Mechanical Engineering Technology Program

Continuous Improvement Program

Mission:

The mission of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program is to provide university level preparation for those who want an engineering-related career with a hands-on, practical approach.

Goals:

Provide our graduates with a well-rounded education based on an understanding of mechanical engineering principles and practices and their bases in science and mathematics, together with an understanding of the global and societal impacts of technology.;
Offer a curriculum in which the emphasis is placed on how engineering principles are applied in practice rather than on the mathematical methods used in the derivation of new technologies;
Make sure that the program goes beyond the teaching of current procedures, so that the graduates are enabled to adapt to the changing needs of industry;
Encourage and facilitate the development of graphic, written and oral communication skills of all graduates; and
Impart the essential professional, ethical, and moral values required in engineering practice.

Vision:

The Mechanical Engineering Technology program will offer a combination of required and elective courses that provide our students with

knowledge of the engineering principles that are fundamental to the following areas of mechanical engineering practice:machine design, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and manufacturing;
opportunities to develop the ability to identify, analyze, and solve technical problems in the areas of machine design, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and manufacturing, using the principles of calculus, engineering science, and appropriate computer technology;
opportunities to learn how to plan, conduct, analyze, and interpret experiments and apply experimental results, using the principles of calculus, engineering science, and appropriate computer technology;
opportunities to apply creativity in the design of systems, components, or processes;
opportunities for practical, hands-on learning; experiences in working together on teams;
knowledge and practice in communicating through speaking, writing, and graphics, using appropriate computer technology;
information on professional. ethical, and social responsibilities and the importance of life-long learning: and
information on contemporary professional. societal, and global issues, as well as the nature and background of diverse cultures.

The Mechanical Engineering Technology program will provide

a curriculum that is technically current and effective for both full- and part-time students, taught by faculty who participate regularly in professional development activities,
effective academic advising, including support programs for students encountering academic difficulties, and
opportunities for experiential learning, including participation in the cooperative-education program.

Program Currency and Faculty Development

One or more members of the Industrial Advisory Board, with assistance from MET faculty members, will conduct an annual review of courses offered in the MET Program to ensure that the courses reflect current industry technology. The review will be based on course syllabi and samples of homework and examinations. Each course will be evaluated every three years.
Periodic visits will be made to regional companies to determine current industrial procedures and techniques and how well MET graduates are progressing.
Technical seminars will be presented by industry representatives to faculty and students regarding current industry procedures.

Student Advising

Complete records of each student's academic progress, including work done at other colleges or universities, will be maintained in the MET Program Office.
Each MET major will have an advising session with one of the faculty each semester prior to registration for the following semester.
A student who fails to have such an advising session will have a hold put on his/her registration until advising has been completed.
Advising will include a review of the student's academic record, together with a discussion of any academic problems and their causes. The student and the faculty advisor will agree on courses to be taken the following semester, as well as any remedial actions to be taken.

Program Objectives

The Mechanical Engineering Technology program will prepare graduates who will:

enter engineering-related employment in the following areas of mechanical engineering practice: machine design, thermal and fluid systems, and manufacturing;
identify, analyze, and solve practical problems, making use of appropriate technology;
apply creativity in the design process, functioning cooperatively within multi-disciplinary teams;
communicate effectively through speaking, writing, and graphics; and
use their understanding of professional, ethical, and social responsibilities and the importance of life-long learning in the conduct of their careers.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Each graduate of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program will be able to:

demonstrate a knowledge of the engineering principles that are fundamental to the following areas of mechanical engineering practice: machine design, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and manufacturing;
identify, analyze, and solve technical problems in the areas of machine design, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and manufacturing, using the principles of calculus, engineering science, and the appropriate use of computer technology;
plan, conduct, analyze, and interpret experiments and apply experimental results, using the principles of calculus, engineering science, and appropriate computer technology;
apply creativity in the design of systems, components, or processes;
function effectively as a member of a team;
communicate effectively through speaking, writing, and graphics, including the appropriate use of computer technology;
show understanding of professional, ethical, and social responsibilities and the importance of a commitment to life-long learning; and
show understanding of contemporary professional, societal, and global issues, as well as awareness of, and respect for, diverse cultures.

The following chart shows the required MET courses in which these Student Learning Outcomes are addressed.

MET Courses

Assessment

The following chart shows a matrix of the student learning outcomes and potential assessment techniques. The letter P in a cell indicates that the technique in that column is expected to be a primary source of information about the learning outcome in that row. The letter S indicates that the assessment technique is expected to be a secondary source of information. The lack of a letter indicates that the technique is not expected to provide a significant amount of information.

MET Student learning outcomes

Continuous Improvement Program

The MET Continuous Improvement Program, with its statements of Mission, Goals, Objectives, and Student Learning Outcomes, was adopted by the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering on September 8, 1999.
Senior students were surveyed regarding the Student Learning Outcomes in November, 1999. This survey included evaluation of the importance of each learning outcome and the courses that were most helpful in developing their proficiency relative to that outcome. These surveys were analyzed; the results were discussed by the faculty in February. Similar surveys of alumni and employers, including the members of the Industrial Advisory Council, were done in Spring, 2000. No suggestions for revising the Mission, Goals, Objectives, and Learning Outcomes were received.
Each semester, a visit is made by a group of faculty to a company in the Sacramento area that employ our graduates. There is normally a plant tour, together with a meeting in which alumni at that company discuss with faculty how their CSUS education has benefited them in their careers. They also make suggestions for improving the curriculum. The following visits have been made to date:

Hewlett-Packard and Agilent, Spring, 2000
Annheuser-Busch, Fall, 2000
Aerojet, Spring, 2001
Intel, Fall, 2001
Bureau of Automotive Repair, Spring, 2002
MET 190 (Senior Project I) written reports from December 1999 were examined to evaluate senior student abilities with regard to Learning Outcome f, "Communicate effectively." The examination was done by a committee consisting of seven faculty members. Some problems were found with writing mechanics and style, but the most important problem was that most of the reports showed problems of organization. As a means of correcting this situation, a set of report guidelines, including laboratory, design, and senior project reports, was prepared and adopted by the department. These guidelines are posted on the department's web page. The reports written in Spring 2001 were examined in the Fall 2001 semester. It was determined that substantial improvement had been made, especially in report organization. Continued emphasis on report writing was made during the Fall 2001 and Spring 2002 semesters. Reports written in Spring 2002 are currently under evaluation.
Graduating seniors in the MET program were surveyed every semester from Spring 1999 through Spring 2002 with regard to their perceptions as to how well their programs helped them. The questions dealt with design skills, computer skills, communication skills, teamwork, and advising. These results are currently being discussed by the department faculty.
A survey of reading and writing assignments currently being given in MET courses was made during the 2001-2002 academic year. The analysis is currently in progress.
The next Learning Outcome to be assessed will be Outcome b, "Identify, analyze, and solve technical problems." A faculty committee has drafted questions that can assess students' problem-solving abilities in such a way as to suggest improvements in current teaching approaches. The questions were given to graduating students in the senior project courses during the Spring 2002 semester. The responses are currently being evaluated to determine whether the questions need to be revised before giving them to students during the 2002-2003 academic year.
Members of the Industrial Advisory Council have attended senior project presentations during the Spring 2001 through Spring 2002 semesters. Their evaluations are being analyzed; a meeting is scheduled for early October, 2002, to get additional inputs from the members of the Council regarding improvements in the senior project course.