Strategic Objectives

 

Vision

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will be the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering department of choice in Texas and will be recognized as one of the top research and graduate engineering departments in the nation.

Mission

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering educates, conducts research, and disseminates knowledge through nationally recognized programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering for the benefit of society.

Strategic Plan

Goal 1. Access and diversity: Recruit, retain, and graduate a larger, more academically prepared, and diverse student body.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES OF THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS):

• Be in the top 5 in Texas in number of electrical and computer engineering graduates by graduating 60 per year.
• 650 undergraduate students in EE, EECS, and CMPE.
• 300 graduate students.
• 75% of entering freshmen meet the criteria for admission to an electrical or computer engineering major.
• Minimum five-year graduation rate of 90% for students admitted to Phase II.
• 75% of students admitted to an electrical or computer engineering major graduate with an engineering degree.
• 50% of engineering graduates earn their BS degree in 5 years or less.
• Increase diversity in the department.
• Increase the number of transfer students.
• Develop relationships with regional junior colleges and help them provide EE 2304.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 1.1: Annually increase the diversity of the student body.

Strategies:

• Support student groups in the Whitacre College of Engineering.
• Support diverse student groups in the department.
• Support mentoring activities.

Assessments:

• Population demographics

Objective 1.2: Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering in improving retention and graduation rates.

Strategies:

• Use IEEE Student Branch, HKN and AWEE to enhance student retention.
• Encourage organization to sponsor tutoring and problem sessions.
• Assign students to faculty for mentoring.

Assessments:

• Retention rates.
• Graduation rates

Objective 1.3: Recruit and admit the most qualified students to the college.

Strategies:

• Establish more scholarships and fellowships to attract the best and brightest students.
• Administer the Dynamic Enrollment Management Program and develop criteria for admission to upper division programs.

Assessments:

• The university's student quality indicators.
• Number of hits on our website relating to recruiting and advising.

Objective 1.4: Establish more programs, scholarships and fellowships to attract the best and brightest students.

Strategies:

• Work with alumni and industries for increased support.
• Provide a NSF research experience for undergraduates.

Assessments:

• Number of programs.
• Number of scholarships or fellowships.
• First generation college students.

Goal 2. Academic and Research Excellence: Attain national recognition as a top publicly funded Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering considers this goal as its flagship goal and critical to its success.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES OF THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Be listed in the top 50 of publicly funded electrical and computer engineering departments.
• Addition of 7 new faculty at various ranks in various areas with startup funds.
• Increase the number of tenure/tenure track FTE consistent with enrollment and research volume.
• Implementation of the Whitacre College of Engineering Master Plan.
• A center of excellence generating at least $1 million annually in external funding.
• $300,000/FTE/year in research expenditures.
• Post doc supported by the university for two years for faculty with research support of over $200,000/year.
• Increase the number of archival publications/citations to more than three refereed journal articles per FTE/year.
• Hire permanent support staff for each center including technicians.
• Endowments for scholarships and chairs.
• Faculty membership in national academies.
• Fellow of IEEE status for at least 40% of full professors.
• Increase the number of faculty registered as licensed Engineers.
• Increase annual giving of alumni.
• Have at least 90% passing rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 2.1: Modernize and strengthen our undergraduate electrical and computer engineering programs.

Strategies:

• Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will be responsible.
• Form a special ad hoc committee will be formed.

Assessments:

• ABET Accreditation.
• Student surveys.
• Fundamentals in Engineering pass rate.

Objective 2.2: Strengthen graduate and professional programs and increase the yearly Ph.D. graduates from 4.5 to 7 per year.

Strategies:

• Graduate Study Committee responsible.
• Provide incentives for PhD students.
• Update the PhD requirements.

Assessment:

• Number of students graduating and in PhD program.

Objective 2.3: Continue to build research programs that enhance the academic reputation of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Specific areas include, but are not limited: Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Nano Technology Center, Optoelectronics/semiconductors, Computer Vision and Image Analysis Laboratory, Advanced Communication Systems, Biomedical, and Semiconductor Product and Test Engineering.

Strategies:

• Add faculty to support the new research areas.
• Off load faculty from teaching to increase research.

Assessment:

• Amount of research dollars.
• Number of research proposals.

Objective 2.4: Develop externally funded, nationally recognized centers of excellence.

Strategies:

• Strategically hire individuals to support the centers.
• Off load faculty from teaching to increase research.

Assessment:

• Number of publications and patents.
• Research support and graduate student support

Objective 2.5: Recruit, hire, develop, and retain nationally recognized faculty.

Strategies:

• Improve infrastructure and support.
• Increase national visibility through short courses, workshops, and conferences.
• Invite well known faculty in for seminars over a period of several days.

Assessment:

• Number of faculty honors.

Objective 2.6: Improve retention and graduation rates for graduate students.

Strategies:

• Change graduate regulations and procedures.

Assessment:

• Number of graduates.

Objective 2.7: Achieve higher levels of student financial support.

Strategies:

• Encourage research proposals to support students.
• Promote industrial and Co-Op interactions.

Assessment:

• Level of financial support.

Goal 3. Engagement: Build community connections that enhance the quality of life for students and the community.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES OF THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Graduate 15% of students with a service learning designation.
• Produce 60 graduates per year from the department.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 4.1: Exploit e-business solutions and human computer interface designs.

Strategies:

• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering with agreements and licenses with software venders.
• Work with Whitacre College of Engineering web designer.

Assessment:

• Number of transactions and number of users by function in transaction logs of file servers.

Objective 4.2: Provide delivery systems appropriate to the needs of users.

Strategies:

• Work with Whitacre College of Engineering to negotiate agreements and licenses with network vendors.
• Support Whitacre College of Engineering for delivery systems.

Assessment:

• Bandwidth utilization.

Objective 4.3: Use standardized software to deliver subject matter content.

Strategies:

• Assist Whitacre College of Engineering for software and other resources.
• Employ professionally trained support personnel for all delivery systems.

Assessment:

• Degree of interoperability of software.

Objective 4.4: Have highly reliable and secure systems.

Strategies:

• Have surveillance in critical areas.
• Have systems that will protect our networks from intentional disruptions.

Assessment:

• Availability of the systems.
• Downtime due to other-than-scheduled maintenance.

Goal 5. Partnerships: Build strategic partnerships and alliances to support the teaching, research, and service missions of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES OF THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Generate $1 million annually from industry to support graduate student stipends.
• Increase internship options for graduate students with industry, national laboratories, and other universities both national and foreign.
• 10% of faculty actively advising industry and federal agencies.
• Increase the number of relationships with other departments in the Whitacre College of Engineering, other colleges at Texas Tech, the Health Science Center and other universities.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 6.1: Add a website/recruiter position to our staff.

Strategies:

• Provide justification to administration.

Assessment:

• Hiring of person.
• Recruiting efforts.

Objective 6.2: Maximize the utilization of existing space resources.

Strategies:

• Form committee to look at options.

Assessment:

• Results of committee actions.

Strategies:

• Use committee to ascertain type of equipment needed.
• Poll faculty on space and technology needs.

Assessment:

• Amount of equipment purchased.

Objective 6.4: Attract and retain faculty and staff .

Strategies:

• Encourage faculty to find prospective faculty and staff.
• Encourage faculty to take leadership roles.

Assessment:

• Faculty and staff turnover rate.

Objective 6.5: Increase percentage of women and minority faculty.

Strategies:

• Encourage the hiring of women and minority in employment decisions.

Assessment:

• diversity of faculty.

Objective 6.6: Increase professional development for all employees including short courses.

Strategies:

• Provide support for faculty and staff for professional development.

Assessment:

• Keep records of attendance

Objective 6.7: Provide competitive salaries at all levels.

Strategies:

• Use ECEDHA surveys to find appropriate levels.
• Inform administration of the salary and support required.

Assessment:

• Salary ranges compared to per institutions.

Objective 6.8: Continue a coordinated system for policies and procedures.

Strategies:

• Use small committee to exam policies and procedures.

Assessment:

• Review policies and procedures.

Goal 7. Tradition and Pride: Enhance the national image of the College of Engineering.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES OF THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Bring at least one national meeting to Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering each year.
• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering in this effort.
• Recognize each year at least 3 departmental alumni who have achieved significant leadership roles.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 7.1: Instill tradition and pride in the academic experience.

Strategies:

• Increase the number of faculty on boards of national technical societies.
• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to develop traditions.

Assessment:

• Number of events in department.

Objective 7.2: Add value to the graduates and faculty by an enhanced national image of the college.

Strategies:

• Attract international and national meetings hosted in department.

Assessment:

• Number of meetings.

Objective 7.3: Foster ethics and professionalism.

Strategies:

• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to foster professionalism and ring ceremony.

Assessment:

• Number of participants in the ring ceremony.

Goal 8. Development and Marketing: Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to enhance the fiscal stability through development activities that support students, faculty, and college operations.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to obtain $35M in cash.
• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to secure $200M in endowment.

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 8.1: Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to be ranked #1 among colleges in university fund raising. (Currently #2)

Strategies:

• Identify endowments for scholarships and chairs.
• Increase annual giving of alumni.

Assessment:

• Annual giving and endowments.

Objective 8.2: Increase the visibility of the department.

Strategies:

• Work with the Whitacre College of Engineering to design and implement strategic college-wide marketing/advertising/promotion campaigns that highlight the College and its people.

Assessment:

• Media hits and column inches.

Goal 9. Accountability: Enhancing planning, performance, assessment, and public accountability.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (MEASURES THE DEGREE OF SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS) :

• Maintain EE and CMPE program accreditation.
• Complete the stewardship process on an annual basis.
• Assist the Whitacre College of Engineering to plan and manage 12-month budgeting.

OBJECTIVE:

Objective 9.1: Assess academic programs on an annual basis.

Strategies:

• Use departmental committees to assess programs and objectives.
• Keep abreast of ABET criteria.

Assessment:

• Number of assessments completed.