2022-23 Unit Plan
Engineering

Mission Statement

To inspire and help students to build their career in Engineering by helping the student know their local community, their state, their nation and the world, and the opportunities they have to change it through the profession of Engineering and to provide excellent academic instruction and support, with a variety of offerings in various Engineering fields.

Program Description

The Engineering for transfer program is designed to prepare students for the rigors demanded by CSU and UC Schools of Engineering. Fundamental engineering courses including the study of Statics (ENGR-8), Circuits (ENGR-17) and Materials Science (ENGR-45) complement course completions in Mathematics (calculus-based), Physics (for Scientists and Engineers) for students preparing for bachelor's degrees in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Mechatronic Engineering. To obtain an Associate's degree, students must complete both the major requirements and the graduation requirements for the college.

The Civil Engineering Technology program is designed to prepare students to enter the world of Civil Engineering Technologists with a Certificate of Achievement for technician-level surveying competency. The program has sufficient breadth to include surveying, map drafting, and computer aided drafting (CAD). After completion of the certificate of achievement requirements including a mathematics and computer science completion, the student will be prepared to enter civil engineering technology at the entry level.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Courses/SLO Assessed:

ENGR 3: 2. Operate survey equipment: tape, level, transit, theodolite, compass, total station, GPS.

Program & PLO Assessed:

Associate in Science Degree in Civil Engineering

Findings and Strategies:

Findings - This assessment is completed during the lab portion of the course. Students are observed using the equipment throughout the course. Evidence of the successful understanding of the equipment is found in the data that is produced by the student, ie. - higher precision in measurements/calculations.

Strategies - Planned improvement: continue to focus on field work using the equipment and improving the proficiency in the use of the equipment


Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

ACADEMIC_YEAR

PERIOD

Retention Rate

Success Rate

2015

FA

88%

78%

2015

SP

86%

55%

2016

FA

86%

76%

2016

SP

84%

60%

2017

FA

94%

75%

2017

SP

90%

71%

2018

SP

89%

69%

2018

FA

87%

83%

2019

SP

100%

97%

2019

FA

90%

85%

2020

SP

93%

79%

2020

FA

81%

66%


  The data for ENGR shows we had been trending up on our success rates for the overall program until the COVID-19 Pandemic slowed the program down. Overall, we attribute our successes to our Full-Time Faculty hire in ENGR. We are excited that we are trending in the right direction with the revitalization of the ENGR program.   ACADEMIC_YEAR Award Type Count 2015 Associate in Science 7 2015 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 1 2016 Associate in Science 12 2016 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 3 2017 Associate in Science 4 2017 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 1 2018 Associate in Science 6 2018 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 3 2019 Associate in Science 5 2019 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 1 2020 Associate in Science 2 2020 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 2

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)


        

Strategic Direction

We believe that sustained growth should follow given the overwhelming data that supports the growth of the Engineering program including extensive involvement in STEM improvements and Guided Pathways development. The college supports students in their progress toward their educational goals by collaborating with industry, external agencies, and other institutions of higher education to ensure that programs are relevant and meeting current needs and the Engineering program is consistent with said goals. The Engineering program is working directly with the UC and CSU Schools of Engineering to provide a shared guidance and oversight of curriculum that is relevant and meeting the needs of higher education rigor through our membership and participation in the Engineering Liaison Council (ELC) of all CCC, UC and CSU Engineering programs. In addition, we are working with local and regional industries to develop engineering programming that is relevant and needed to assure that local candidates for employment as prepared, ready and able to succeed in an engineering or technical profession.

Enhancing a Culture of Inclusiveness: Improving access, success, and completion of targeted student populations through the implementation of the Student Equity Plan. The Engineering program is working closely with MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) and the STEM pathways at Butte College and local high schools to develop connections and achievements of target populations identified in the current District Student Equity Plan including outreach, intern opportunities and transfer successes into engineering pathways.


Program Review

The Engineering program will be subject to a complete program review in 2023-2024 as its own program. Previous results were aggregated with the Physical Sciences and are not uniquely relevant to stand out except the following items from 2013-2014 program review. We are currently working on these recommendations: 

1.     Engineering revitalization through the hiring of new faculty
This has happened with the hire of our new full-time faculty
2.     Structure of ENGR1 as an exploration of the myriad pathways of Engineering.
This has happened with the hire of our new full-time faculty
3.     Computational course addition
This is currently going through the curriculum process
4.     Dynamics course addition
This is in-queue
5.     Continued position of ENGR as a vital part of Butte College instructional offering is affirmed as a continued perspective.

Department Goals

1.     Increase the predictability of course offerings within the engineering curriculum.
In recent years, engineering courses have not been offered in a predictable pattern due to the lack of instructor availability which results in student frustration and not being able to take all available course offerings for their major at Butte College.
Current course offerings will be intended to be offered at regular intervals to alleviate this student concern.
2.     Increase enrollment in the engineering courses.
By increasing predictability of engineering course offerings, this will most likely increase enrollment as students will be able to plan ahead.
Contacting local high schools and notifying counselors that Butte College has an active engineering program may increase local enrollment at Butte College. This would affect engineering as well as GE, math and the science enrollments.
3.     Increase completion of students currently enrolled in engineering program.
Counsel students who only need several more classes to achieve certificate or AS degree. This is done informally through the instructor/student contact while enrolled in current courses. 
The current AS in Engineering is in need of modification to reflect completion by discipline within engineering. Creating civil, electrical, mechanical, and mechatronic specific engineering AS degrees would increase completion at the Butte College level. Most students transferring to the four year institution do not complete the AS degree because it currently includes courses that are not required for the four year BS degree.
4.     Create Engineering Program Facilities
 The ENGR program has been supplied a permanent space in the Media Center and is currently going through the process of modifying the space to better serve its students.

Future Development Strategies

Strategy 1 - Engineering Program Facilities

Centralize location of Engineering program lecture and laboratory spaces.


Initiatives
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning

Supporting Rationale

Centralize location of Engineering program lecture and laboratory spaces to every extent possible to synergize all instructional delivery with CSCI and DFT programs.


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: Yes
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 2 - Professional Development

Faculty and staff professional development including events, workshops, training, externships and trade shows.


Initiatives
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning

Supporting Rationale

STEM programs mandate a continued pursuit of professional development that extends beyond local resources. Professional development keeps faculty and staff at the leading edge of development of relevant instructional programming, courses, certificates and degrees.


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: Yes
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 3 - Curriculum Alignment to All Programmatic Needs

Align all curriculum to C-ID requirements and to all UC, CSU and CC Joint-Engineering-Program task force recommendations. 


Initiatives
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success

Supporting Rationale

The Engineering Program at Butte College should be designed to help students get wherever it is they desire to go. All or almost all Engineering students take Drafting and Computer Science classes. Many of our students believe that they can be engineers, yet the vast majority do not even know what an engineer really is, or what an engineer does. It is OUR collective opportunity to guide those students and help them understand that and every education opportunity we have with those students prepares them for success. Some will succeed and transfer as engineering students. Others will transfer as technologist students and still others will exit at the lower division level with certificates or associates degrees but each and every one is ours to help. Developing curriculum to align with those different outcomes is an important task.

The Engineering Liaison Council (ELC) ELC (http://www.caelc.org/ ) is a unique organization in California that has been serving a very important and critical function in engineering education since 1947. It is composed of representatives of engineering and engineering technology education throughout California and several other states including: deans and associate deans from the colleges of engineering of the University of California system, the California State University system and the independent universities and colleges, and the engineering professors from the California Community Colleges. The purpose of the ELC is bring these professionals together in order to collaborate on ideas to better align community college engineering courses with the UC and CSU engineering courses and increase articulation. 

 


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: Yes
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 4 - Update Instructional Equipment and Instrumentation

Continue the replacement of all equipment and instrumentation to current technology standards of practice for an engineering for transfer and technology based completion strands.


Initiatives
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning

Supporting Rationale

The current equipment that is available for the engineering department is outdated and not reflective of current standards and/or is not operational. This equipment is paramount to student success and their ability to learn using different modalities.


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: Yes
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Requested Non-Financial Resources

The Engineering Program requests the following in consideration for non-financial resources:

Facilities: The conversion of MC 145 into the dedicated lecture and lab area will still be in process during 2023/2024. It is requested that this classroom be scheduled only for engineering or computer science courses.

Current Financial Resources

The department is looking at applying for various STEM based grants that support Engineering, espcially the ATE grant through the NSF. Additionally Strong Work Force funds are an avenue for funding.

Augmentation Requests

Original Priority Program, Unit, Area Resource Type Account Number Object Code One Time Augment Ongoing Augment
Description Supporting Rationale Potential Alternative Funding Sources Prioritization Criteria
1 Engineering Program Facilities $97,000.00 $0.00
Engineering Laboratory Engineering as a program needs a centralized laboratory, properly equipped with computers sufficient to match the requirements and demands of an engineering-for-transfer and a technology based engineering certificate completion program. Current program demands exceed effective facility space that is not adequately enabled for student success. Request one-time augmentation for remodeling.
  • Scheduled Maintenance (Facilities)
  • Strong Workforce
  • Technology Fee
  • Addressing Health, Life, and Safety issues
  • Addressing all Areas of the Student Centered Funding Formula (enrollment growth, student need and student success)
  • Addressing shortfalls in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Meeting California Community Colleges Vision for Success Goals
  • Addressing Program Review Recommendations
  • Supporting improvements in Student Learning Outcomes
  • Closing Equity Gaps
  • Meeting enrollment targets
  • Meeting student achievement goals (Vision for Success Goals)
  • Fostering a Culture of Inclusiveness
2 Engineering Program Equipment $210,000.00 $0.00
Purchase Materials, Technology and Equipment There is much equipment in need of repair or replacement. New/Refurbished Equipment Includes: -Digital tension and compression test machine -Hydraulic tension and compression test machine -Hydraulic tension and compression test machine with digital controls and connectivity -Hydraulic beam deflection tester -Hydraulic beam deflection tester with digital controls and connectivity -Metallurgy specimen furnace -Control computers for Lab Environment -Training for instruction and lab technician -Site License for Circuits Build Lab -Digital multimeters with data collection interfaces -Statics - Friction, Forces and Moments Kits -Statics - Internal reactions, thermal, shear and bend -Computing devices for dedicated classroom/laboratory
  • Instructional Equipment
  • Strong Workforce
  • Addressing Health, Life, and Safety issues
  • Meeting California Community Colleges Vision for Success Goals
  • Addressing Program Review Recommendations
  • Supporting improvements in Student Learning Outcomes
  • Meeting enrollment targets
3 Engineering Program $10,000.00 $0.00
MatLab License MatLab is industry used software and is used at other institutions that we would like to articulate with. This course offering is under development and is planned to be completed SP22.
  • Strong Workforce
  • Technology Fee
  • Supporting improvements in Student Learning Outcomes
  • Meeting enrollment targets
4 Engineering Program Operating Expenses $0.00 $2,000.00
Professional Development STEM programs mandate a continued pursuit of professional development that extends beyond local resources. Professional development keeps faculty and staff at the leading edge of development of relevant instructional programming, courses, certificates and degrees. Each semester the ELC meets too discuss Statewide engineering program concerns, such as course development/augmentation, ensuring articulation with CSU/UC systems, and collaboration on new course offerings. It is valuable for engineering faculty to attend these meetings to ensure Butte College's program is in-line with other community colleges as well as ensuring the engineering course offerings continue to articulate with the universities.
  • Strengthening Professional Development
8/2/23