Trinity Engineering Program at a Glance

Mission | Objectives | Accreditation | National Ranking
Program Assessment

Mission

The mission of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University is to provide talented students with a broadly based undergraduate engineering education by offering a design oriented, multidisciplinary engineering science curriculum in the context of the University's tradition of the liberal arts and sciences.

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Objectives

The Engineering Science program provides students with:

a demonstrated ability to practice engineering design and analysis
a broad background in the liberal arts and sciences
the ability to enter and advance in the field of engineering
effective oral and written communication skills
the ability to pursue advanced studies

The curriculum emphasizes an indepth understanding of the fundamentals of the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering science that form the foundation for technical work in all fields of engineering. Some specialization is available through elective courses in Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, taken during the junior and senior years. The program provides significant hands-on experience in engineering laboratories and participation in engineering design projects throughout the eight-semester engineering design course sequence. The emphasis on fundamentals is intended to prepare students for dealing with the rapid pace of technological change and the interdisciplinary demands of today's, and tomorrow's, engineering practice. The laboratory and design portions of the program provide the student with a balanced perspective of the realities and limitations required for practical problem solving.

The professional practice of engineering requires skill and resourcefulness in applying science and technology to the solution of problems in our complex technological society. The successful engineer must possess a thorough understanding of social and economic forces and have an appreciation of cultural and humanistic traditions. The Trinity Engineering Science Program encourages the development of this kind of graduate by providing a broad technical background and a significant liberal education in the humanities and social sciences.

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Accreditation

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a federation of 31 professional engineering and technical societies. Since 1932, ABET has provided quality assurance of education through accreditation. ABET accredits more than 2500 engineering, engineering technology, computing and applied science programs at over 550 colleges and universities nationally. ABET is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Early in the 1960's, the Trinity Board of Trustees authorized a program of engineering science for the University. Because careers in applied research, innovative design, and engineering development are generally the most intellectually challenging, technically difficult and rewarding, and since these careers require proficiency in engineering science, this type of program appeared ideal for Trinity. The first engineering students entered Trinity in 1961.

Currently, all courses, including laboratories, are taught by nine full-time Ph.D. engineers. There are no part-time faculty members. From its inception, the Engineering Science Department has developed a close, family-like relationship with its students and alumni. Personal attention is given to each student in and out of the classroom and laboratory. Student and faculty morale is high. The environment is ideal for engineering education and also conducive to inquiring, reflection, and other scholarship by the faculty.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board accredits the undergraduate Engineering Science Program for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ ABET). The program has been continuously accredited since 1969. It was the first accredited engineering program in San Antonio.

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National Ranking

The Engineering Science Program at Trinity University ranked 32nd among the best engineering programs at schools whose highest degree is a bachelor's or master's in the 2005 College Rankings issue of U.S. News and World Report.

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Program Assessment

The Engineering Science Department supports the concept of assessment. In fact, assessment is an essential ingredient in efficient, effective engineering practice. Since the department was founded in 1961, we have practiced self-assessment utilizing feedback from alumni, industry, graduate schools, and a variety of near "real-time" means such as student evaluations, student interviews, anecdotal experiences, observations of visiting faculty, guidance from our industrial Board of Advisors, and, of course, our introspection and self-analysis. However, we do acknowledge that our assessment procedures have, at times, been implicit rather than clearly spelled out and have often been ad hoc rather than carefully scheduled. More formalized procedures - especially the feedback loop activities - should enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of our assessment efforts. In the Fall 1998, the faculty approved a comprehensive assessment plan for the Department of Engineering Science. To develop a comprehensive assessment plan, we articulated the departmental mission, goals, and objectives to be consistent with the mission of Trinity University, the needs of our various constituencies, and EC 2000.

Our program goals are multifaceted. They articulate our learning outcome objectives; the op-portunities and means by which we help students reach their objectives, and the supporting en-vironment facilitating their education. We documented our assessment process demonstrating that our educational goals and objectives are being achieved. We also formalized a system of feedback and evaluation for continuous improvement of our program. We started to formally implement our program assessment plan beginning in Fall 1998. Following the procedure of our current assessment plan, we gather data using multiple assessment tools such as students' course performance, results from FE and GRE exams, student portfolios, and feedback from surveys distributed to students, alumni, and employers, etc. Faculty discuss these data and assess the outcome of our program objectives in biweekly department meetings and faculty retreats. By utilizing the results of our assessment process, we strive to improve our program each year and review our goals and objectives at least every five years.

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