PM declares support for research, access, tech transfer
- Australian
higher ed loses part of its competitive advantage
- Status
of UN’s Millennium Development Goals
- Costa
Rican university teaches eco-friendly entrepreneurship
2 -
US
developments
- US
college drop-out rates exceed those of other countries
-
US
legislators squabble over science funding
- NASA
budget strained by Shuttle and Hubble
-
US
higher education suffers from states’ neglect, leadership deficit
- NSF
Director nominated
- Cuban
scholars denied visas at last minute
- Risky
business
- US
creates six nanoscience centers
-
US
National Science Foundation eliminates cost-sharing
- AAAS
establishes security center
- FBI
to have access to SEVIS data and more
- Bush
and Kerry views on science
- Engineers
win genius awards
- Teaching
tech in
India
-
US
publishers attempt to clarify prohibition on editorial activities
3 - Distance education, technology
- A
laptop in every locker
- Spyware
firms sued
- Doubts
about interceptor system
- Group
seeks new structures for copyright of research results
4 - Students, faculty, education
- Articles
focus on decline of US as higher ed magnet
- Gender
gap at Harvard
- Engineering
schools given guidance on affirmative action
- Why
still few women
- Young
engineers work abroad on local projects
-
Air
Force
Academy
stronger after sex scandal
- Surprise!
-
Japan
creates new program to promote active learning
- Report
shows
US
students still not adequately prepared for college
-
University
of
Phoenix
accused of inappropriate recruiting tactics
5 – Employment
- Is
outsourcing on the outs?
- Keeping
out the wrong people
-
US
Senate examines unionization of teaching assistants
6 – Journals
- International
Journal of Engineering Education
- Issues
in Science and Technology
7 – Meetings
- UPADI2004
at
Mexico City
- ASCE
annual meeting
- ICEE2004
- BSUN
Congress
1 - International developments
UK
universities change admissions timetable – Aisha Labi, writing for the
Chronicle of Higher Education, says
that the British government has proposed to change university admissions by
deferring decisions about acceptances until the results of students’ A-level
exams are in hand. Currently,
university admissions are based on a prediction of how they will do on the
A-levels, thus increasing the last-minute scramble which occurs as students who
do not do as well as predicted attempt to find a place at lesser institutions.
The report also suggests the utility of an SAT-like examination for all
students. Reaction has been mixed:
some opponents fear that a common entrance exam would give an advantage to
students wealthy enough to purchase coaching, while others are concerned that
disadvantaged students who score well would not be rewarded from having overcome
the barriers of poverty. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004091605n.htm)
Collaboration in European R&D – A trend
toward collaborative innovation will help
Europe
to revive its R&D, according to an article by Andy Reinhardt in the October
11th Business Week.
Europe
has long been a leader in innovation, from the printing press centuries ago to
a 600-seat Airbus today, but its place as a technological leader is far from
assured. Overall R&D spending in the 15 pre-enlargement European Union
countries was just under 2% of gross domestic product in 2002, compared with
2.7% in the
US
and 3% in
Japan
. And venture capital investment in European tech startups was less than a
quarter of that in the
US
last year. To overcome these obstacles EU policymakers are pushing to boost
spending by governments, universities and corporations to a total of 3% of GDP.
And governments are promoting “technology clusters” where companies can
collaborate on innovation, even across national borders. (See http://www.businessweek.com)
Russia
hopes to inhibit corruption with national entrance examination – Bryon
MacWilliams wrote a major article in the Chronicle
of Higher Education about
Russia
’s efforts to rein in corruption in higher education, which, according to some
reports, is the most corrupt sector of Russian society.
Currently university admissions are dominated by bribery and rigged in
favor of students living in the major cities where the largest and most
prestigious universities are located. Estimates
of the amount of money that changes hands in the admissions process go as high
as $5-billion. A solution to these
problems may lie with the Unified State Exam, known as the EGE.
Starting in 2005, after several years of pilot efforts, these exams are
expected to be mandated by the government in all regions of the country.
Students will be able to take these examinations in their home regions
without having to travel long distances. (See
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i06/06a04001.htm)
Kerry is widely favored abroad – Surveys
and interviews conducted in 20 countries indicate that President Bush is widely
unpopular as a candidate for reelection, according to an article in the
September 29th Washington Post by Keith Richburg. Senator
Kerry is the runaway favorite abroad, even though few people outside the
US
know much about his positions on foreign policy issues. Kerry’s foreign fans
like his attitude about consulting allies and respecting their views. Bush does
have strong support in such places as
Israel
and
Singapore
for his stance against radical Islamic groups, and in some countries that are
benefiting from world trade, such as
India
. In one recent poll in nine European countries, 76% of respondents disapproved
of the way President Bush is handling international policies, 80% felt that
invading
Iraq
was not worth the costs, and 73% said that the military action in
Iraq
has increased the threat of terrorism around the world. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com)
Japan opens its door (slightly) to foreign higher ed – Despite
a severe decline in the number of college-age students in Japan (a 25% drop
in 18 year olds over the past decade), foreign universities were pleased
to finally see a slight opening of Japan’s higher education structure to
branch campuses of overseas schools. The
education ministry recently announced that Japanese universities could accept
both credits and students from such branches, writes Alan Brender for the Chronicle
of Higher Education. Pressure
from the WTO is assumed to be at least partially behind this change. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004100605n.htm)
Canadian PM declares support for research, access, tech transfer –
In a broad based speech lacking details, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin
reaffirmed that he is committed to increasing support to university research,
making access to higher education easier, pursuing tech transfer from university
labs to market, and upgrading workers’ skills.
The speech generated enthusiasm in the Association of Universities and
Colleges of Canada, although some student leaders expressed disappointment that
Martin did not mention a previous promise to increase support for higher
education in the provinces, writes Karen Birchard for the Chronicle
of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004100606n.htm)
Australian higher ed loses
part of its competitive advantage – A report on the cost of studying
in Australia indicates that the competitive advantage enjoyed by that
country’s universities has rapidly dissipated, due to unfavorable currency
fluctuations, large tuition increases, and higher food prices, writes David
Cohen for the Chronicle of Higher
Education. As a result, the cost
in US$ for living as a student in
Australia
is higher than for the
US
, and second only to living costs in the
UK
.
Australia
remains competitive, however, in terms of tuition cost, except when measured
against similar costs in Asian institutions.
(See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/20041001106n.htm)
Status of UN’s Millennium Development Goals – The
United Nations has published its annual assessment of progress toward its
Millennium Development Goals – targets established in 2000 for advancing
welfare in the developing countries. According to an article in the September 9th
issue of The Economist, the record is mixed, with some things improving
and some not. The targets cover eight areas, calling in most cases for specified
improvements by 2015 measured from 1990: reduce the incidence of extreme poverty
and hunger by half; provide universal access to primary education; promote the
equality of women; reduce infant mortality by two-thirds; reduce maternal
mortality by three-quarters; halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and
malaria; achieve environmental sustainability; and form a global partnership for
development. But according to the article in The Economist, there is a
fundamental weakness in the UN’s approach – it wills the ends without
willing the means. For the most part, progress in the substantive indicators of
improvements in welfare is highly correlated with economic growth – which
suggests that foreign aid in itself is not a cure-all. (See http://www.economist.com)
Costa Rican university teaches eco-friendly entrepreneurship –
Earth
University
in
Costa Rica
teaches students to become rich while conserving the fragile eco-system of the
tropical region. The university
teaches sustainable agriculture and finds useful internships so students can
observe the real life application of their courses.
About 400 students attend, coming from all parts of the world which share
this complex environmental condition. One
of the unique characteristics of the university is its admission process, which
involves faculty traveling to where applicants live to better observe their
talent and their commitment to environmental concerns. Eighty-five percent of
the graduates have returned to their home countries, many to start their own
businesses, says Marion Lloyd, writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education. (See
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i04/04a03601.htm)
2 -
US
developments
US college drop-out rates exceed those of other countries – A
report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reveals
that while almost two thirds of young people in the
USA
enter into higher education, the dropout rate exceeds that of other countries,
where the entrance rate is lower. The
bottom line is that other countries are closing the gap between themselves and
the
US
in graduation numbers in the younger generations.
Sara Lipka, writing for the Chronicle
of Higher Education, reports that the entire study is available on the OECD
website. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004091404n.htm)
US
legislators squabble over science funding – The US National Science
Foundation would receive an increase of $5.75-billion to its budget under
legislation passed by the Senate. Also
in the legislation is $300-million to keep the Hubble Space telescope working.
These figures are in contrast to a bill passed by the House of
Representatives that would give the NSF an additional $5.5-billion, and no money
for the Hubble telescope. Kelly
Field reported for the Chronicle of Higher
Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004092203n.htm)
NASA budget strained by Shuttle and Hubble – The
rising costs of the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Telescope could break the NASA
budget, according to an article by Andrew Lawler in the September 24th
Science. NASA officials are trying to cut $400-million from other
projects in order to get the Shuttle flying again by 2005, and are seeking a
similar amount for a robotic mission to the ailing Hubble Space Telescope. The
crunch comes only seven months after President Bush proposed an ambitious new
trajectory for the space agency that officials said would not strain NASA’s
budget. The White House rebuffed a recent plea from NASA’s Administrator for
additional funds, and Congress also appears unresponsive as it deals with the
massive costs of the war in
Iraq
. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
US
higher education suffers from states’ neglect, leadership deficit –
A report on the progress made in higher education by each of the states in the
US
over the past ten years shows bleak results.
“Measuring Up 2004” was released by the
National
Center
for Public Policy and Higher Education. Student
preparation, college participation, college completion, college affordability
and the economic and civic advantages associated with an educated citizenry were
graded. The results show that
college was less affordable in 2002 or 2003 than it was in 1992, that financial
aid has not kept pace with inflation, that it has become increasingly unlikely
that a ninth grade student would enroll in college by age 19, and that college
completion rates had not progressed. By
contrast, most states had made significant progress in improving their primary
and secondary education systems. Higher
education, it appears, has suffered from neglect by state officials and too much
attention paid by university leaders to institutional, rather than society-wide,
benefits. Peter Schmidt writes this
article in the Chronicle of Higher
Education. (See http://chronicle/daily/2004/09/2004091601n.htm)
NSF Director nominated – Failing to locate a candidate that it
liked better than the acting Director, the Bush Administration has nominated
Arden Bement to stay on as Director. According to an article in the September 24th
Science by Jeffrey Mervis, uncertainty
over the outcome of the November election, combined with a gloomy federal budget
outlook, scared some away. Bement has been acting as Director for seven months,
while continuing his full time position as Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). He will continue in that dual role until
confirmed by Congress as NSF Director, then presumably will drop the NIST role.
He is a 72-year-old materials engineer. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
Cuban scholars denied visas at last minute – Sixty-five Cuban
scholars who were scheduled to participate in the Latin American Studies
Association meeting in
Las Vegas
in October were denied visas shortly before they were to come to the
US
. Officials at the US State
Department claim that the fault lies with
Cuba
’s repressive government, which grants exit visas only to citizens who will
reliably support Fidel Castro’s policies.
Representatives of the LASA claimed that previous communication with the
State Department had led them to believe that the
US
visas would be granted, and in a timely way.
So the last-minute denial of all applications suggests a deliberate
effort to make entry into the
US
stressful and complicated, reports Sara Lipka in the Chronicle of Higher Education. (See
http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004100104n.htm)
Risky business – Researchers who seek funds
from the large US government sources, NSF and NIH, have learned the hard way not
to send in high-risk ideas, according to an article by Jeffrey Mervis in the
October 8th Science. Reviewers penalize researchers for trying
something that no one else has attempted – that is for proposing the kind of
cutting-edge research that the federal agencies profess to welcome. So
researchers are encouraged to tone down their proposals to request funding for
something they are certain to be able to do. But a new program at NSF is trying
to change that; the Director’s Pioneer Awards are meant to allow researchers
to pursue innovative ideas. And NSF and NIH are working together on another
initiative, mandated by Congress, to foster interdisciplinary research with long
horizons. Together, these efforts represent a small but potentially significant
move to alter conventions in grant reviewing. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
US creates six nanoscience centers – The US National Science
Foundation recently gave six universities a total of $69-million to create
research centers in nanoscale science and engineering.
The universities are Northeastern,
Ohio
State
, Stanford, the
University
of
California
at
Berkeley
, the
University
of
Pennsylvania
and the
University
of
Wisconsin
at
Madison
, according to Kellie Bartlett in the Chronicle
of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004092304n.htm)
US
National Science Foundation eliminates cost-sharing – The US National
Science Foundation has issued a new regulation, effective immediately, that
eliminates cost-sharing by institutions for proposals which are submitted for
solicited research. This
cost-sharing has averaged 6.8% of the awards in 2004.
Universities were pleased with this long-sought move, although it will
mean that fewer projects will be funded in total.
Rumors had abounded that cost-sharing had become bidding wars in the
past, writes Kelly Field in the Chronicle of Higher Education. (See
http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004101501n.htm)
AAAS establishes security center – The
American Association for the Advancement of Science, with a grant from the
MacArthur Foundation, has established a new Center for Science, Technology and
Security Policy. The Director of the new Center is Dr. Norman Neureiter, former
science advisor to the
US
Secretary of State. The mission of the Center is to serve as a two-way portal
between the academic/think tank community and the policy community to facilitate
the process of getting objective science and technology considerations on
security fully encompassed in the policy process. The Director says that
although the Center’s work will be largely domestic, it will have strong
implications for the rest of the world. (See http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/0915center.shtml)
FBI to have access to SEVIS data and more – Kelly Field,
writing in the Chronicle of Higher
Education, reports that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation will be given
access to the SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitors Information System)
which tracks foreign visitors and to the US Visit program which contains
biometric data on foreigners crossing US borders.
Terry Hartle, an officer at the American Council on Education, says that
this adds to signals that the
US
does not welcome international visitors. (See
http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004091501n.htm)
Bush and Kerry views on science – The two
candidates for
US
President have differing views on science and technology issues, as reflected
in recent interviews by Science. The top three priorities in science and
technology listed by Bush are broadband access for every American, hydrogen
research, and using science and technology to combat terrorism. For Kerry the
priorities are to restore and sustain the preeminence of American science and
technology, ensuring that Americans are prepared for jobs of the future, and
ensuring that government decisions are informed by the best science and
technology advice. In a wide-ranging article, the candidates’ positions on
topics such as climate change, stem cell research, public health, space policy,
security issues, the environment, creationism, nuclear power, energy policy, and
managing science are explored. (See http://www.scienceexpress.org)
Engineers win genius awards – The Chronicle of Higher Education published the names of the 23
recipients of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation 2004 MacArthur
Fellowships, popularly known as the “genius” awards.
At least four of the awardees of the five year, $500,000 prizes are
identified as engineers. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004092902n.htm)
Teaching tech in
India
– In an article in the September 27th Wall Street
Journal, Shailaja Neelakantan explores why so many Indian engineers succeed
around the world – and suggests that the Indian Institutes of Technology may
be the answer. The government sponsored institutes are considered among the most
demanding engineering schools anywhere, and their alumni can be found in top
executive positions around the world. At present about 25,000 IIT graduates are
working in the
US
. The IITs have graduated about 2500
engineers per year recently, but an increase in spaces by 2000 this year will
lead to about 4500 graduates a year by 2008. One element in the quality of the
engineering programs is a stiff entrance exam – the Joint Entrance
Examination. In 2004, only 2.6% of the 175,000 aspiring students who took the
exam were admitted. Unlike engineering schools in the
US
which offer courses in the arts and humanities, the IITs focus on technical
education and engineering basics to the exclusion of nearly anything else. (See http://www.wsj.com)
US
publishers attempt to clarify prohibition on editorial activities – A
suit has been filed by a group including the Association of American
Publishers’ Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division, attempting to
clarify regulations requiring publishers to obtain a special license to edit
works by authors in countries embargoed by the US Treasury Department’s Office
of Foreign Assets Control. The issue
has been simmering since the end of 2002 when the OFAC ruled that the process of
editing a manuscript constituted a violation of trade embargoes against such
countries as
Cuba
,
Iran
and
Sudan
, writes Lila Guterman for the Chronicle
of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004092701n.htm)
3 - Distance education, technology
A laptop in every locker – High school
students in Alexandria, Virginia have been given state-of-the-art laptop
computers to use free for the current academic year, according to an article in
the October 13th Washington Post by Tara Bahrampour. Joining a
handful of other high schools in the country with such a program,
T.C.Williams
High School
has passed out 2100 laptop computers for its students to use for research and
homework. The computers will have wireless Web access on campus, and can be used
off campus for non-Internet work. The idea is to make sure students of all
socioeconomic backgrounds have the latest equipment in an increasingly
computerized world. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com)
Spyware firms sued – The US Federal
Communications Commission has made a first assault against spyware, according to
an article in the New York Times by Tom Zeller. Spyware is a term for
bits of computer code that surreptitiously install themselves on the computers
of Internet users to track their activities, push them to selected web sites,
barrage them with advertisements, and otherwise wreak havoc with their machines.
Stating that federal law prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in
or affecting commerce”, the FCC seeks an injunction against companies that
exploit vulnerabilities of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web Browser to seize
varying amounts of control over users’ computers. The magnitude of the spyware
problem is hard to estimate, but representatives of software and hardware
suppliers indicate that it is eclipsing all other problems on their technical
help lines. (See http://www.nytimes.com)
Doubts about
interceptor system – President
Bush is about to claim fulfillment of a 2000 presidential campaign pledge
– to build a
nationwide missile defense for the US – according to an article by Bradley
Graham in the September 29th Washington
Post. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld is about to activate a site in
Alaska
with six rockets
designed to soar into space and intercept warheads headed toward the
United States
.
But what the Administration had hoped would be a triumphant achievement is
clouded with doubts, even within the Pentagon, about whether the $100-billion
system will work. Several key components have fallen behind schedule and will
not be available until later, and flight tests have yet to advance beyond
elementary, highly scripted events. The Pentagon’s chief weapons evaluator has
estimated the likely effectiveness of the system at less than 20 percent. Senior
officials at the Pentagon and the White House insist the system will provide
protection, although they use terms such as “rudimentary” and “limited”
to describe its initial capabilities. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com)
Group seeks new structures for copyright of research results –
Science Commons is a new project of Creative Commons, and is attempting to
develop alternative ways to copyright scientific and technical research.
The leaders have an alternative view of the way university research
should be sponsored, a view not shared by most current university tech transfer
officials. Science Commons aims at
creating ways for universities, companies and researchers to give up some
ownership rights to enable other researchers to build on the most up-to-date
discoveries and results. Another of
their efforts would be to set up a “patent pool” for research results
focused on rare diseases whose treatment, even if effective, would not result in
great profits for pharmaceutical companies.
Under a patent pool, research results would be aggregated, a health
foundation or public agency would take the lead in commercialization, and then
any profits would be shared across contributors to the knowledge base.
The Bayh-Dole legislation, according to Science Commons advocates, while
having its advantages, has resulted in slowing down the dissemination of
findings, writes Andrea L. Foster, a reporter for the Chronicle
of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i06/06a03301.htm)
4 - Students, faculty, education
Articles focus on decline of US as higher ed magnet – The
October 8 issue of the Chronicle of Higher
Education included a set of articles on the weaken of US higher education as
a magnet for international students.
The first article, by reporter Burton Bollag, describes
concern among US educators that American colleges and universities may be
witnessing a permanent decline in the attractiveness of their programs to the
brightest students from overseas. They
cite
US
visa processing problems, competition from universities in other countries, and
improving educational offerings in places such as
China
. Engineering programs, highly
dependent on large numbers of Asian graduate students, have been particularly
hard hit. One bright note is that
the crisis in
US
visa processing appears to have peaked last year: indicators point to improved
efficiency and fewer delays. However
the negative impression given by the
US
to potential international students and scholars over the past several years
will be difficult to erase. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i07/07a03701.htm)
Robin Wilson focused on the
University
of
Louisville
’s
J.B.
Speed
School
of Engineering in his article, pointing out the overall positive spin put on
the drop in foreign applications by some university administrators, and the more
negative view of some engineering educators.
Applications to Louisville’s engineering school dropped by 61% this
year over last, and graduate school enrollment is down 25%.
GRE scores of those admitted, however, have not dropped.
Despite this, engineering professors perceive that they no longer have
the first pick among the brightest students, and in addition, they fear that
their own research, in which graduate students play a vital role, will suffer,
threatening their promotion, tenure and professional advancement. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i07/07a03901.htm)
Another article, by Paul Mooney, Shailaja Neelakantan and
their associates, describes the competition to
US
higher education elsewhere in the world, where
Australia
, the
UK
and
Canada
are leading competitors, while other institutions are aggressively seeking to
become regional leaders in attracting foreign students.
Some countries are providing one-stop shopping for foreign students,
rather than leaving universities to recruit individually.
Some countries emphasize the lower cost of living outside of the US, more
efficient degree structures, better job markets for graduates, and less
restrictive work regulations, all in an effort to attract new students.
China
and
India
represent rather unique situations.
China
has recently invested heavily in its top universities in an attempt to retain
strong students. And
India
’s booming economy is a strong incentive for Indian students to stay home for
university studies. In the big
picture, however, the
US
retains its overall dominance, enrolling 600,000 international students this
year, while the
UK
has less than half that number. Financial
aid and the better reputation of US universities play a predominant role in this
attraction. And the numbers of
foreign students showing interest in
US
higher education in the future have begun to rebound.
(See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i07/07a04101.htm)
Gender gap at Harvard – Women faculty
members at Harvard have complained to President Lawrence Summers that his
policies have led to a dramatic decrease in the percentage of tenured slots
offered to women, according to an article in the September 17th Science.
The percentage of women offered tenured slots in the Faculty of Arts and Science
has shrunk by half in the last five years, from 37% to 16%. Summers blames
departmental search committees for not looking harder for strong women
candidates. The women who sent a letter of concern to the President noted that
most members of search committees are men, and said that Summers needed to lean
harder on them to find and recommend qualified women to tenured positions. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
Engineering schools given guidance on affirmative action – The
American Association for the Advancement of Science has on its website (http://www.aaas.org/standingourground/)
the full text of a report “Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM [science,
technology, engineering, mathematics] Educators in the Post-Michigan Era,”
reports Elizabeth F. Farrell in the Chronicle
of Higher Education. The
guidebook was drafted in response to concerns that challenges to affirmative
action in university admissions might dampen recruiting efforts in these
specific programs, where women and minorities were already substantially
under-represented. The Alfred P.
Sloan Foundation funded the project, which includes eight principles for
advancing diversity legally and recommends that institutions take innovative and
creative approaches. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004100503n.htm)
Why still few women – Engineering’s image
problem is driving down enrollment of women in engineering schools, according to
an article by Jill Tietjen in the October IEEE Spectrum. Currently
in the
US
, women earn about 20% of engineering degrees and constitute about 11% of the
workforce – the lowest percentages of any professional field. The author
believes that these low percentages are due to the image of the field – the
US
public does not understand the value that engineers bring to everyday life. The
public image of the engineer is probably close to that of the cartoon character
Dilbert – a hapless white male who labors away in cubicle row with
dysfunctional co-workers. Not the kind of image to which a young woman would
aspire. In addition, the author feels that engineering’s image has been
tarnished by the environmental movement, which often portrays technology as bad.
She states that engineering must make itself visible, showing the world its
value, in order to attract higher numbers to the field – including women. (See
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org)
Young engineers work abroad on local projects – Engineers for
a Sustainable World, formerly known as Engineers Without Frontiers USA, held its
second national conference recently at
Stanford
University
. Students and faculty, along with
professional engineers, traveled to developing countries to work with partners
on local projects. This year
students went to countries such a
Mexico
,
Honduras
,
India
and
China
, and worked on water quality and information technology, writes Sara Lipka for
the Chronicle of Higher Education.
(See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i51/05a03503.htm)
Air Force Academy stronger after sex scandal – In
the wake of a sexual assault scandal that led to widespread reforms and a
leadership shakeup, the US Air Force Academy has emerged as a stronger
institution, according to an article by Robert Weller in the October 19th
USA Today. Among other changes, the Air Force has assigned the first
woman to be dean of the faculty – Brig. Gen. Dana Born. Nearly 150 women came
forward last year to say that they had been assaulted by fellow cadets from
1993-2003, with many alleging that they were punished, ignored or ostracized by
commanders when they spoke out. Outside investigators concluded that the
academy’s culture created the conditions that contributed to the scandal –
including lingering resistance to having female cadets at all. The focus of the
new approach is “changing the moral basis” of cadets and staff. (See http://www.usatoday.com)
Surprise! While
European institutions were diligently “harmonizing” their degrees in order
to increase student mobility across the member states of the European Union,
they neglected to consider the implications of the changes they were making for
trans-Atlantic mobility. The result
is that the first graduates of the new three year baccalaureate degrees in
Europe
now find themselves shunned by many graduate admissions officers in US
institutions, who insist on a four year undergraduate preparation for masters
level education. So now higher
education groups such as the European Association for International Education
and NAFSA: Association of International Educators are meeting to sort out the
issues. Problems abound: three year
undergraduate degrees from the
UK
have long been accepted in the
USA
, but they have also been earned after thirteen years of primary and secondary
education. Under the new systems
coming on-line in
Europe
, many of the thirteen year college preparation curricula are being replaced by
twelve year cycles. European
educators claim that the general education curriculum offered in the first year
of college in the
US
is accomplished in the final year of secondary school in
Europe
. Some
US
institutions buy that, some don’t, according to Burton Bollag’s article in
the Chronicle of Higher Education.
(See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004100704n.htm)
Japan
creates new program to promote active learning – The Japanese
government hopes that its graduate students will learn to be more creative as a
result of a new program designed to promote active learning, to increase
research opportunities for students, and to retrain faculty. A $110 million
package has been created, according to Alan Brender for the Chronicle
of Higher Education, to be spent on two year grants aimed at masters and
doctoral programs. (See http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i04/04a03602.htm)
Report shows US students still not adequately prepared for college –
The ACT, the organization which administers one of the two major college
entrance examinations in the US, recently released a report that indicates that
despite a decade of concerted effort, no more than 22% of US high school
students are prepared for college level studies of mathematics, science and
English. Only about 50% are prepared
in two of the three subjects. Predictions
about the future are equally gloomy. Over
the past ten years the number of students taking a core curriculum of four years
of English and three each of math, natural sciences and social studies has
increased only two percentage points. Minority
students are particularly under-prepared for college, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education article written by Jennifer Jacobson.
(See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004101502n.htm)
University
of
Phoenix
accused of inappropriate recruiting tactics – A report from the US
Department of Education reveals details of claims that the
University
of
Phoenix
, with its 212,000 students, engaged in illegal recruiting practices such as
intimidation of recruiters and bonuses for meeting enrollment goals.
Goldie Blumenstyk, writing in the Chronicle
of Higher Education, said the report was obtained after the UOP agreed to
pay a $9.8 million penalty, while not admitting any wrong-doing.
Phoenix
officials say the report is misleading, and is the result of complaints by a
few disgruntled former employees. The
University’s success, they say, should be based on such indicators as the 90%
of UOP graduates who are pleased with their education and would recommend the
program to others. The article
concludes with a summary of for-profit higher education programs which are
currently being investigated by US agencies. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/10/2004/2004100101n.htm)
5 – Employment
Is outsourcing on the outs? – A commentary
in the October 4th Business Week by Steve Hamm indicates that
companies are taking a closer look at whether outsourcing is worth it. Even for
true believers, control has become an issue. The nation’s second largest bank,
J.P.Morgan Chase, recently terminated a seven-year, $5-billion technology
outsourcing deal with IBM because it determined that its tech operations were
too strategically important to be left to an outsider. While many companies are
continuing to outsource their IT operations, others are taking a harder look at
the need to better control such operations, and taking them back in-house. In
some cases, companies are diversifying their outsourcing so that when something
goes wrong, there are alternate paths. (See http://www.businessweek.com)
Keeping out the wrong people – Last year,
the number of exceptionally skilled immigrants to the US fell by 65%, according
to an article in the October 4th Business Week by Spencer
Ante. Three years after the terrorist attacks in the
US
, tens of thousands of foreigners who are trying to get into the country to
study and work have been caught in a thicket of new rules and regulations. The
number of student visas issued by the
US
dropped 8% last year, after falling 20% in 2002. The total number of immigrants
– those granted the right to stay in the
US
permanently – tumbled 34% in 2003. There are complaints that the
US
government is doing a poor job of discriminating between potential terrorists
and legitimate travelers. Skilled workers have been hit hard in the declines, as
have professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities. Other
countries are taking advantage of the situation – for example
Canada
and
Australia
are stepping up efforts to woo foreign students. (See http://www.businessweek.com)
US
Senate examines unionization of teaching assistants – Are teaching
assistants employees or students? The subject was argued at a recent US Senate
hearing on the subject of a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board that
prohibited teaching assistants at
Brown
University
from unionizing. Critics of the
Brown decision say that it was too partisan, but it is doubtful that federal
legislation will be passed to settle the issue, writes Scott Smallwood in the Chronicle
of Higher Education. (See http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/09/2004092402n.htm)
6 – Journals
International Journal of Engineering Education – A
special issue on Manufacturing Engineering Education, with guest editors Thomas
Kurfess and Paul Shiue, comprises the bulk of volume 20 number 5 of IJEE. Papers
include education by re-engineering products, learning CAD/CAM and CNC through
projects, web based resources planning, manufacturing in a global context, and
business skills needed by manufacturing engineering graduates. An additional ten
articles on engineering education research, web-based learning, control
engineering, strength of materials and chemical engineering are also included in
this volume. (See http://www.ijee.dit.ie)
Issues in Science and Technology – The Fall
2004 issue features a pair of articles on “Ocean Policy: Time to Act” –
one on saving the oceans and one on US fishery policy. In addition there are
major articles on the need for scientists and policy makers to work together,
meeting the challenges of
US
economic competitiveness, and building a transatlantic biotech partnership.
(See http://www.issues.org)
7 – Meetings
UPADI2004 at Mexico City – The
twenty-second Pan American Congress on Engineering Education was held in late
September as part of the biannual convention of the Pan American Union of
Engineering Associations (UPADI). Two half-day sessions described best practices
in current engineering education throughout the hemisphere. Covering
North America
, leaders of three of the NSF funded coalitions – Gateway, Succeed and
Foundation – described the results of their multi-year activities. The current
effort of the US National Academy of Engineering to project the needs for
engineering education in 2020 was also reported. Best practices in engineering
education from
Latin America
were described by speakers from
Mexico
, Brazil Venezuela,
Puerto Rico
and
Chile
. Also included in the Congress were half-day sessions on
Technical
Capacity
Building
in Developing Countries for Economic Development, and Distance Education. The
editor of this Digest, Russel Jones, chairs the UPADI Committee on
Engineering Education, and organized this Congress. (See http://www.upadi2004.mx)
ASCE annual
meeting – The
annual meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineers was held in
Baltimore
in late October,
attracting civil engineers from around the world to hundreds of technical and
professional sessions. The keynote speaker was Marsha Johnson Evans, President
of the American Red Cross. She drew parallels between the Red Cross and ASCE in
disaster situations over the years, from the
Johnstown
flood to the
World
Trade
Center
collapses. A major
presentation by John Banyard of the
United Kingdom
– “Water for
the World – Why is it so Difficult?” was a key technical highlight of the
convention. The International program heard from US Army Corps of Engineers
former Chief, Robert Flowers, on
Capacity
Building
– and an afternoon roundtable of representatives from over a dozen countries
further discussed technical capacity building in developing countries. (See http://www.asce.org)
ICEE2004 – The 2004 International Conference on Engineering
Education was held at the
University
of
Florida
in
Gainesville
in mid-October. One major focus of the conference was technical capacity
building for economic development in developing countries, with the keynote
presentation made by Digest editor
Russel Jones. Particular focus on capacity building in
Latin America
was featured through presentations and meetings on the “Engineer of the
Americas
”. Some 200 participants from around the world presented papers on a broad
spectrum of engineering topics. (See http://succeednow.org/icee/)
BSUN Congress - The
Black Sea Universities Network held its 2004 Congress in
Chisinau
,
Moldova
, on October 6 – 9, around the theme of “Education
and Technology Transfer as Prerequisites of Sustainable Development of the Black
Sea Region.” Hosted by the
Technical University of Moldova, which celebrated its 40th
anniversary as a prelude to the Congress, the meeting drew together rectors and
representatives from the 100 member institutions. The editors of this Digest, Bethany Oberst and Russel Jones, gave presentations on
entrepreneurship education for engineering students and capacity building.
At the conclusion of the Congress,
Acad. Prof. Dr.
hab. Ion Bostan, Rector of the Technical University
of Moldova, was elected president of the BSUN for the next two years. (See http://www.univ-ovidius.ro/bsun/)
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