Materials Science and Engineering

B. Accreditation Summary

2. Program Educational Objectives

The program educational objectives for the Materials Engineering program have been developed through ongoing conversations with various constituencies. The objectives are published in our undergraduate student handbook, on the web and in other promotional documentation for the department. The objectives are also discussed with students during summer orientation and during the Engr. 101 Freshmen Engineering Orientation.

In this section, excerpts from the departmental mission statement are given and linked to the program objectives. These objectives are closely tied with those of the university and the college. For that reason, excerpts from the strategic plans and mission statements of the University and the College are frequently referred to. (the entire documents: the Strategic Plans, Mission Statements and the "MSE Roadmap" will be available at the time of the visit).

EDUCATION MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT:
The Materials Science and Engineering Department embraces the commitment of the ISU College of Engineering to education focused on learning-based, practice-oriented, active involvement of students. With its small student body, extensive laboratory experiences, and ample opportunities to participate in research projects and co-op/internship programs, the Department is ideally situated to realize this vision.
The department is continuously seeking to respond to the needs of industry. As a part of this effort, recently the two curricula (Ceramic and Metallurgical Engineering) were merged to one (Materials Engineering). This change is consistent with similar changes occurring in the field. The revised curriculum was developed by engaging in discussions with constituents, including the alumni, industry, students, and faculty. The materials engineering curriculum builds on strong basic science fundamentals. The program offers four areas of specialization: ceramic, electronic, metallic and polymeric materials. Each student has the option to choose any two (or more) areas of specialization providing the flexibility for each student to design his/her area of expertise. This curriculum offers more flexibility and diversity of specialization than ever before, and we know of no other MSE program in the nation that offers this flexibility.

Published Educational Objectives
Within the scope of the MSE mission, the objectives of the Materials Engineering Program are to produce graduates who;

-practice materials engineering in a broad range of industries including materials production, semiconductors, medical/environmental, consumer products, and transportation products.

-are capable of responding to environmental, social, political, ethical and economic constraints to improve the quality of life in Iowa and the world

-are capable of working independently and in teams and are proficient in written, oral and graphical communication

-engage in lifelong learning in response to the rapidly expanding knowledge base and changing environment of our world

-engage in advanced study in materials and related or complementary fields

Relationship of Departmental Objectives to College and University Missions
These objectives are consistent with and complementary to those of the engineering college and the university. Here, each departmental objective is given with the appropriate university and college excerpts.

practice materials engineering in a broad range of industries including materials production, semiconductors, medical/environmental, consumer products, and transportation products.

Excerpted from the College Objectives statement:
Engineering education seeks to develop a capacity for objective analysis, synthesis, and design to obtain a practical solution. The engineering programs at Iowa State University are designed to develop the professional competence of a diverse student body and, by breadth of study, to prepare students to solve the technical problems of society …

Excerpted from the University Mission statement:
The University also uses existing knowledge to address problems and issues of concern to the state of Iowa in particular, as well as to the national and global community.
are capable of responding to environmental, social, political, ethical and economic constraints to improve the quality of life in Iowa and the world

Excerpted from the College Objectives statement:
The engineering programs at Iowa State University are designed … to prepare students to solve the technical problems of society while considering the ethical, social, and economic implications of their work.

Excerpted from the University Mission statement:
A common goal of undergraduate education is to assure that all students, regardless of disciplinary major, acquire literacy in science and technology, an understanding of humane and ethical values, an awareness of the intellectual, historical, and artistic foundations of our culture, and a sensitivity to other cultures and to international concerns..
are capable of working independently and in teams and are proficient in written, oral and graphical communication

Excerpted from the College Objectives statement: Experiences contained within the programs are intended to develop in each student an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams in the solution of engineering problems; … an ability to communicate effectively; … an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Excerpted from the University Mission statement: As an integral part of the learning process, Iowa State University fosters the discovery and dissemination of knowledge…
engage in lifelong learning in response to the rapidly expanding knowledge base and changing environment of our world

Excerpted from the College Objectives statement: Experiences contained within the programs are intended to develop in each student an ability to … engage in life-long learning

Excerpted from the University Mission statement: As an integral part of the learning process, Iowa State University fosters the discovery and dissemination of knowledge… The University supports the development of both traditional and non-traditional students, preparing them for citizenship and life-long learning in a rapidly changing world.
engage in advanced study in materials and related or complementary fields

Excerpted from the College Objectives statement: Engineering education seeks to develop a capacity for objective analysis, synthesis, and design to obtain a practical solution. Advanced work in engineering is offered in the post-graduate programs

Excerpted from the University Mission statement:As an integral part of the learning process, Iowa State University fosters the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge by supporting research, scholarship, and creative activity. The University's research and scholarly endeavors are supported by public and private resources and are conducted in an environment of open scientific inquiry and academic freedom.

Process for Determining and Evaluating Objectives
Figure B2.1 shows how the program objectives are used to improve the experience of students in the MSE department. The objectives are written and published with input from all primary constituencies. The performance criteria are set with respect to what is being measured. Data are collected from various sources including alumni surveys, statistics on graduate job offers, and graduate school placement as well as performance on standard exams (e.g. F.E., G.R.E., etc.). The collected data are processed and analyzed at the end of the academic year, and changes are considered. In the case where objectives are not being met, there are at least three considerations: the adequacy and appropriateness of the program to meet its objectives, the appropriateness of the program objectives statement and the measurement instrument itself. Each is considered and appropriate action taken as indicated in the flowchart. If it is determined that the program is at fault, the program outcomes are carefully examined for deficiencies and corrective action is taken.

FIGURE B2.1

Constituencies:
The primary constituencies of this program are students, employers, and faculty. Other important constituencies include alumni, community colleges from which we take transfer students, the parents of students, the Board of Regents, and universities to which we send graduates for further study. The impact on all of these constituencies is considered with each programmatic change and improvement. Students, faculty, employers and alumni are directly involved in decision making by participation in faculty retreats and industrial advisory council meetings. Community college communication and coordination occurs through the Engineering College articulation efforts. Parents are informed of departmental activities through the mailing of a newsletter each semester and are provided with an opportunity to supply feedback through an annual survey. The general public is informed of our expertise and program through a variety of outreach activities and news releases. The board of regents reviews our program every 5 years.

The MSE Industrial Advisory Council (MSEIAC)plays a key role in guiding the department. The MSEIAC was established in the fall of 1996 at which time it was charged with the following:

Advise the department of industry's expectations for engineering graduates in the 21st century.
Assist the department in curriculum planning decisions to achieve item #1.
Communicate MSE department needs and priorities to the College of Engineering Administration.
Assist the department in strengthening and expanding long-term industrial partnerships such as: internships co-op programs for undergraduate students, employment opportunities for graduating engineers, industrial experience for MSE faculty, academic experience for the practicing engineer in industry, and research projects of mutual interest
Guide the department in fund raising activities.

The council membership exhibits a great deal of diversity in seniority (junior engineers to company presidents), in demographics (Iowa to California), in industry (traditional refractories to electronic packaging), background (discipline, educational level, schools), as well as diversity in gender. The unifying thread in the council membership is that all IAC members are genuinely interested in our programs and in the future of the department. The council membership is on a staggered rotating basis with 3 year appointments with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The Engineering College Industrial Advisory Council (ECIAC) also has representatives from our field. During ECIAC meetings, it is common to have breakout groups by curriculum. These ECIAC members have provided valuable guidance to the MSE department.

Determination of Objectives
"a major goal should be to integrate the two current undergraduate programs into a single and unified materials program before the next ABET visit. A Materials Science and Engineering program was the recommendation of the national study of our field in the 1980s." –Iowa Board of Regents Report, 1995, A. Lawly, G. Liedl, J. Hren, N. Pugh, review team)

The program objectives were developed through a concerted effort of all the constituents including, students, alumni, faculty, employers, the Board of Regents, and colleagues at other universities. The program was evaluated and redesigned after a detailed study involving all constituents. In 1994, an alumni survey revealed that many of our alumni are working in areas of materials science peripheral to their original degree focus. A detailed program review by the Iowa Board of Regents in 1995 also concluded that the program should be merged. (The full report will be available at the time of the visit.) The MSE Industrial Advisory Council has met a number of times explicitly to address the undergraduate curriculum and desired program educational objectives, including the meetings on Oct. 31, 1996 and Feb. 10, 1997 (which entirely focussed on curriculum). These meetings included industrial representatives, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. In the Feb. 1997 meeting, council members made the following recommendation:
o Industry needs materials expertise much broader than currently available in the department Four focus areas are identified: metallurgical sciences, ceramics, polymers and electronic/sensor technology.
o Because of these broader technology needs, the MSE department should truly be a Materials Science and Engineering department. Consideration should be given to the development of an MSE degree with the ability to place strong emphasis in one or more focus areas.
o Realizing that curriculum changes/improvements will be ongoing ("work in progress") periodic review of courses should be conducted.

The MSE-IAC met again October 10, 1997 to discuss ABET 2000 and focussed on developing educational objectives, program outcomes and assessment practices. In addition to the faculty and IAC members (some of which are also ISU alumni), students and staff were present. Recruitment and undergraduate enrollment were discussed at the September 24, 1998 IAC meeting. Development of the department’s "vision document" and performance objectives were the focus of the March 12, 1999 meeting. Additionally a faculty/ staff retreat on August 18, 1999 was held for the sole purpose of developing action plans for each performance objective. Expanding on action plans for each of these performance objectives was the goal of the September 24th, 1999 IAC meeting. Excerpts from the minutes of these meetings and the reports they generated will be available at the time of the visit. Finally an Engineering College Industrial Advisory Council Meeting was held April 14, 2000 to review Program Educational Outcomes and Assessment Practices. Breakout groups for each curriculum included 2 industry representatives, four faculty and 2 student representatives. This meeting yielded interesting and useful suggestions on improving evaluation and assessment tools.

Before it was implemented, the revised curriculum was reviewed by an "external review team" consisting of Gerald Liedl (Purdue University), Dennis Readey (Colorado School of Mines), and Albert Yee (University of Michigan), on April 9, 1998. This review team was given course descriptions and learning outcomes for all proposed courses and participated in breakout groups with members of the faculty and students. They toured the facilities and were asked to write a report on their recommendations. From the report: "Upon our review of the proposed program, outlines of the proposed program, outlines of the proposed materials courses, and interviews with the faculty and students we have some inputs that are suggestions for the faculty to consider to enhance the program." The five main suggestions included 1) Subject matter duplication in specialization areas, 2) Number of specialization courses, 3) Combining area course options with first year graduate courses, 4) Placement of characterization course in timeline,. 5) Laboratory space. In response to these suggestions the proposed curriculum was modified to include one additional core course and one fewer "specialization" course in each area. Also, we carefully examined the ordering of the courses to ensure that students had the prerequisites required to master the content of the course at the desired level. We also sought and secured additional funding and space for laboratories in the polymers and electronics area. The final report from this review team in its entirety will be available at the time of the visit.

Curriculum and Process to Ensure Achievement of Objectives:
The Materials Engineering Program has a number of elements that contribute to the achievement of our program objectives including the curriculum, supporting programs and supporting activities as shown in the table below. All of these elements contribute to one or more of the program objectives. These elements are related to the program outcomes and the outcomes related to the objectives in the following section. B3 "Program Outcomes and Assessment".

Materials Engineering Program Elements

Curriculum (C)
CB Basic Program and core engineering courses
CC Materials Core
CS Materials Specialization
CT Technical Electives
CD Design
CG General Education
(SSH) Supporting Programs (P)
PE Experiential Education (Co-op/Intern/Summer)
PI International Program
PH Honors
PR Research
PA Advising Supporting Activities (A)
AS Student Chapters of Professional Societies
AH Honorary Societies
AO Student Organizations

The Materials Engineering program has been designed specifically to achieve the program educational objectives. A primary goal in the structuring of the curricular component of the program was to maintain our historical strengths while providing the breadth and flexibility required of today’s Materials Engineers. In this section, each program objective and the relevant curricular components are discussed.

Students are prepared for engineering practice through a number fundamental courses in math and science as well as foundational courses in engineering topics. Students can elect to prepare themselves for specific industries (e.g. the semiconductor industry) by choosing specializations in appropriate areas. Further preparation for engineering practice is achieved through experiential education. Preparation for functioning within an organization and leadership skills are available through participation in student organizations, honoraries, and student chapters of professional societies.
Students are prepared to respond to environmental, social, political, ethical and economic constraints through selected social science and humanities courses, but in a more holistic way through our vertically integrated design and capstone design experiences. Experiential education and international experience are also very useful in meeting this objective.
Students in Materials Engineering gain the competence and confidence to work both independently and in teams through a variety of classroom (and for some students out-of-classroom) experiences. Both teamwork and individual accountability is stressed throughout the curriculum. Oral, written, electronic and graphical communication proficiency is achieved through a variety of experiences spread throughout the curriculum. Proficiency is certified by the faculty through a "breakout" grade for communications in a number of technical courses. A student must achieve a "pass" in the communications element of 4 of 8 potential courses with heavy communications component.
Students are prepared for lifelong learning through design courses that require a high level of independence in problem definition and resource identification. Most students are also active in student chapters of professional organizations and many attend annual conferences and workshops. Students also gain appreciation for lifelong learning in experiential education as well as through employment in research, where class work usually provides only the foundation for the knowledge needed for the job, the remainder being incumbent on the student to acquire.
Student in Materials Engineering are prepared to engage in advanced study through rigorous fundamentals courses as well as the opportunity to take upper level courses in other programs and graduate level technical electives. Students with interest in graduate education are also strongly encouraged to work in a research lab either within the University or through a national laboratory. A number of students have also taken advantage of the Research Opportunities for Undergraduates Program both here at ISU and at other institutions.

Achievement of Objectives:
The program ensures that these objectives are achieved through a number of mechanisms. This section is divided into two segments: Departmental Performance Objectives and Student Evaluations.
Departmental Performance Objectives:
The department has developed a process in conjunction with the college to quantify measurable performance objectives for the Materials Science and Engineering Department. This system includes undergraduate education, research, outreach and cross cutting objectives, as these are all germane to our land grant university’s mission. In this section, undergraduate and learning performance objectives are discussed as they relate to verifying the achievement of learning objectives. The objectives listed below are those for the year 2003 updated from those for the year 2000. These objectives are continually updated and evaluated, most recently at a faculty retreat on August 18, 1999 and an industrial advisory council meeting on September 24, 1999.

UNDERGRADUATE AND LEARNING PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR 2003

1. 50% of MSE budgeted faculty will use collaborative, learning based methodology. This objective is designed to improve the effectiveness and efficacy of classroom and laboratory teaching to best meet the objective of providing our students with the solid foundation in science and engineering, as well as the curriculum specific knowledge for design and solving problems related to materials. This performance objective contributes especially to A and C of the educational objectives. Currently faculty self reporting indicates 92% of all MSE sections (Fall 1999) use collaborative methodology. Additionally, a study is being performed within the department on student performance and perceptions of collaborative and group work.
2. 100% of MSE graduates will have at least three months-equivalent co-op or internship experience. This objective contributes to achieving A, B, C, and D of the educational objectives. Currently 69% of students have formal internships or co-ops as registered through Engineering Career Services and approximately 90% of those remaining have experience working in a national laboratory or in a funded research program. (Fall 1999 data). This research experience is especially relevant to educational objective E.
3. 20% of MSE graduates will have engineering-related international experience. This objective relates to the awareness of global issues of program objective B and also called out by both the university and the college. An average of 11% of students over the past 3 years have had such experience. (An average is presented because with small numbers, the % is misleading – e.g. ranging from 4 to 27% in the past 3 years). Currently, agreements with 2 other international universities are being actively sought to increase the number of opportunities available.
4. The MSE department will grant 30 B.S. degrees, of which at least 12 will be to women and 2 will be to minorities. This objective responds to the needs of our constituencies - for industry, the supply of well-educated engineers, and for the state, the education of all qualified students without respect to gender or race. The increase in underrepresented minorities also serves the general population of the department by improving sensitivity to other cultures. Currently, we have 95 students, 19% of the student body are women, 7% are other underrepresented minorities. The freshmen class, however is 33% women and 10% minority.
5. All MSE B.S. graduates who are actively seeking employment will have employment related to their education 6 months after graduation. This objective relates to educational objective A and speaks to the quality of the program and the college goal of educating students to enable them to serve the state, nation and world. Currently, our placement statistics show (at 6 months after graduation)
  1996 - 100%
  1997 - 86%
  1998 - 94%
  1999 - 100%
  2000 (Spring only) -100%

CROSS-CUTTING PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR 2003
Cross cutting objectives relates to industrial, international experience and to the gender and ethnic diversity of the faculty to be consistent with the expectations we have for the students.

Student Evaluations:
There are a variety of measures of student achievement, some of which will be discussed here.

Graduate Job Offers: As listed above, our graduates have been close to 100% placed within 6 months of graduation. Currently, not all offers are reported to career services, and therefore, the average number of offers per student is not readily available, although for Spring 2000, the data were collected and of 9 graduates (3 are going to graduate school) the remaining 6 received 14 offers, for an average of 2.3 per graduate.

Performance on Standard Exams: F.E. – Only four students have taken the F.E. exam in the past 3 years (all passed). The undergraduate student database allows for capturing information on both this and the GRE scores.
GRE: A number of students from our department join our MS/BS combined program for which GREs are not required. (Currently, 8 students are concurrently seeking a bachelors and masters degree through this program – only 1 took the GREs). Two other students graduating in spring 2000 are going to other graduate schools. These scores compare very favorably with national averages for all students taking the GRE and with mean scores for allengineering students. In each section, our students’ average is far above the mean for engineers.

Section Ave. Score
N = 3 Percent Scores Below
(for all students) Mean Scores for
Engineers (# = 15,000)

Verbal 553 73.3 468

Quantitative 793 98 695

Analytical 763 94.5 596

Senior Exit Surveys and Interviews
The senior exit survey instrument was developed in 1994 and altered in 1999. In the exit interviews and surveys, the students are asked questions about their career plans, communication, leadership and professional skills, advising and the curriculum. For surveys prior to 1999, most students were members of professional societies, one third were part of volunteer student groups. Most students felt they had ample opportunity to develop leadership and communications skills (ranked 1.6 and 1.25 on a scale of 1 (agree) to 5 (disagree). Students reported a level of satisfaction with the program "overall" of 2.25 on a 1-5 scale.

In the post 1998 exit surveys, students were asked to self-rate their abilities in each of the program outcomes from 1 (very weak) to 10 (proficient at the bachelors level). It has been suggested that we allow students to rate themselves higher than the bachelor’s level as some students have had exceptional experiences. Next year’s survey will be modified. (The results will be discussed in Section B3)

Alumni Surveys:
Alumni surveys were distributed to all alumni on the University and departmental databases. It was desirable to get baseline data for comparison purposes. A copy of the survey will be available at the time of the visit. All alumni surveyed have Metallurgical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering or Metallurgy degrees.

In addition to information about their academic careers and career path, alumni were asked to rate their abilities in several categories at graduation and presently as well as indicate to what extent that competency is important to their jobs.

ALUMNI SURVEY RESULTS

Comments:
The most striking feature of the survey responses (these are averages from the 1990’s decade) was the perceived relevance of communication and life long learning, and the quite low relevance of materials selection and design. The number of responses was fairly small, further surveys of recent grads will help clarify these data. However, it appears that developing more communication-intensive exercises is called for. While seniors ranked themselves as having achieved at a very high level (9.3/10 –see Section B3), it is ranked very high in relevance. The curriculum committee will continue to analyze these data to indicate areas for program improvement.

In addition to this baseline study, alumni surveys are sent out at 1 and 5 years post graduation. An instrument for employer evaluations has been developed for co-ops and interns and will be appropriately modified for permanent employees.

Employer input has been collected through the industrial advisory council. In-process employer input is collected on all co-op and internship students. The instrument used for that purpose is being redesigned to better reflect the core competencies indicated in the program outcomes section. A copy of all the survey instruments will be available at the time of the visit.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement:
The assessment coordinator writes a summary report for all senior exit interviews and surveys at the end of each academic year. At this time he also indicates areas of concern to be reviewed by the curriculum committee. He also reviews the previous year’s report and the changes suggested at that time to determine whether and how well they have been implemented. The results of those changes are reviewed with respect to the present years’ results. (An example of such a report will be available at the time of the visit.)

Alumni and employer input is reviewed at the industrial advisory council meetings on a yearly basis. The resulting report is reviewed by the curriculum committee to determine what improvements can be made.