President Christopher L. Eisgruber has released a summary report of an 18-month strategic planning process for the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The summary, part of the University’s broader strategic planning process, is titled “Create. Educate. Serve.” and describes a set of eight guiding goals as well as six priority recommendations to advance the mission of the school.
“I am grateful to the members of the task force and to its chair, Professor Jeremy Kasdin, for their hard work and thoughtful recommendations,” Eisgruber wrote in an introductory note.
The report’s priority recommendations include: Construct more and better space to replace the Engineering Quadrangle and accommodate a growing computer science department; maintain and enhance the excellence and diversity of the faculty, and enable strategic faculty growth; create an institute of bioengineering and, over time, associated teaching programs; revise the freshman year to include an option that more dynamically introduces students to the purpose and practice of engineering and infuses design into the curriculum at the very start of their education; increase the number and diversity of graduate students; and create a mechanism for establishing nimble centers of research that draw together faculty and students around emerging fields of collaboration.
The planning process began with Eisgruber charging a faculty committee of eight members and four ex-officio members to conduct a self-study analyzing strengths and weaknesses of the school.The task force designated six additional faculty-led task forces to examine specific topics: the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree program; faculty, research staff and diversity; department structures and research priorities; graduate program and postdoctoral experiences; facilities and resources; relationships with external entities.
The task forces held two school-wide retreats and conducted a faculty survey, alumni survey, alumni meetings and visits to peer institutions. The process also included an analysis by an external advisory committee.
As with the reports of other task forces in the University strategic planning process, the engineering school report is now open to comment from the University community and public until Sept. 9 via the University’s strategic planning website.
