Transcript Minimum Graduate Stipend Levels for 2012/13 AY

MAE Department Current
Graduate Program Initiatives
October 12, 2012
John Kuhlman
Outline
• List of Current Graduate Program Committee Initiatives:
1.) Develop Proposal for New Graduate Program in
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
2.) Obtain Permanent Course Numbers for MAE
493/593/693 Special Topics Courses
3.) Examine/Modify Current Lists of Graduate Core
Classes
4.) Develop “Milestones” for MS & PhD Program
Students
5.) Develop Policy to Require Publication of One or
More Journal Papers for All PhD Students
6.) Initiatives for Graduate Student Recruitment
7.) Develop “Guidelines for MAE MS & PhD Students”
Proposal for New Graduate Program in
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
• MAE Department has developed a draft of proposal for the new
Graduate Program in Materials Science & Engineering (MSE).
• MAE GPC will complete the proposal development, and submit it for
formal review for establishment this academic year.
• MAE GPC has gathered additional materials to “flesh out” the draft
document:
a.) brief overview of new MSE labs and related equipment from
recent BOG review documents,
b.) recent vitae of MAE faculty in MSE area from recent BOG
review documents, and
b.) 2011 list of journal papers published by MAE faculty in MSE
area.
• One potential issue which must be addressed carefully is “turf”.
(Primary responsibility: Ed Sabolsky, with help from Samir Shoukry
& Nithi Sivaneri.)
Permanent Course Numbers for MAE
493/593/693 Special Topics Courses
• MAE Department has taught several new “Special Topics” courses at
the senior technical elective & graduate levels in recent years.
• These courses tend to be in newer specialty areas, which may have
significant potential for future research funding and new curricula
focus areas (e.g., materials science and energy areas).
• MAE GPC has developed list of all of these classes taught since
Spring ‘05; a total of 81 course sections were found; avg. # = 10/year.
• Only a very few of these Special Topics courses exist that have not
already been converted into permanent courses with their own course
numbers. (Two at the graduate level.)
• This semester, the MAE GPC has approved MAE 565, “Artificial
Intelligence Techniques in Engineering” as one such new course. This
application is currently being considered by College, and then will go
to Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee.
• Permanent number for MAE 693E, “Thermodynamics & Kinetics of
Materials” is being developed by Kostas Sierros. (Primary responsibility: John Kuhlman.)
MAE Graduate Core Classes
• MAE Graduate Program Committee worked this past year to
determine the need to revise list of core classes, and to
determine if Faculty satisfied with current core class policies.
• MAE GPC has determined that faculty members in the Fluids &
Aerodynamics and the Thermal Sciences and Systems areas
are generally satisfied with their current core classes, and agree
that all core classes should be taught each year. They also
generally agreed that students should be required to take their
core classes in the Technical Area(s) that relates to their
research, not from another area.
• MAE GPC has not gotten reports from faculty in the Solid
Mechanics & Structures; Design, Dynamics, & Controls; and
Materials Science and Engineering Technical Areas.
• We are continuing to gather recommendations from faculty in
these technical areas.
(Primary responsibility: Samir Shoukry.)
MAE Graduate Core Classes
• MAE faculty established a “core” graduate course program
about 15 years ago. The current list of core classes in each
Technical Area is shown below.
Graduate Core* Courses for MAE Students** - Effective Summer 2008
Technical Area
Course No.
Course Title
Solid Mechanics & MAE 543
Advanced Mechanics of Materials
Structures
MAE 641/3
Theory of Elasticity/Plasticity
Schedule
Fall
Spring
Design, Dynamics &
Controls
MAE 660
Feedback Control & Measurements
Fall
MAE 653
Advanced Vibrations
Spring
Fluids
Aerodynamics
MAE 532
Dynamics of Viscous Fluids
Fall
MAE 731
Fundamentals of Turbulent Flow
Spring
Thermal Sciences &
Systems
MAE 521
Advanced Thermodynamics 1
Fall
MAE 624
Convection Heat Transfer
Spring
Materials Science &
Engineering
MAE 649
Microscopy of Materials
Fall
MAE 693
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials
Spring
&
* Course scheduled regularly, once per year
** M.S. students must take two courses from this list while Ph.D. students must take one.
• This policy includes the plan that all “core” classes are to be
offered on a regular basis, independent of course enrollment,
and students were to complete their core class(es) from the
core(s) in their Technical Area of interest. However, current
policy also requires minimum enrollment of 10 students.
MAE Graduate Student “Milestones”
•
We are concerned that in some instances, some graduate students do not appear to be fully aware of relevant policies applicable
to them, and/or our expectations.
• All of the policies and procedures are available to students online,
but tend not to be summarized in concise form.
• This problem may be simply an example of students not paying
attention to details when they aren’t on their current “event horizon.”
• However, the GPC has begun to develop MAE Department
Graduate Student “Milestones”, to try to convey our expectations
that they complete their degrees in a timely fashion.
• Victor Mucino has created an initial version of such Milestones,
and GPC will review/revise, and then recommend to MAE Faculty for
adoption. (See next slides for example.)
•These Milestones were presented to all MAE graduate students by
Victor in September 2012.
(Primary responsibility: John Kuhlman)
Draft MAE Graduate Student MS “Milestones”
• Master of Science (AE or ME)
– First semester (fall); 12 cr.
• 3 cr. 1st Core course
• 3 cr. 1st Math course
• 6 cr. Research
– Second semester (spring); 12 cr.
• 3 cr. 2nd Core course
• 3 cr. 2nd Math course
• 6 cr. Research
Turn in Program of Study
Draft MAE Graduate Student MS “Milestones”
• Master of Science (AE or ME)
– Summer Session 6 cr. (optional)
– Third semester (fall); 12 cr.
• 3 cr. 1st Specialty course
• 3 cr. 2nd Specialty course
• 6 cr. Research
– Fourth semester (spring); 12 cr.
•
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•
3 cr. 3rd Specialty course
3 cr. 4th Specialty course
6 cr. Research
Defend Thesis
– FINISH in 4 Semesters
Main Take Away (Courtesy of Victor)
• Your main objective is: To successfully and
effectively complete your Graduate Program and
GRADUATE as soon as possible.
• This is NOT a “job”; you are acquiring a higher
learning degree and specialized research training.
• You are assessed by “Performance” not by “effort”
(you do what you have to, whatever time it takes).
• You grow professionally when you are outside your
comfort zone.
• You can not be so busy that you forget to graduate!
• Target 3/4 semesters for a MS Degree and 5/6
semesters for a Ph.D. Degree.
• Graduate Programs are getting more competitive.
Require Journal Paper for All PhD Students
• The proposal would be to require all PhD students to have
published at least one archival journal paper before
graduation, or prior to the defense of their dissertation.
• The GPC will consider the various pros and possible cons of
this policy change, and will develop a recommendation to the
Faculty for adoption.
(Primary responsibility: Ken Means.)
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•
Graduate Student Recruitment
OPINION: Fundamentally, individual faculty are the “first line of defense” in
this area; they are best qualified to identify the skills and background that
their GRAs need. They should be proactive; it is in their own best interests.
HOWEVER, the College is in the process of providing significant help:
1.) Ryan Sigler’s recruiting visits have begun to recruit specifically at the
graduate level. These trips are primarily to organized graduate recruitment fairs.
I recently attended one of these, held at Purdue University.
2.) Also, Ryan’s office is in the process of preparing both a general
graduate student recruiting brochure, as well as grad student recruitment
brochures for each Department. Since July 2012, I have gotten or written brief,
30-100 word descriptions of each MAE research focus area. Our MAE research
brochure is currently being developed. Next step will be to provide the necessary
artwork/photos.
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•
ALSO, I would like to adapt Ismail’s “MAE Research Fair”, & couple it with
graduate student recruitment efforts: have it on same day as graduate
school information sessions/dinners, & invite students from neighboring
schools, including schools w/out PhD programs.
I developed list of 70 US Engineering schools w/out PhD programs; gave
this to Ryan Sigler. (15 schools < 6 hrs away; 24 < 7 hrs.)
(Primary responsibility: John Kuhlman.)
Graduate Student Recruitment
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At right are photos of “Big Ten +” Graduate
Student Expo, held at Purdue U. on Sept.
24, 2012. Over 60 graduate programs from
around the US were represented. I spoke
to 10-15 students who were specifically
interested in ME or AE graduate programs.
Ryan Sigler and Cate Schlobohm of the
College Freshman Engineering Program
also attended similar, smaller events at
Rose Hulman & IUPUI on same trip. They
also went to Michigan & MSU last week to
attend similar events; plan to go to Wright
State & U Dayton, too.
The first such effort at Rose Hulman last
fall netted one new CSEE graduate
student. Dave Solley attended this.
This type of activity has the potential to
increase our US citizen enrollment earning
their BS degrees from outside of WVU.
“Guidelines for MAE MS & PhD Students”
•
These already exist at the College
level; see at right.
•
However, we will develop MAEspecific guidelines.
•
Nithi Sivaneri has already developed
a draft document; this will be updated
and reviewed by the GPC this year,
and then recommended to the Faculty
for adoption.
(Primary responsibility: Nithi Sivaneri.)
Distance Education
• Victor & I met with Sue Day-Perroots & Cindy Hart last fall to begin a
dialogue with WVU Extended Learning program, & learn about their
services.
• I visited Old Dominion U. & National Inst. of Aerospace last December to
observe two well-established extended learning/distance education
programs.
• Victor & I met with Cindy Hart again this August to observe examples of
existing WVU distance education courses, and WVU extended learning
facilities.
• Cindy Hart will gave 30 minute introduction to WVU Extended Learning
programs and facilities to all MAE Faculty at MAE Retreat in August
2012.
• Victor has identified opportunity for MAE to provide graduate-level
Aerospace Engineering distance education to students in Mexico;
several in-person meetings, including meetings including Gene &
Warren, have occurred.
• Warren Myers has suggested that MAE consider a pilot program to
develop & offer MAE 241 Statics through distance education/online
learning, to support efforts in Freshman Engineering.