Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Office of the Dean
745-4449

REPORT TO THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
Date:	September 10, 2009

The Ogden College of Science and Engineering submits the following items for consideration:

I.	New Business
Type of item	Description of Item & Contact Information	
Action	Multiple Revisions
EE 220 Introduction to Electronics
Contact:  Michael L. McIntyre, Michael.mcintyre1@wku.edu, x55877	
Action	Create Course
EE 130 Our Electrical World
Contact:  Walter Collett, walter.collett@wku.edu, x52016	
Action	Revise Program
Electrical Engineering (Ref #537)
Contact:  Mark Cambron, mark.cambron@wku.edu, x58868	
Action	Revise Program
Sustainability (Ref #475)
Contact:  David Keeling, david.keeling@wku.edu, x54555	

Proposal Date:8/19/09

Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Department of Engineering
Proposal to Make Multiple Revisions to a Course
(Action Item)

Contact Person:  Michael L. McIntyre, Michael.mcintyre1@wku.edu, 745-5877

1.	Identification of course:
1.1       Current course prefix (subject area) and number:  EE 220
1.2	      Course title: Introduction to Electronics
            1.3       Credit hours: 4.0

2.	Revise course title:
2.1	Current course title: Introduction to Electronics
2.2	Proposed course title: Electronics
2.3	Proposed abbreviated title: Electronics
2.4	Rationale for revision of course title:  The course content does not fit with the title of “introduction.”  Within our program the title of “Electronics” is felt to be more fitting.  

3.	Revise course number:
3.1	Current course number: 220
3.2	Proposed course number: 345
3.3	Rationale for revision of course number: From the creation of the course our faculty has felt this upper division number more accurately depicts the level of topics covered within this course.  This change will fix this long standing issue. This upper division number better indicates the academic level of students taking the class.

4.	Revise course prerequisites/corequisites/special requirements:
4.1	Current prerequisite: EE 210
4.2	Proposed prerequisite: EE 211
4.3	Rationale for revision of course prerequisite: EE 211 is the second course in our circuit sequence and we believe that students would benefit from completing prior to EE 345.  With this change we will be able to increase the depth of the topics coverage in EE 345.
4.4	Effect on completion of major/minor sequence: None.

5.	Revise course catalog listing:
5.1	Current course catalog listing: An introductory course in electronics.  Topics include semiconductor concepts, operational amplifiers, diode, transistors, biasing, large and small signal analysis.  Laboratory included.
5.2	Proposed course catalog listing:  A first course in electronics.  Topics include semiconductor concepts, operational amplifiers, diodes, transistors, biasing, large and small signal analysis.  Laboratory included.
5.3	Rationale for revision of course catalog listing: The removal of the word “introductory” reflects the change in the course title. 

6.	Revise course credit hours:
6.1	Current course credit hours: 4.0
6.2	Proposed course credit hours: 4.0
6.3	Rationale for revision of course credit hours: No change

7.	Proposed term for implementation: Spring 2010

8.	Dates of prior committee approvals:

	Engineering Department				8/25/09____________

	OCSE Curriculum Committee			 9/3/09_____________

	Undergraduate Curriculum Committee		___________________

	University Senate					___________________

Attachment:  Course Inventory Form

Proposal Date: 8/24/2009

Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Department of Engineering
Proposal to Create a New Course
(Action Item)

Contact Person:  Dr. Walter Collett, walter.collett@wku.edu, 5-2016

1.	Identification of proposed course:
1.1       Course prefix (subject area) and number:  EE 130
1.2	      Course title: Our Electrical World
1.3	Abbreviated course title: Elec World
1.4	Credit hours and contact hours: 3 (3 hours lecture)
	1.5	Type of course: L (Lecture)
	1.6	Prerequisites/corequisites: None
	1.7	Course catalog listing: 
An overview of the generation and utilization of electricity in modern society, with emphasis on infrastructure, critical technologies, alternative energy sources, and sustainability.

2.	Rationale:
2.1	      Reason for developing the proposed course:
Modern society is powered by electricity. As citizens of an industrialized nation, our style of living is almost completely dependent upon the electrical technologies developed over the past hundred years. From home computers and the internet to cell phones, electrical devices are used extensively for communication and access of information. Modern appliances, from the microwave to the refrigerator, are driven and controlled by electricity. Our homes are heated and cooled, our cars operated, and various aspects of our healthcare are provided by electrical technologies. In fact, one might argue that the fundamental difference between a modern, industrialized society and a developing nation is the extent to which an electrical infrastructure exists in that nation. A view of the earth’s surface from space at nighttime shows this difference dramatically: regions of advanced development (e.g., the eastern U.S., Europe, Japan, etc.) are easily visible, via the electrical lighting in those areas, whereas much of the earth’s surface remains dark. In fact, by extension, this view also provides a glimpse of the general areas where standard of living is high, infant mortality is low, life expectancy is great (due partly to availability of modern technology in healthcare), and so on.
This view from space provides other information as well. In showing areas where electricity plays a more vital role in society, it reveals those global players vying for the planet’s finite energy resources. These developed nations are now engaged in a struggle to find new means of generating electricity, as well as new methods of conservation, to satisfy their ever-growing demands as well as to mitigate the harmful effects of more conventional technologies on the environment.
To effectively manage current and future electrical energy issues on a local, national and global scale, as well as to help promote the effective use of electrical technologies in modern society - keeping in mind issues such as quality of life, sustainability and the environment – citizens, educators and policymakers should be armed with the basic knowledge of the nation’s electrical infrastructure as well as critical current and emerging electrical technologies.
Unfortunately, many citizens are not equipped with this knowledge. As a very simple example, most consumers of electricity at the residential level rely solely upon the monthly electricity bill as a means to monitor electrical energy cost, when in fact the meter outside the home is not too difficult to read. This meter could be periodically checked by the homeowner, an action analogous to looking at the gas gauge in a vehicle. A very simple calculation – the number of kilowatt hours multiplied by the cost of energy per kilowatt-hour (around 9 cents or so in this area) – can be performed to estimate cost at any point during the month. This could provide the family living in the residence with the information needed to make a “very local” energy policy decision: that of reducing their own consumption through either simple actions such as turning off unneeded lights, to more involved undertakings as changing their lighting fixtures to more efficient (but expensive) bulbs.
Even university graduates, the future policymakers and educators of the nation, often seem to be poorly versed in this arena. Very many do not understand the basics of how, for example, electricity is produced in the first place, or how the use of electrical technologies in medical imaging has helped improve the survival rate of cancer patients. If this is the case, how can sound energy and technology policy decisions be made on the national and international levels? It is the purpose of this course to provide the university student a broad overview of (a) the electrical infrastructure in the U.S., (b) critical electrical technologies in the industrial, commercial, healthcare, and residential sectors, (c) electrical energy production concepts, and (d) emerging technologies and sustainability issues. This broad overview is intended to equip the future educator, policymaker, and citizen with the foundational knowledge necessary to keep pace with the many issues pertaining to electrical energy and technology faced by our modern society.
It is important to note that it is not a goal of this course to make engineers and scientists of the students – only to provide a treatment relevant and appropriate for every university student, regardless of major. The course will be taught using little math: calculations will be very simple in nature. This will be accomplished by first recognizing that complex math is not necessary, for example, to understand the fundamental idea of an electric motor. (Although precise numerical determination of electrical properties would require advanced math, such determination is not a goal of this course.)     
 It is also anticipated that this course will eventually be offered as a university general education elective. If so, it will be the first general education course to be offered through the WKU Engineering Department. A side benefit resulting from a general education offering would therefore be an increased knowledge of the engineering profession, which would be very useful, especially in helping future teachers when discussing this profession with their students. 
2.2	      Projected enrollment in the proposed course:
This course will have approximately 50 students per offering.
2.3	Relationship of the proposed course to courses now offered by the department:
This course is intended for majors in all fields, technical and non-technical, who have an interest in a greater knowledge and appreciation of the critical electrical technologies that form the backbone of industrialized society.
2.4	Relationship of the proposed course to courses offered in other departments:

SOCL 352 Technology, Work and Society. This course focuses on the impact of technology on work systems.

HIST 480 A Social History of Science. This course focuses on the impact of science on western civilization.

PHYS 100 Energy. A survey of energy concepts.

The proposed course is far more specific to the subject of electrical technologies, as well as current and alternative electrical energy production methods, the nation's electrical infrastructure, and sustainability issues.  

2.5	Relationship of the proposed course to courses offered in other institutions:

Engineering Sciences 50. Introduction to Electrical Engineering (Harvard University). A discussion of topics in the fields of electronics, communications and intelligent systems. Not permissible as credit for students who have taken 100-level courses in electrical engineering. Meets the requirement for a Science A general education elective.  

IDST 300 Exploring Electrical Technologies (Messiah College). A general education elective (Category: Science, Technology, and the World) at Messiah College, a US News Tier 1 baccalaureate-only liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.

Furthermore, many institutions, such as Stanford University, University of Manitoba, North Carolina State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and others, have degree programs in Science, Technology, and Society (STS). A sample of courses pertaining to these programs follows:

ENGR 130 Science, Technology & Contemporary Society (Stanford University). Focused on enhancing the understanding of the natures, social relations, and cultural significance of science and technology

STS 032 Energy, Environment, and Society (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Deals with global energy issues such as energy security, climate change, and energy access.

STS 326 Technology Assessment (North Carolina State University). Deals with the impacts of technologies as they are applied in society.

The current proposal involves the development of a course dealing exclusively with electrical technologies, from generation to utilization, relevant to the lives of citizens, educators, and policymakers in a modern, industrialized society. 

3.	Discussion of proposed course:
3.1	Course objectives:
Provide the university student a broad overview of:
•	The electrical infrastructure in the U.S.
•	Critical electrical technologies in the industrial, commercial, healthcare, and residential sectors.
•	Electrical energy production concepts. 
•	Emerging technologies and energy sources, and sustainability issues. 
3.2	Content outline:
•	Critical electrical technologies
o	Healthcare
o	Industrial/commercial
o	Military and civil defense
o	Public/national
o	Residential/private
o	Electric vehicles
o	Communications
o	Computers and the internet
o	Future trends
•	Basic concepts in generation and distribution
a.	Fundamental quantities
b.	Electromechanical energy conversion, photovoltaics and batteries 
c.	The U.S. electrical grid
d.	Residential distribution
e.	Household elements: transformers and overcurrent devices
f.	Regional power companies and cooperatives
g.	Efficient use and lowering costs
2.	Emerging technologies and production techniques
3.	Environmental impacts and sustainability
4.	Electrical safety
5.	Issues in homeland security
3.3	Student expectations and requirements:
Students are required to attend class and complete homework, projects and examinations. The students’ grades will be based upon their success in satisfying the above criteria.
3.4	Possible texts and course materials:
•	Dawn of the Electronic Age: Electrical Technologies in the Shaping of the Modern World, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 9780470260654, 2009
•	Technology and American Society, 2nd Edition, G. Cross, Prentice Hall, ISBN 01381896437, 2004.
•	Technology and Global change, A. Grubler, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521543320, 2003.
•	Energy and Society: An Introduction, H. Schobert and H. Schobert, Taylor and Francis, ISBN 1560327677, 2002.
•	Creating Value with Science and Technology, E. Geisler, Quorum Books, ISBN 1567204058, 2001.
•	Next: The Future Just Happened, M. Lewis, W. W. Norton and Company, ISBN 0393020371, 2001.
•	The Engines of Our Ingenuity: An Engineer Looks at Technology and Culture, J. Leinhard, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195135830, 2001.

4.	Resources:
4.1	Library resources: See attached Library Resources form.
4.2	Computer resources:  No computing resources beyond what are currently available at the university will be required.

5.	Budget implications:
5.1	Proposed method of staffing: Faculty of the department with credentials in the appropriate discipline will teach this course.
5.2	Special equipment needed:  The Department of Engineering has a sufficient inventory of equipment to deliver this course.
5.3	Expendable materials needed: No expendable materials needed.
5.4	Laboratory materials needed: No laboratory materials needed.

6.	Proposed term for implementation: Spring 2010

7.	Dates of prior committee approvals:

	Engineering Department/Division:		_____8/24/09______	

	Ogden Curriculum Committee		_____9/04/09________

	University Curriculum Committee		___________________

	University Senate				___________________

Attachments:  Bibliography, Library Resources Form, Course Inventory Form

Proposal Date:  8/15/2009

Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Department of Engineering
Proposal to Revise a Program 
(Action Item)

Contact Person:  Mark Cambron    email:  mark.cambron@wku.edu   phone:  5-8868

1. Identification of program
1.1	Reference Number: 537
1.2	Current Program Title:  Electrical Engineering
1.3	Credit Hours:  62

2.  Identification of proposed changes
•	Replace  MATH 126 (4.5 hours) with MATH 136 (4 hours)
•	Replace  MATH 227 (4.5 hours) with MATH 137 (4 hours) 
•	Replace EE 220 with  EE 345
•	Accept either EM 221 or EM 222

3.  Detailed program description: 
Current Program
EE175	University Experience - EE           2
              Or
UC 175	Freshman Seminar* , and           [2]
EE 101     Design I                                      [1]

EE180	Digital Circuits	     4
EE200 	Design II	     1 EE210	Circuits & Networks I	   3.5
EE211	Circuits & Networks II	   3.5
EE220	Intro. to Electronics	    4
EE300     Design III                                1
EE431 	Intro. to Power Systems	    3
EE380	Microprocessors	    4 EE400	Design IV	    1
EE401	Senior Design	    3
EE405     EE Senior Research Seminar     1
EE420	Signals & Linear Systems	    3
EE450	Digital Signal Proc.	    3 EE451	Digital Signal Proc. Lab	    1
EE460     Cont. Control Systems             4
EE470	Communications	    3
EE473     EM Fields & Waves                  3 
EE475     Communications Lab               1
EE479     Fund. Of Optoelectronics          2
                    EE Technical Electives 	           6  
EM221   Statics	                                   3                                   
ME365   Thermal Science for EE                 3
Tech. Course Total:                                    62 

Other Requirements
MATH126   Calculus I                         4.5
MATH227	Calculus II	 4.5
MATH327	Multivariable Calculus	  4
MATH331	Differential Equations	  3

MATH350    Advanced Engr. Math       3
                      or
MATH307   Intro. Linear Algebra, and  [3]
MATH450   Complex Variables             [3]

STAT301	Probability & Statistics	  3
PHYS255	University Physics I	  4
PHYS256	University Physics I Lab	  1
PHYS265	University Physics II	  4              
                    Science Elective                3              
CS239	          Prob Solving Comp Tech      3
ECON	ECON 202 or ECON 203	  3
Other Hours:                                            40	Proposed Program
EE175	University Experience - EE    2
              Or
UC 175	Freshman Seminar* , and        [2]
EE 101     Design I                                 [1]

EE180	Digital Circuits	    4
EE200 	Design II	    1 EE210	Circuits & Networks I	   3.5
EE211	Circuits & Networks II	   3.5
EE345	Electronics	    4
EE300     Design III                                 1
EE431 	Intro. to Power Systems	    3
EE380	Microprocessors	    4 EE400	Design IV	    1
EE401	Senior Design	    3
EE405     EE Senior Research Seminar     1
EE420	Signals & Linear Systems	    3
EE450	Digital Signal Proc.	    3 EE451	Digital Signal Proc. Lab	    1
EE460     Cont. Control Systems             4
EE470	Communications	    3
EE473     EM Fields & Waves                  3 
EE475     Communications Lab                1
EE479     Fund. Of Optoelectronics          2
                  EE Technical Electives 	          6 Statics      EM 221 or EM 222	          3                                
ME365     Thermal Science for EE              3
Tech. Course Total:                                   62     

Other Requirements
MATH136   Calculus I                          4
MATH137	Calculus II	   4
MATH327	Multivariable Calculus	   4
MATH331	Differential Equations	   3

MATH350    Advanced Engr. Math        3
                      or
MATH307   Intro. Linear Algebra, and  [3]
MATH450   Complex Variables             [3]

STAT301	Probability & Statistics	   3
PHYS255	University Physics I	   4
PHYS256	University Physics I Lab	   1
PHYS265	University Physics II	         4                   
                           Science Elective                3              
CS239	           Prob Solving Comp Tech      3
ECON	ECON 202 or ECON 203	   3
 Other Hours:                                             39	
		
*EE/UC 175 is not required for transfer students.

4.  Rationale of proposed program revisions:

Changes in math courses 
The math department recently changed MATH 126 and MATH 227 to MATH 136 and Math 137.  Each course has been reduced by 0.5 hours.  

Changes in electronics course
EE 220 has been renumbered EE345; the course title has been changed from Introduction to Electronics to Electronics

Statics Course
EM 221 and EM 222 are the same course.  One is taught by WKU faculty and one 
is taught by UK faculty.   Electrical engineering students can take either course.

5.  Proposed term for implementation and special provisions: Fall 2010

6.  Dates of prior committee approvals:

Department of Engineering		   	24 Aug 2009		
	
Ogden College Curriculum Committee 	  3 Sept 2009		
	
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 				
		
University Senate			   				

Proposal Date: August 27, 2009

Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Department of Geography and Geology
PROPOSAL TO REVISE A PROGRAM
(Action Item)

Contact Person: Dr. David Keeling (david.keeling@wku.edu), 745-4555

1.  Identification of program:
	1.1  Reference number: 475
1.2  Current program title:  Minor in Sustainability
            1.3  Credit hours:   21 Semester Hours Minimum

2.  Identification of the proposed changes:
•	Add ANTH 442 to the elective options in Cluster A.    

3.  Detailed program description:

Current  Program 	Proposed Program 	
 	 	
Required Courses                 9 hours	Required Courses                     9 hours	
   GEOG 280, 380, GEOG 495	   GEOG 280, 380, GEOG 495	
Elective Courses                 12 hours
[At least one course from each of the four clusters, with no more than six hours of cluster courses taken from any single discipline.]	Elective Courses                     12 hours
[At least one course from each of the four clusters, with no more than six hours of cluster courses taken from any single discipline.]	
   CLUSTER A:
   GEOG 444 
   SOCL 470
   CLUSTER B:
   ECON 430
   GEOG 471
   GEOG 487 
   CLUSTER C:
   BIOL 315
   GEOL 415
   GEOG 427
   GEOG 455
   ENV 375
   PH 385
   CLUSTER D:
   AGRO 454
   AMS 470
   CE 351
   GEOG 474
   ENV 460	   CLUSTER A:
   ANTH 442
   GEOG 444 
   SOCL 470
   CLUSTER B:
   ECON 430
   GEOG 471
   GEOG 487 
   CLUSTER C:
   BIOL 315
   GEOL 415
   GEOG 427
   GEOG 455
   ENV 375
   PH 385
   CLUSTER D:
   AGRO 454
   AMS 470
   CE 351
   GEOG 474
   ENV 460	
Program Total                      21 hours	Program Total                        21 hours	

4.  Rationale for proposed program revisions:
Anthropology 442, Ecological and Economic Anthropology, is an appropriate course to add to the elective choices in Cluster A.

5.  Proposed term for implementation:   	Spring 2010

6.  Dates of prior committee approvals:

	Department of Geography and Geology       ___8/25/2009_________________

	OCSE Curriculum Committee		__9/03/09___________________

	University Curriculum Committee            	___________________________	 
  	
University Senate		            	 ___________________________

Attachment:  Program Inventory Form