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Strategic Plan

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in an effort to support the mission and realize the vision outlined, had adopted four strategic components as part of a strategic plan:

  1. Provide an enriched undergraduate academic program that prepares graduates for productive careers and life­long learning.
  2. Provide a vibrant graduate academic and research program that produces new discoveries and knowledge.
  3. Improve and maintain state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities that support the educational, research, outreach, and service objectives of the department, college, and university.
  4. Continue to recruit and develop a highly qualified and motivated faculty and staff.

Activities related to these four strategic points will include, but not be limited to, the following actions and activities:

Undergraduate Program

  1. Increase the quality of the undergraduate program through a program of supporting the MSU Admissions Office and Bagley College of Engineering recruiting efforts.  Evaluation metric will be based on monitoring the ACT score of entering students.
  2. Maintain a program of curriculum review and change as appropriate to ensure graduates are technically and professionally prepared to be competitive in the job market, and which supports the ABET requirements.  This will be evaluated through review of the performance of graduates on the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination and success of students to be hired within six months of graduation or gain admission to graduate school.

Graduate Program

  1. Increase the quality of the graduate program by monitoring the number of applicants to the graduate program and performance of accepted students in their first semester of the graduate program.  The metrics for evaluating this initiative will include evaluation of the quality of students applying based on GRE, grade point, and acceptance rate.  It will also include an evaluation of the exit exam passing rate.
  2. Increase the total external funding to the department for research activities.  This will be collected annually using the information provided to ASEE by the college.
  3. Utilize development and endowment funds, as augmented by Bagley College of Engineering resources, to provide support for the best and brightest graduate students.  This will be reviewed by compiling awards, grants, fellowships and assistantships provided graduate students.
  4. Increase the number and quality of publications within the department.  This is to be based on the annual report provided by the college to the university.

 Service and Professional Development

  1. All members of the faculty will be licensed professional engineers.  If someone is not licensed, they will be supported in obtaining licensure.
  2. Develop and maintain faculty participation in the activities of local, statewide, and national professional organizations.  The department will continue to provide support for membership in professional organizations appropriate for professional development of the faculty.  Participation will be compiled annually and will include committee service, attendance and presentation at organization meetings and workshops, and other activities of engagement.
  3. Facilitate student chapters, e.g.: ASCE, Chi Epsilon, ITE, SWCS, and AGC.  The department will monitor support of chapter activities in the form of grants, annual support, facility allocation, faculty assignment and activities, and other appropriate forms of support for student activities.
  4. Support the continuing educational activities of individuals in the state, including providing distance education offerings, on­campus and off­campus workshops and seminars, FE review sessions for undergraduate students, and select continuing and lifelong learning programs.  This will be compiled annually from campus records and faculty submissions.

Facilities

  1. Secure internal and external funds sufficient to construction of a new Civil and Environmental Engineering Complex suitable to support the strategic plan components outlined above.  This will be monitored by regular assessment of resources available for the construction and maintenance of the new facility.
  2. Develop appropriate laboratory and research facilities to allow expansion of the educational and research program activities in existing technical areas and new areas as deemed appropriate for the human and external funding resources that are available.  This metric will be based on equipment inventory and facility improvement investments compiled on a regular basis.
  3. Provide a positive work environment for education, research, outreach, and service.  This will be assessed through collaboration with faculty and students to determine if the desired environment is in place and, if not, what is required to rectify any deficiencies.

Economic Development

Participate in economic development through programs of education, research, outreach, and service.  These metrics will include activities by faculty, students and staff as related to the departmental mission, directly or indirectly supported.