Name of Academic Department: Civil Engineering

Degree(s) or Program(s) covered by this report: Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Date Submitted: June 16, 2006

Submitted by (Departmental Assessment Representative): Robert Yuan, Professor and Chair

For each outcome identified in your IE Plan, describe the assessments used to gather data, summarize the results (data gathered), describe how the results have been reviewed, and describe actions (changes or improvements) planned or accomplished to improve student learning or program effectiveness:

 Outcome 1- Student learning

State the outcome:

An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering in the field of professional civil engineering practice.

Assessment(s) conducted:

(1) Senior exit interview: twice a year, total 15 students per year

(2) Alumni survey, (3) Industrial practitioners’/employers’ survey: for 2 year graduates and for  5 years graduates  

(4) Civil Engineering Advisory Council meetings and survey: twice a year, one in October, and one in March.

Actual results (data gathered):

From the analysis of the survey results and meeting discussions, there were low student and practitioner support for the second chemistry course, for MATH 3401- Differential Equation and Linear Algebra, and for Circuits course.

How review of results was conducted:

The review of results was conducted through discussion at bi-weekly CE Department meetings and through discussions with CEAC members at annual Fall/Spring meetings

Actions planned or accomplished for improvement:

(1)   The second chemistry course has been changed to an elective. Biology, Geology, or Chemistry II may be taken instead.

(2)   The Department decided to replace the 4-hour math course by two 3-hour math courses; MATH 3301- Ordinary Differential Equations, and MATH 2318- Linear Algebra. These changes took place in the Fall of 2005, and resulted in a net increase of 2-hours in the math requirement.

(3)   The circuits course has been eliminated from BSCE degree plan, the students are not required to

Take the course any more.

Outcome 2- Student learning

State the outcome:

An ability to design and conduct experiments as to analyze and interpret data in the area of civil engineering professionals.

Assessment(s) conducted:

(1)   Senior Exit interview: twice a year, one the Fall, one in the Spring, a total of 15 students

(2)   Alumni survey (3) Industrial practitioners’/employers’ survey: for 2 year graduates and for 5 year graduates

Actual results (data gathered):

From the analysis of the results and discussion at various meetings, there were low support of student and alumni for CE 3200-Material Engineering course.

How review of results was conducted:

The review of results was conducted at regular CE Department Faculty meetings, and an investigation

was performed to identify the problems of the course including the instructor, course materials,  conducting experiments, and student participations.

Actions planned or accomplished for improvement:

(1) The Department has hired a new Assistant Professor Mark Bourland to be the new instructor for the course. Dr. Bourland has many years of laboratory and field instrumentation/testing experiences. A new format of course has been established for students to have hands-on instruction and lab participation.

Outcome 3-Student learning

State the outcome:

An understanding of civil engineering professional responsibility, such as passing Fundamental Engineering (FE) Examination and Professional Licensing Examination and acquiring Professional Engineering (PE) license.

Assessment(s) conducted:

The civil engineering students at Lamar University need to pass Fundamental Engineering (FE) Examination before or immediately after graduation. One of the outcome assessment in CE educational program will be passing FE Exam in the future. This decision was made at recent CE faculty meeting after several discussions with Civil Engineering Advisory Council (CEAC) members and industrial practitioners. Starting September, 2006, a FE Review course will be implemented with funding from CEAC. Currently there is no FE review course for CE and/or engineering students. The passing rate of LU CE students was 56% last year. Compare with National passing rate of 65% and Texas State passing rate of 50%, we need to improve our students’ FE Exam passing rate. 

Actual results (data gathered):

There will be two FE Exams in the coming months; one in November, 2006, and one in April, 2007.  We will start to assess our students performance next year to evaluate whether the FE review course will help our students in preparing the exam, and to check the results for student learning outcome assessment.

How review of results was conducted:

The review of results will be conducted based on group passing rate as well as individual student’s performance on each area of the exam; there are Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, and other civil engineering sections.

Actions planned or accomplished for improvement:

The current plan is to establish a FE review course in September, to arrange qualified instructors for each subject to be reviewed, and to ser up the course with LU administration.

Outcome 4 (optional)

State the outcome:

Assessment(s) conducted:

Actual results (data gathered):

How review of results was conducted:

Actions planned or accomplished for improvement:

Outcome 5 (optional)

State the outcome:

Assessment(s) conducted:

Actual results (data gathered):

How review of results was conducted:

Actions planned or accomplished for improvement

For comments and questions, please click below.