Executive summary

The curriculum plays a vital role in addressing Southern Polytechnic State University's overarching priorities of increasing visibility, enrollment, and resources. This academic plan builds on existing strengths at the University to reinforce our overall mission:

• Increasing offerings in science, beginning with biology and chemistry;
• Becoming more interdisciplinary, with new collaborative, innovative, creative programs that involve faculty from multiple departments (specific programs to be developed and proposed by faculty);
• Continuing to support our national leadership in engineering technology;
• Expanding into selected engineering fields;
• Offering a distinctive, practical approach to traditional disciplines;
• Addressing both student interests and industry needs;
• Reviewing existing programs to ensure quality and relevance;
• Attracting students to under-enrolled programs to increase the University's overall enrollment and relieve the pressures being felt by high-enrollment programs like computer sciences;
• Serving both day and evening students, residential and commuter students, full- and part-time students, and undergraduate and graduate students; and
• Expanding opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative activities for students and faculty, to enrich the learning process and educational environment.

Graduates of Southern Polytechnic will be known for being:

• Well prepared academically, with broad practical experience;
• Excellent communicators, both in speaking and in writing;
• Experienced in working both independently and in teams;
• Technologically "FIT" (fluent in information technology);
• Responsible and ethical in their use of technology;
• Able to draw from a range of academic disciplines to solve problems;
• Possessed of a strong work ethic;
• Socially aware of the need to help the public understand technology and how to use it responsibly; and
• Prepared to function well in a setting with people from diverse backgrounds.

The Vision

In its relatively brief history, Southern Polytechnic State University has grown dramatically, and the University is now in a position to look toward the near and distant future with optimism. The University has played a leading educational role among stronger competitors in providing many "firsts," not only within the state but also regionally. The University has recently re-positioned itself in the arena of higher education by gaining strength in areas that only a few years ago would have been unforeseeable.

In its 50-plus-year existence, Southern Polytechnic has evolved from a two-year branch of the Georgia Institute of Technology to an independent state university in the University System of Georgia. The number of graduate students has grown significantly, to the point that nearly one-third of the degrees awarded are now at the master's level. The international student population has also increased significantly, constituting nearly 17% in fall 1999. Recently hired faculty members hold qualifications comparable with those in highly ranked Research I institutions in the country. Faculty members have earned distinguished honors and awards at the national level.

The existing strengths are not the only factors that justify optimism for the future, but, perhaps more importantly, the University's potential supports this optimism as well. The University has a strong advantage over other leading institutions because traditional engineering departments and programs are not part of its current academic structure. With rapid change occurring in the scientific and technological worlds and the corresponding shifts in business and industry needs, Southern Polytechnic State University has the flexibility to develop degree-granting academic programs that address these trends, an opportunity that is not available to some other institutions. The interdisciplinary nature of current scientific and technological developments demands an interdisciplinary emphasis in the University's academic programs and courses of study.

SPSU also has the flexibility to provide marketable individual courses and programs that address the needs of businesses and technology-related industries that have been growing in size and number in the Atlanta metropolitan area. To this end, distance education (Internet, web-based courses, interactive television, and other media) can play a critical role in enabling the University to enter the global higher education arena. The Apparel/Textile Engineering Technology Department has the potential to be an educational leader for student populations in Mexico and Central America, in part because of the department's strong industry-based financial support and prospect of an endowed chair. Also, plans are being developed to enhance the strengths of other existing academic programs of the University, such as Architecture and Management.

Commitment to excellence from all University constituents -- students, faculty, staff, and administrators - can be demonstrated in several ways, including the development of an Honors Program, the effective practicing of a reward system for students' academic performance, faculty and staff development and scholarly activities, professional leaves, etc.

Finally, emphasis is placed in fund raising, in the "face-lifting" of the University campus, and in its significant increase in visibility through advertising, community service, and other activities with participation from all University constituents. These activities will increase enrollment, bring additional resources to campus, enhance the role and impact of the existing academic programs, and contribute to increasing and strengthening University-industry collaborations.
 

A Summary of the Future

Southern Polytechnic State University will emphasize applied knowledge and offer a strong variety of academic programs, educating students in science, engineering, and technological fields. The University will prepare students with the technological skills that enable them to succeed at their first job after graduation and with the intellectual skills that will enable them to grow throughout their careers - thus, the University will educate students for their "first and last jobs." SPSU graduates will have the ability to implement ideas and visions as well as to conceive and develop their own vision for the technological future.

Southern Polytechnic graduates will be characterized by their ability to use technology to solve problems, which depends fundamentally on their understanding of the technology. Southern Polytechnic will be the national leader in incorporating ethics and responsibility into academic programs and applied scholarship.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS, 1999) recently published a report that argues that the road to "computer fluency" includes three types of knowledge. People who have acquired these capabilities, or types of knowledge, are described by the NAS as "FIT" ("Fluent with Information Technology").

• Intellectual capabilities are "life skills" like critical thinking, problem solving, sustained reasoning, managing complexity, collaboration, communication, abstract thinking, and lifelong learning.

• Fundamental concepts are the "book learning" part of education, such as understanding the sequential elements of a program, the pieces of an information system and how they fit together, the characteristics of a network, modeling, effective presentation of information, the limits of information technology, and societal impact (the technical bases for intellectual property, ownership, encryption, "netiquette," and free speech issues).

• Contemporary skills are the basic functions involved in using technology, such as knowing how to set up a personal computer and connect it to a network, understanding a basic operating system, using a word processing program, spreadsheet, and e-mail, and using the Internet to find information.

Southern Polytechnic State University will continue to serve a multi-modal student population: day and evening students, residential and commuter students, traditional and nontraditional students, full-time and part-time students, undergraduate and graduate students.

SPSU will be known as "the polytechnic university of the South."
 

The Overview

This plan outlines the general development of academic programs at Southern Polytechnic State University over the next 12 years, through 2012. The changes in the academic programs -- both additions and deletions -- are driven by the need to (1) address the current and future potential interests of students and (2) support the needs for an educated, technological workforce in Georgia and the region. If these first two needs are met, our third goal will follow: (3) to increase enrollment at the University. Enrollment and the associated funding for state allocations and tuition revenues will remain a major issue for the University.

This overview addresses new programs, but the plan cannot anticipate the results of program reviews, which may result in combining, dividing, expanding, reducing, deleting, or modifying existing programs. In addition, this plan can only address the academic disciplines that are currently known and understood; as new areas of knowledge reveal themselves, new fields of academic focus will appear. As a consequence, this academic plan must be considered to be in a state of flux, and the University's ability to be flexible and to respond to these changes will continue to be important.

This timeline is ambitious, given our current inability to predict the future of technology - and associated academic disciplines -- over much shorter time frames, but the outlined plan makes the academic plan compatible with the schedule for the campus' facilities master plan.
 

The Guiding Principles

Because the future of technology is so difficult to predict, the details of this plan will undoubtedly change significantly over the next several years. This plan needs to be understood as a general path that the University intends to follow, rather than a precise outline that must be accomplished completely in order to be successful. The general goals and motivation, however, are not likely to change over time. The fundamental principles that will guide the evolution of the academic plan are as follows:

1. The highest priority is to ensure Southern Polytechnic State University is providing the best possible quality education to students.
2. Clear, effective, and consistent communication among people, groups, and offices on campus is vital.
3. Academic programs must address both student interest and business/industry needs; neither one of these factors alone is sufficient.
4. New academic programs must build on existing strengths and be consistent with the University's emphasis on applying knowledge and using science and technology to solve real-world problems.
5. The contemporary technological skills that students bring with them to Southern Polytechnic serve as the foundation for continued growth and development of their expertise in applying knowledge throughout their academic careers.
6. The fundamental concepts needed to achieve "FITness" (fluency with information technology) will be part of each student's academic program in their major or area of concentration.
7. In additional to their technological education, all students must develop the intellectual capabilities that will serve them throughout their careers: critical thinking, problem-solving, clear oral and written communications, ethics, and the ability to work well both independently and in groups.
8. Class sizes should be large enough to serve the maximum number of students without being so large that they exceed room capacity, jeopardize student safety, or significantly degrade the quality of education being provided. The scheduled space should be appropriate for the mode (lecture, laboratory, or seminar) and level (lower division, upper division, or graduate) of instruction.
9. Services to students should be easily accessible and available from a variety of sources.

The Assumptions

The following assumptions underlie this academic plan:

1. Southern Polytechnic will continue its emphasis on science, engineering, and technology. This University is not going to become a liberal arts institution, but it will continue to provide courses in the liberal arts and sciences as part of the core curriculum, in support of the entire curriculum, and as part of teaching students intellectual capabilities. The use of technology in the built environment and management/organizational issues in technology-intensive companies links the curricula in architecture and management.
2. State funding for the University will continue to follow enrollment. Any significant additional funding for new programs will come from internal redirection of resources (with the exception noted in the next bullet).
3. The one currently available source of additional state resources for the University is the Yamacraw project. The University will coordinate and monitor the use of these resources carefully. We assume that the state will continue funding this program.
4. Increasing external funding is a high priority; these additional resources will have limited impact on the functioning of the University until the endowment grows to at least $10 million.
5. Political considerations throughout the state of Georgia will continue to constrain the approval of new engineering programs at Southern Polytechnic for the immediate future.
6. Offering doctoral degrees (except in collaboration with a research university) is not within SPSU's mission.
7. The current organizational structure of Academic Affairs within the University may change to ensure maximum effectiveness in use of resources and interdisciplinary collaboration. Nothing in this academic plan requires or precludes such organizational changes.

The Context for Planning Academic Programs

The approved mission statement for the University begins:

.we aspire to broaden our offerings by including programs in engineering, in new and emerging sciences and technologies, and in additional technically related fields. (Undergraduate Catalog, 1999-2000)

Broadening the variety and shifting the emphasis in courses offered at Southern Polytechnic are critical to addressing student interest and need. The rationales for these changes follow.

The case for expanding the major curricular emphases beyond engineering technology

Southern Polytechnic is currently best known for excellent programs in its historical strength of engineering technology. Nationally, however, enrollments in engineering technology have steadily declined over the last decade, and enrollments at SPSU have followed this trend, declining 50% in engineering technology over the same period. Major factors contributing to this decline include the following:

• expanded competition from engineering schools
• shift in engineering to a more liberal arts focus at the undergraduate level and an increased emphasis on the masters as the professional degree
• increased emphasis on applied aspects of engineering in traditional engineering programs
• state licensure issues

Southern Polytechnic State University remains committed to excellence in engineering technology education. This commitment does not mean that we will necessarily retain all the academic departments or programs in their current form and structure. As student interest and industry needs shift, the University must be flexible enough to adapt to these external changes. Academic departments or programs may be divided, consolidated, discontinued, added, and modified to ensure that we are meeting the needs and interests of our most important audiences: students and industry. The evaluative mechanism for this decision-making is academic program review; the policy & procedure document about program review (P&P No. 306.0) is awaiting final approval by the Faculty Senate prior to a vote by the Faculty. Completing this document and initiating the program review process is a high priority for the 2000-01 academic year.

The case for expanding the curricular emphasis in science

The word polytechnic means "pertaining to the many arts and sciences." Engineering and engineering technology are sometimes defined as "using science to solve problems." A polytechnic university like SPSU, which specializes in solving real problems, should, by definition, have strength in the sciences. Currently, however, students at Southern Polytechnic can major in just one physical science: physics. Without significant offerings in the other physical and biological sciences, such as chemistry and biology, students are being deprived of important tools for their problem-solving education. For example, graduates must be able to understand the environmental impact of specific solutions to real-world problems - which requires knowledge and understanding of processes and effects in biological, chemical, hydrological, and other natural systems.

With the focused mission that Southern Polytechnic currently has, students who enroll in a specific major and change their mind have limited options if they want to remain at the University. The current list of degree options (for the 1999-2000 academic year) is listed below.
 

Degree options available at Southern Polytechnic State University, 1999-2000

Apparel/Textile Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Applied Science (B.A.S.)
Architecture (B. Arch.)
Civil Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Computer Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Computer Science (B.A., B.S., M.S.)
Construction (B.S., M.S.)
Electrical Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Engineering Technology (M.S.)
Industrial Distribution (B.S.)
Industrial Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Management (B.A., B.S., M.S.)
Mathematics (B.A., B.S.)
Mechanical Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Physics (B.A., B.S.)
Quality Assurance (M.S.)
Software Engineering (M.S.S.E.)
Surveying and Mapping (B.S.)
Technical and Professional Communication (B.A., B.S., M.S.)
Telecommunications Engineering Technology (B.S.)

With an increasingly interdisciplinary emphasis in the curriculum, Southern Polytechnic needs to ensure that students are being well prepared in a broad range of disciplines. Currently, with only minimal offerings in biology and chemistry, graduates are limited in their ability to address issues of new materials, environmental quality, and other impacts that pervade most engineering fields.

A roundtable meeting with SPSU students in January 1999 sought suggestions on "how to make Southern Polytechnic a better university (without adding football)." Every group that responded had, at the top of its list, "add more academic programs." Although the students' specific suggestions ranged from biology to computer engineering, they were unanimous in their interest in having a greater variety of programs available to them at SPSU.
 

Building on Existing Strengths

Southern Polytechnic has a number of strong academic programs that should continue to be viable, relevant, and well connected to the goals of fitting within the institutional mission and meeting both student interest and industry need. In general, graduates with bachelor's or master's degrees in nearly every discipline are sought after by business and industry. Current concerns include low enrollments in some areas; in some cases, this probably reflects a lack of student interest and in others, a lack of information available to students who are or might be interested. Without the benefit of recent academic program reviews, enrollments, either high or low, cannot be attributed to the quality of the program itself. The program reviews are necessary to learn about the program content and quality.

Programs with a pattern of recent strong enrollment include computer science (B.S. and M.S.), technical and professional communication (M.S.), and construction (M.S.). However, the University must be careful not to become overly dependent on a few academic programs.

Degree programs whose enrollments have been relatively stable over the last five years include Management (B.S. and M.S.), Civil Engineering Technology, Construction (B.S.), Computer Engineering Technology (B.S.), and Mechanical Engineering Technology (B.S.).

Degree programs whose majors have remained low or declined over the last five years includes Architecture (B.Arch.), Mathematics (B.S.), Physics (B.S.), Technical and Professional Communication (B.S.), Electrical Engineering Technology (B.S. and M.S.), Apparel/Textile (B.S.), and Industrial Engineering Technology (B.S.). The M.S. program in Quality Assurance has grown since it started several years ago, but the enrollments remain low. The departments of mathematics, technical communication, and physics, chemistry, and biology all provide core undergraduate courses and cannot be judged by the number of majors alone.

One of the University's academic goals is to encourage focused growth in both Architecture and Management. Both programs have room for additional students; expansion in their academic programs may follow, but within the 2000-2005 period, the primary emphasis will be on increasing the number of students in their existing programs.

The source of additional students in architecture will be primarily outside of Georgia. This market will be addressed through broader marketing and recruitment efforts in the region, particularly within the area covered by the Southern Regional Education Board. After several years of growth in the basic programs, Architecture will be ready to move into new areas, such as the master's degree in community development. Architecture can also fill an important niche in providing continuing education for professionals in the region.

Untapped student markets for management exist within the state. Growth in the management program will come from expanded recruitment for freshmen within Georgia and encouraging transfer students. A particularly rich pool of potential students exists in the two-year schools within the University System of Georgia. Developing more articulation programs and cooperative agreements will encourage more graduates of two-year schools to transfer to Southern Polytechnic. In addition, increasing the number of evening, weekend, and certificate programs will also strengthen interest and enrollment in management.

In addition to increasing enrollments in these two areas, the University will also develop and submit a proposal for a new Interdisciplinary Major. This will be a University-wide program, not restricted to any specific college or school, which will provide flexibility in academic offerings. Majors in this area will be developed around existing courses, but the unique combination of courses will vary depending on the focus of the major itself. Such a program of study will allow the University to respond to requests for specific groupings of courses to address the interests of particular industries, such as quarry management, without having to add new courses or hire new faculty.

Building on the University's existing strengths also involves increasing the number and variety of collaborative efforts with other institutions, such as the Bachelor of Applied Science degree being offered by SPSU at Gainesville College. A similar program, in which SPSU will offer a bachelor's degree on another campus, is currently being developed with Middle Georgia College in areas of engineering technology.

Southern Polytechnic also has a role to play in the preparation of teachers for the state of Georgia. As the K-12 educational process increasingly involves technology, SPSU can help prepare teachers to work with a wide variety of instructional technologies. Such contributions to teacher preparation could be in the context of working with existing schools of education in the University System (such as the education programs at Georgia Southern University) or with local Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs).
 

Planning New Academic Programs

Understanding our audiences

Within the scope of the University's mission, SPSU must focus on addressing (1) the interests of current and future potential students and (2) the needs for an educated, technological workforce in Georgia and the region. If these two needs are met, our third goal will necessarily follow: (3) to increase enrollment at the University.

The projected interests of students and needs of industry are not mutually exclusive. Student interest in academic disciplines and possible career tracks is certainly influenced by job availability. However, a brief analysis of the currently available information in these two areas can be helpful.

1. Information on student interests

• Adding biology and chemistry programs would respond to growth in interest in health care professions.
• Increased student interest in computer science at SPSU is consistent with the national trend.
• Developing stronger programs in the graphics arts could respond to the national trend.
• Working with teachers (current and future) to enhance their ability to understand and use technology could be a valuable niche for SPSU, addressing the growth in education as a career choice.
• The shift in interest away from business management/accounting and toward entrepreneurship should be reflected in Management offerings on campus.
• The disappearance of architecture/drafting from the top-ten list for 2000 suggests some challenges for recruitment, retention, and program offerings in these disciplines.

2. Information on industry needs

Fastest growing occupations covered in the 2000-01 Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1998-2008 (Numbers in thousands of jobs) (only top 15 listed here)
 

Occupation	Employment change, 1998-2008 Number Percent	Most significant source of training
Computer engineers	323 .........108	Bachelor's degree
Computer support specialists	439 ..........102	Associate degree
Systems analysts	577 .........94	Bachelor's degree
Database administrators	67 ...........77	Bachelor's degree
Desktop publishing specialists	19 ...........73	Long-term on-the-job training
Paralegals and legal assistants	84 ...........62	Associate degree
Medical assistants	146 .........58	Moderate-term on-the- job training
Personal care and home health aides	433 .........58	Short-term on-the-job training
Social and human service assistants	141 .........53	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Physician assistants	32 ...........48	Bachelor's degree
Data processing equipment repairers	37 ...........47	Postsecondary vocational  training
Residential counselors	88 ..........46	Bachelor's degree
Electronic semiconductor processors	29 ..........45	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Engineering, natural science, and computer and information systems managers	142 ......44	Work experience, plus degree
Physical therapy assistants and aides	36 .........44	Associate degree
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2000.

 
    
Three of the top four occupations, ranked by percentage growth through 2008, correlate with undergraduate majors that already exist at Southern Polytechnic, in computer science, computer engineering technology, and related fields. Four of the top 15 occupations are clearly within the scope of SPSU's mission.
 

Implications for new program proposals

Southern Polytechnic's policy and procedure manual addresses the mechanical process by which new program proposals are developed ("New degree program proposals," P&P No. 305.0), but not the necessary content of the proposal. This information is provided in the Board of Regents' Academic Affairs Handbook, Section 2.03.02, which is included as Appendix C of this document.

Any proposal for a new academic program is required by the Board of Regents to address issues of student interest and industry need, but these elements will be studied particularly carefully on campus as the proposal follows the internal review process. New proposals should also refer specifically to the most recent program reviews in the proposing departments.

This academic plan mentions a number of specific new programs that most clearly meet the primary criteria for the University. These criteria are, in approximate order of importance, as follows:

• Consistency with the University's mission
• Emphasis on the application of knowledge
• Support (either directly or indirectly) for the identified growth areas of science, engineering, and technology
• Evidence of student interest (current and projected)
• Evidence of industry need (current and projected)
• Realistic assessment of costs and how these will be met
• Quality of idea and convincing ability to deliver - turf will not be an issue (interdisciplinarity, where appropriate)

Implications for engineering

Expanding the curriculum into engineering is one of several directions in which the University's programs will grow. The addition of engineering programs is not a panacea and must be only one of multiple changes in the curriculum. Over the next several years, the most important steps for the engineering technology departments to take in this direction are to strengthen the science and mathematics components and ensure strong academic credentials for new and continuing faculty. Appendix B addresses this issue further.

Implications for an honors program

To maintain and recognize the high level of academic preparation of students enrolling at Southern Polytechnic and to help increase the numbers of these students, an honors program will be developed. This program will provide special recognition for exceptionally qualified students and will offer programming to enhance their academic experiences.

Implications for the calculus requirement

A review of this requirement should be part of every regular program review. A universal student concern is that, after taking calculus, it is rarely used in subsequent courses. The program review process should look at this question and identify appropriate ways to reinforce use of the calculus in the curriculum.

Throughout higher education, the distinction between the B.A. and the B.S. degrees is usually whether or not the student has taken calculus and subsequent calculus-based sciences. The B.S. generally indicates a background in calculus. Given that, at the last several graduation ceremonies, Southern Polytechnic has graduated only a few students with the B.A. degree, continuing to require calculus, at least for all B.S. programs, seems to make sense.

Implications for information resources and instructional technology

The expansion and growth of academic programs - and the constant change experienced within technological fields - will continue to place a high priority on access to current information resources. Core materials will continue to be available on campus. The University will continue its emphasis on access over ownership, utilizing the resources available in multiple regional libraries, through interlibrary loan, and via a range of electronic media.

To emphasize the centrality of the University's academic programs and their fundamental dependence on technology, closer structural links will be developed between Instructional Technology and the academic programs.

Implications for the role of the Extended University

The Extended University and its continuing education function are vital to the University, through the linkages with business and industry, the service to various professions, and the visibility this operation provides for the University in the region. Southern Polytechnic should offer a seamless series of academic offerings that provide both credit-bearing and non-credit courses, certificate programs, workshops, clinics, and degree programs that allow students to select the precise educational combination they want. The marketing and advertising by the Extended University must be coordinated with and consistent with the marketing and advertising messages of the University.

The Center for Quality Excellence was established as a focussed program that serves business and industry. As part of the Extended University, the Center should be an important contributor to the educational opportunities that the University makes available to the region. This program will be reviewed by the University to assess its contributions and its costs and benefits to the University (in the 2000-01 academic year).

Implications for distance education

Southern Polytechnic has strong experience in offering both individual courses and entire degree programs via distance education. The University will continue to fill this important niche, serving students who are constrained by time or distance from attending regularly scheduled classes on campus. The modification in how courses are offered will be part of a larger conversation on campus about the changing role of faculty in teaching and learning.

Several years ago, Southern Polytechnic was one of the first, if not the first, university in the country to offer a complete master's degree on-line. Since then, numerous other schools have followed suit. To regain a leadership position in this mode of course delivery, the University will develop a coherent overall plan for distance education.

Implications for expanded student services

With the University's physical expansion toward the southern part of campus and the opening of the new Atrium Building, the concentration of activity on campus has shifted as well. A significant need that already exists is for additional food services in the southern campus. This service could be as simple as a hotdog cart or as complex as a café or auxiliary service location, but the campus already needs this. With the increase in evening and weekend programs, this need will grow.

Southern Polytechnic has historically served a bimodal population that includes both full-time 18-to-22-year-old students and older, part-time students. This combination of student populations will continue. At some point, the University may need to explore the possibility of offering child care; until then, Southern Polytechnic will continue to make available the list of available services that was compiled by Kennesaw State University.

Implications for visibility

An essential element of the University's marketing and advertising efforts is the need to have a common message that emphasizes consistent, coordinated ideas. At the moment, at least three different areas on campus are engaged in marketing/advertising, and some of the messages are not consistent with each other. These efforts must be coordinated.
 
 

Relationship of the Academic Plan to Other Planning Efforts

The University is engaged in several parallel planning processes, all of which need to be coordinated. The Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment and the University Planning Council play central roles in ensuring that these planning efforts complement each other. The resulting planning documents include the facilities master plan, the technology master plan, the strategic plan, on-going budget planning, and this academic plan. Divisional, college, school, and departmental plans need to connect to these other plans, as well. The implementation and revisions of any of these plans will have an effect on the others, and so all of these efforts will need to be updated collectively and regularly.
 

Appendix A. The Proposed Timeline and Implementation Process

The sequence of academic program changes outlined here is a draft plan that also leaves room for new degree proposals that are not on the list and which may never have been imagined before. The details become particularly sketchy as the timeline describes the more distant future and as it concerns engineering. Many of the details describing new buildings and changes in space allocation use current configurations of academic programs, which may be modified in the future.
 
 

2000-2001 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

.related to curriculum and programs:

• Complete the revision and approval process for policies and procedures for academic program review; implement in fall 2000 by reviewing one-third of existing academic programs (Apparel and Textile Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering Technology, Computer Science, and Physics, Chemistry, and Biology).
• Review the Center for Quality Excellence to assess its contributions and its costs and benefits to SPSU.
• Develop and submit proposal for new Interdisciplinary Major
• Evaluate interest by potential students and employers in the interdisciplinary M.S. in Systems Engineering offered via distance education technologies; if the program is viable, develop and submit a proposal
• Develop and submit proposal for B.S. in Software Engineering
• Develop specific recommendations for how to regain leadership in distance education
• Complete proposal and plans for an Honors Program.
• Continue implementation of Yamacraw initiative (continuing).
• Involve the various constituencies of the University in working together, led by the Alumni Association, to ensure professional associations do not discriminate against graduates with degrees titled "engineering technology" for professional licensure
• Increase course offerings on evenings and weekends
• Identify ways to engage in teacher preparation in areas of science, mathematics, and technology
• Hire new faculty who hold a doctorate or have the equivalent in training, ability, and/or experience and who will engage in research, scholarship, or creative activity (continuing)
• Complete retention study and start implementing recommendations
• Complete and publish "Speakers' Bureau Guide"

• Begin to renovate laboratory space for Physics
• Proposal for space renovation in Building E for Chemistry and Biology
• Revise and resubmit proposal for new Math, Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Building to Board of Regents' 5-year plan
• Revise and resubmit proposal for new Student Success Center to Board of Regents' 5-year plan

• Faculty development funds provided to current faculty to encourage involvement in research, scholarship, or creative activity (continuing)

• Coordinate all marketing and advertising efforts through a single office.
• Assign a faculty member to work half-time with the Office of Enrollment Management
• Specifically market Architecture to out-of-state students
• Focus recruitment for Management on in-state and transfer students

• Increase number of proposals submitted to external agencies for grants and contracts
• Begin developing case statement for capital campaign

2001-2002 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

.related to curriculum and programs:

• Continue academic program review process (second third of current programs) (Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Management, Mathematics, and Mechanical Engineering Technology)
• Develop and submit proposal for Biology major

• Implement Honors program (if not already done)
• Continue Yamacraw efforts

• Hire new faculty who hold a doctorate or have the equivalent in training, ability, and/or experience and who will engage in research, scholarship, or creative activity (continuing)

• Architecture occupies new building, vacating Building I
• Develop and submit proposal for new Technology Building, to propose for Board of Regents' 5-year plan

• Hire new faculty who hold a doctorate or have the equivalent in training, ability, and/or experience and who will engage in research, scholarship, or creative activity (continuing) (also listed under" enrollment")

• Faculty development funds provided to current faculty to encourage involvement in research, scholarship, or creative activity (continuing)
• Hire campaign counsel
• Produce publications supporting capital campaign
• Begin quiet phase of capital campaign

2002-2003 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Continue academic program review process (last third of current programs (Architecture, Construction, Humanities and Technical Communication, and Social and International Studies)

• Develop and submit proposal for chemistry major
• Develop and submit proposal for computer engineering major

• Begin public phase of capital campaign (if ready)

2003-2004 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Develop and submit proposal for M.S. in Community Development
• Start construction of new Math and Science Building, Phase I (south wing, on site of former Building I)
• Buildings D and G demolished

• Announce public phase of capital campaign (if ready)

2004-2005 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Evaluate student interest and employer demand for B.S. in Architectural Engineering; pursue if viable
• Phase I (south wing) of Math and Science building complete; occupied by Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology departments.
• Start construction on Student Success Center (on site of former Building D)

2005-2006 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Develop and submit proposal for M.S. in Facilities Management
• All faculty expected to have evidence of research, scholarship, and creative activity for tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review (continuing)
• Start construction on Phase II (north wing) of Math and Science building, on site of former Building G
• Student Success Center complete; occupied by Recruitment and Admissions, Financial Aid, Career Services, Counseling, Learning Resource Center, Minority Affairs, and other offices

• Announce successful conclusion of capital campaign

2006-2007 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Temporarily relocate Mechanical Engineering Technology department to Building E
• Phase II (north wing) of Math and Science building complete; occupied by Physics, Biology, and Chemistry (from Building E)
• Demolish K Buildings

2007-2008 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Start construction on new Technology Building (on site of former K Buildings)

2008-2009 academic year
 

2009-2010 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Technology Building complete; occupied by Mechanical Engineering Technology and Civil Engineering Technology departments

2010-2011 academic year

Actions to increase enrollment.

• Building SJ renovated, converted, or reconstructed for Extended University

Appendix B. Positioning for Engineering

Southern Polytechnic is positioned to expand engineering technology to specific engineering fields. A focus for 2000-2004 is to further prepare the University to be ready to make this shift.

In 1992, the programs in Civil Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology underwent evaluations in which they were measured against the engineering criteria of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Highlights of the recommendations for each of these programs -- assessing what would be needed for the existing engineering technology program to become engineering -- are provided below. A noteworthy point is that the criteria used in that evaluation will be replaced soon by Engineering Criteria 2000, which will be more flexible and easier to attain than those used in the 1992 evaluation.

• Add more mathematics and sciences to the curricula.
• Modify disciplinary courses to reflect the higher level of mathematics and sciences.
• Require calculus-based physics for all engineering students.
• Adjust laboratory foci to increase emphasis on experimental work.
• Improve academic advising of students.

• Increase faculty credentials and scholarship.
• Increase requirements for mathematics and sciences.
• Add engineering design and comprehensive design experience.
• Increase use of mathematics and physics in courses.

• Increase faculty credentials and scholarship.
• Increase requirements for mathematics, basic science, and engineering design.
• Decrease number and change emphasis in laboratories.
• Significant revisions in individual course content.

• Increase number of faculty with advanced engineering degrees.
• Change curriculum to address 50% deficiency in mathematics and science, and in engineering design.
• Replace textbooks that do not require mathematical background.

• Increase faculty research and scholarship, with balance among teaching, scholarship, and public service.
• Add engineering design to curriculum.
• Increase level of mathematics used in classes.

The "mock-review" in 1992 established that all four of these engineering technology programs at Southern Polytechnic were well positioned to make the transition to fully accreditable engineering programs. The messages to academic departments from this review are clear; throughout the engineering technology curriculum, the departments need to do the following to continue preparing for the shift to engineering:

• Encourage faculty who do not hold the Ph.D. to pursue this degree.
• Make a doctoral degree a requirement for new faculty hires.
• Increase the use and level of mathematics and sciences in courses (which will involve University efforts to expand offerings in these areas)
• Include experimental work in laboratories

Southern Polytechnic's goal is not to develop a new engineering school that would compete with Georgia Institute of Technology or other universities. The goal is to emphasize selected, appropriate, distinctive engineering programs that interest our kind of students and that serve the region. As Southern Polytechnic continues to make the curricular and faculty changes identified above, the University will also focus on understanding and documenting student interest in studying specific engineering fields and documenting business demand for graduates.

Wanting to offer selected engineering programs, understanding the importance of these programs to the future of the University, and being prepared to offer engineering are necessary but not sufficient conditions for actually offering them. Southern Polytechnic is constrained by a number of external factors in this effort. These constraints include: state-wide politics, which place a high priority on providing engineering programs in the southern part of Georgia before adding them in other parts of the state; concern by the Board of Regents about the most effective use of resources; and recent studies of the demand for traditional engineering graduates that do not support the need for additional programs.

While these external constraints are being resolved, Southern Polytechnic will continue to pursue the avenues that will strengthen the case for engineering. If Southern Polytechnic wants to have a chance to offer engineering, then the following must occur, in addition to the departmental changes noted above:

• hire well qualified faculty who hold the highest degree in their academic disciplines,
• encourage faculty who have not obtained the highest degree to pursue this goal,
• increase the support for faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity,
• create awards for faculty scholarship and development to promote excellence in areas beyond teaching,
• expand collaborative research and exchange programs for faculty with other universities in Georgia, the United States, and around the world,
• establish student awards for academic excellence,
• further incorporate science and mathematics into the curriculum, and
• articulate a consistent message about the distinctiveness of Southern Polytechnic and its mission.

Appendix C: Excerpt from University System of Georgia, Board of Regents, Academic Affairs Handbook, Section 2.03.02, "New Academic Programs"

PROCEDURES [for proposing a new academic program]

Procedures for seeking approval for new ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: The items listed in each section below are not to be considered as exhaustive, rather they are listed to provide an idea of the kinds of information being sought in order to judge the merit of each proposal.

I. Preliminary Proposal
Institution___________________________Date________________
School/Division_______________________Department
Name of Proposed Program_________________________________________
Degree ____________Major ___________________ CIP Code____________
Starting Date _____________
The President shall forward to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, a Preliminary Proposal, addressing these issues:

1. Description of the program and rationale

a. Include standards for program quality.

b. Identify national benchmarks the program will meet.

Architectural Engineering (B.S.)
Architecture (B.A./B.S., M.S., M.Arch.)
Atmospheric Sciences (meteorology) (B.S.)
Biology (biotechnology focus) (B.S./B.A.)
Biotechnology/Biomedical (certificate)
Chemistry (B.S./B.A.)
Civil Engineering (B.S.)
Community Development (M.C.D., M.S.)
Computational Science (M.S.)
Computer Systems Engineering (M.S.)
Computer Engineering (B.S.)
Design and Manufacturing (B.S., M.S.)
Electro-Mechanical Engineering (multidisciplinary) (B.S.)
Engineering (B.S.)
English (emphasis on rhetoric) (B.S./B.A.)
Environmental Studies (interdisciplinary) (B.S./B.A.)
Environmental Science (B.S./B.A., M.S.)
Environmental Science and Technology (certificate)
Facilities Management (B.S., M.S.)
Geology (B.S.)
Graphics (certificate, M.S.)
Graphics Multimedia (B.A./B.S.)
Human Computer Interaction (M.S.)
Human Engineering (B.A./B.S.)
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (M.S.)
Information Technology (B.S., collaborative Ph.D., stand-alone Ph.D.)
Information Technology with Management (interdisciplinary) (M.S.)
Instructional Technology (certificate, M.S.)
Interdisciplinary Science (environmental concentration) (B.S.)
International Business (B.A./B.S.)
International Collaboration (collaborative program)
International Development (B.A./B.S.)
International Management (M.S.)
International Marketing (B.A./B.S.)
International Studies (certificate, B.A./B.S.)
Management (certificate, with international concentration)
Management Health Sciences (multidisciplinary) (B.S., M.S.)
Management Information Systems (B.S., M.S.)
Management of Technology (B.S.)
Manufacturing Systems Engineering (M.S.)
Math and Science (collaborative program)
Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)
Mechatronics (B.S.)
Medical Engineering Technology (certificate)
Mineral Resource Technology (collaborative program)
Pre-engineering Technology (collaborative program)
Psychology (interdisciplinary) (B.A./B.S.)
Public Works (M.S.)
Public Works Technology (M.S.)
Quality (B.S.)
Regulatory Affairs/Environmental Management (B.S., M.S.)
Science, Technology, and Society (minor only)
Software Engineering (B.S.)
Spanish (minor) ( in place)
Specialty Contracting (certificate/concentration)
Surveying Technology (certificate, minor)
Systems/Computer Systems Engineering (M.S.)
Technical Communication (certificate, collaborative Ph.D.)
Technology (certificate, for educators)
Technology and Interdisciplinary Studies (certificate, B.S.)
Technology and Education (collaborative program)
Technology Education (M.S.)
Telecommunication (M.S.)
Total Quality Management (professional level certificate)
Video Animation (B.S., M.S.)
 

Appendix E. Positioning Points for Southern Polytechnic State University (Communicorp, 1996)
 

Southern Polytechnic is the only polytechnic university in the South.

Southern Polytechnic's specialty is applied knowledge.

Southern Polytechnic subscribes to a university-wide emphasis on applied knowledge.

Southern Polytechnic demonstrates a proven ability to turn our employable graduates who "hit the ground running."

Southern Polytechnic maintains a balanced university curriculum.

Southern Polytechnic offers small classes, close faculty attention, and a friendly, comfortable atmosphere.

Southern Polytechnic sustains close ties to industry, staying responsive to the changing needs of the marketplace.
 
 

References Cited

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2000, 2000-01 Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1998-2008: U.S. Department of Labor (Washington, D.C.), accessible at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ooh.toc.htm

Communicorp, 1996, Situational analysis, strategic positioning, and marketing recommendations: July 1996, Marietta, GA.

National Academy of Sciences, 1999, Being Fluent with Information Technology: National Academy Press (Washington, D.C. ), accessible at http://bob.nap.edu/html/beingfluent/index.html

National Research Center for College and University Admissions, 2000, Bridges: Data File: Changing Career Preferences for College-Bound High School Students: NRCCUA, spring 2000 issue, p. 1.

Southern Polytechnic State University, 1999, Undergraduate Catalog 1999-2000: Marietta, GA, accessible at http://www.spsu.edu/catalog/ugrad/.