cave 811 william mcgraw1 cave 811 leadership case study master of engineering in professional...

CAVE 811 William McGraw 1

CAVE 811

Leadership Case studyMaster of Engineering in Professional

Practice (MEPP)William McGrawDecember 2003


Case Study• Principle to examine…expensive, labor intensive,

technology driven programs needing local support may not be scaleable or available to some learners

• Situation…MEPP is labor and technology intensive, can schools afford? Resources there? admitted?

• Symptoms…half-million $ /yr for 60-90 students, versus Open Univ w 200,000 students.

• Characters…Tom, Philip, Karen-says it can• Questions…does a quality online program need to be

expensive and technology intensive? labor and technology intensive, can schools afford? Resources there? admitted?


MEPP and 811

• Good example of program that follows course topics

• Good example of leadership and coordination of a program

• Good example of problems with online learning

• Good example of future directions for online learning based on problems


Multiple decisions and “local” leadership issues

• MEPP was created by key people working in a committee (e.g. chair) for years.

• Members in committee lead their particular areas to achieve goals and duties.

• Decisions made by the committee members shaped the program

• Continuing effort in quality, service and improvement


What is MEPP?

• The Master of Engineering in Professional Practice (MEPP) is advanced e-learning for practicing engineers. Our problem-based, application-oriented curriculum prepares you for growing responsibilities and technical leadership roles. We offer convenient Internet-based delivery, learning integrated with job responsibilities, a world-class faculty, and unmatched student success rates and satisfaction. In short a 2 year Master’s degree!


Who can earn MEPP?(selective admissions)

• Admission to the Master of Engineering in Professional Practice program is based on the following:

• A BS degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or the equivalent

• A minimum of four years' post-baccalaureate engineering experience

• A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (Applicants with less than a 3.0 may be admitted at the discretion of the department.)

• For applicants whose native language is not English, a minimum acceptable score of 580 on the written Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 243 on computer version

• For international applicants, a degree comparable to an approved US bachelor's degree


Why MEPP?

• complete this degree from home, work or on the road

• practical, results-oriented learning • learn today as you will work tomorrow • fast-track program • top-quality library resources and support • graduate degree from a highly respected

university • successful, proven program


Why distance education?

• Less expensive than brick and mortar• Less expensive than new campuses• High initial costs, then lower costs• High initial faculty time, then less time when

students get used to the system• Only choice with some adults• MEPP benefits• NCA accredited• Financial aids available• Portable, flexible and convenient to adults


MEPP courses (2 year program)• Year One: Summer• Network Skills for Remote Learners • Year One: Fall• Engineering Economic Analysis and Management • Technical Project Management • Year One: Spring• Engineering Problem Solving with Computers • Communicating Technical Information• Year Two: Summer• Independent Reading and Research in Applied Engineering • Year Two: Fall• Engineering Applications of Statistics • International Engineering Strategies and Operations• Year Two: Spring• Quality Engineering and Quality Management • Engineering and Business Data Communications

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursessummer1.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursesfall1.html#sem1a

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursesfall1.html#sem1b

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursesspring1.html#sem2a

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursessummer2.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursesfall2.html#sem3a

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/coursesspring2.html#sem4a


The fine print

• MEPP curriculum

• Technology intensive

• Campus resource intensive

• Learner time and effort intensive


4 years for leadership to bear fruit (planning)

• Started with an idea in 1994 and took 4 years to make it a reality. First course in Fall 1998. 30 people in cohort,

• Combines the talents of many people• Each team member leads in their particular area • Passionate about quality service to learners• Excited about program, quality, learner support• 1995 literature search in content development,

employers and engineers, needs assessments, working adults, and content delivery

• Specific learner in mind…out of school >4 years, engineer, mature, wants degree


Pilot program issues and leadership challenges (planning and

coordination)• F2f content made more explicit and online

compatible and graphic• Work around no proctors, so exams online• How write reports? (use Placeware,

teleconferencing and chat)• How write group reports? (use Docushare)• Network skills course to learn technology• Pre and post exams• Full access to library


Excited and passionate (staffing & resources

• Team members take initiative to seek out and fix problems

• Team members build bridges with other parts of campus and have good external relations

• Individual do what needs to be done and report back to the committee

• Each team members put themselves in student position to fix problem

• E.g. student in Singapore


***Bridge-building(external) e.g. student in Singapore

• MEPP team had to work with campus administration to fix problems for students

• Admissions• Register for courses with long distance touch-tone and

problems with overseas long distance systems• Residency requirement• Financial aids and the interview process• Student health insurance for non-citizens (needs special

handling due to Federal program)• Grades (customize ISIS)• Graduate school and new online degree• Quizzes but no exams (proctor problems)

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/admissions.html


One part fits with other parts (external, coordination & resources)

• Distance education experts & technicians• Curriculum and instructional design experts• Content designers• Finance and budget• Administration• Student support• Topic leadership + committee + chair=success

etc


CAVE 811 topic areas & MEPP

• Planning…4 years to first course, new PhD program• Roles…Chair+committee+support+• Priorities…student support, quality and growth• Participation…marketing, niche,word of mouth• Staffing..10+ people• Resources…School, campus and student local help• Coordination…2,000 postings, lessons, reports, & grps• Development…excited, enthusiasm, & “mission”• External…building bridges to campus administration• Leadership…Tom, Philip, Karen etc• Issues…scalable, adequate support, expensive,


Leadership Background

• Began with an idea in 1994 by Tom Smith • Alternative to f2f Master’s degree• Need Professional Development degree• Needed own curriculum to meet demands

of practicing engineers far from campus.• Work with department chair Philip O’Leary• Began with seed idea and then expanded

to include chair, campus and external people


Leadership, coordination and planning challenges***

• Remember original goals and focus• One member’s work or problem may impact other

people’s work• Stay current• Very busy• New PhD Professional practice degree, Technical

leadership, develop resources• Maintain good relations with campus and external • Train & develop new faculty in MEPP ways• Explain MEPP culture• Re-design course every 5 years• Read and reply to 2,000 daily postings for 1 course (5)


Degree Purpose• This degree is designed for early to mid-career

engineers who are planning to continue working in a technical capacity and who seek to improve their professional skills.

• Engineering team leaders seeking to improve their technical and team skills

• Staff engineers seeking to have greater impact on decisions in their units

• Plant and facilities engineers seeking to improve their project management skills

• Municipal engineers seeking to improve their ability to deal with governing bodies and the public

• Sales engineers seeking to improve their professional credentials

• Application engineers seeking to improve their skills in customer support

• Consulting engineers seeking to improve their practice


Selected team leaders

• ~10 people operate MEPP

• Wayne P. Pferdehirt

• Chere Campbell Gibson

• Karen Al-Ashkar

• Donald R. Schramm

• others


Use as model for other de courses

• MEPP awards• Student satisfaction• Experienced faculty• Convenient Internet-based delivery • Courses with immediate application to work • Designed for practicing engineers • Advantages of this online master’s degree• Seems program is successful-$, enrollments..

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/news/index.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/quotemain.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/faculty.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/delivery.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/curriculum.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/benefit.html

http://mepp.engr.wisc.edu/advantage.html


Use as a model?***

• High costs..1/2 million for 60-90 students• Campus support and flexibility..which campuses have?• Only 30 students per course, limit class size, residency• Heavy volume of postings (2,000)• LOTS of work to create, maintain and revise• At present nothing similar to it• $500,000 per year PLUS campus support (DoIT, Library.

Graduate School, etc)• Assumes willingness and ability campus to support

program.• Assumes able to scale-up program..cost effective• Assumes faculty development and resources


Other Master’s programs?

• Drexel

• Other programs

• Google search


Questions, again

• Principle to examine…program costs (positive net difference, transaction cycle) seems ok

• Situation…MEPP is labor and technology intensive can other schools duplicate?

• Symptoms…half-million $ for 60-90 students, but program seems ok.

• Characters…support and faculty ok• Questions…does a quality program need to be

so expensive and technology intensive? yes


Campus resources issues***

• Admissions• Bursar• Grades• Software training & support• Network training & support• Library• Health insurance• Overseas telephone systems support


Conclusions

• Excellent quality, but can other de providers afford the costs?

• Good example of leadership and coordination process…an idea that grew into a quality program

• Scale, costs, support, external relations and resources issues

• Can be used as a model


The end…


Selected example of 811 topics

• Planning…Tom Smith, Philip O’Leary and Wayne P. Pferdehirt

• Roles…individual team + committee• Culture• Resources…UW Engineering + UW

campus (library, DoIT, Bursar)• Development• Priorities…based on pilot program,

feedback from students


Karen

• Karen Al-Ashkar, MA, ABD, is the counselor for the MEPP program. One of her roles is to listen to student concerns and issues and seek resolution when concerns conflict with academic performance. She chairs the MEPP Admissions Committee and is the point-of-contact person for applicants and students.

Karen has been counseling adult students since 1991 and working with students at a distance since 1994. She has a BA in clinical chemistry and an MA in counseling. She is completing a PhD in distance education.


Donald Schramm• Donald R. Schramm, MS, RA, • is a faculty associate with the Department of Engineering

Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has responsibilities for courses in building energy systems, creativity, disaster management, workplace design and distance learning. A registered architect in Wisconsin, he holds an architectural degree from the University of Illinois–Urbana and an MS from Wisconsin–Madison. He has been in private practice and taught for a year as a Fulbright professor at universities in Bogotá and Calí, Colombia. He has worked in professional education for two decades throughout the United States and has lived and worked in 40 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. He directs the University of Wisconsin–Disaster Management Center (UW–DMC), a provider of international distance learning programs since 1985.


techno

• A modern Web-based platform allows you to download course information, post your assignments and discuss course topics with other students and instructors. Presentations on CD-ROM, study guides, textbooks and other resources will supplement Web-based information and activities. You will also participate in live teleconferences.


residency

• The only times you will need to visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus are during the week-long summer residencies. One week each August you will meet on campus with your instructors and fellow students to prepare for upcoming courses.


Wayne

• mepp program director• Wayne P. Pferdehirt, PE, AICP, is the director of the

MEPP program. Wayne oversees the development and delivery of MEPP courses and ensures that the program meets the needs of current and prospective students. Wayne also serves as director of Distance Degree Programs for the College of Engineering, working with college departments to develop, deliver and improve Web-based graduate degree programs. He has a BS in engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MS in civil engineering with an emphasis in regional planning from Northwestern University.


Tom Smith

• Thomas W. Smith, MS, • is director of telecommunications programming

in the Department of Engineering Professional Development. He currently directs a series of short courses in telecommunications and distance education. He has been instrumental in the development of the University's audiographic teleconferencing and satellite communications capabilities. He received his BS degree from Dartmouth College and MS degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.


O’Leary

• Philip R. O'Leary, PhD, PE, • is chair of the Department of Engineering Professional

Development, University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition he conducts professional development seminars in the areas of solid waste management, hazardous waste control, groundwater quality protection, and related environmental topics.

• Dr. O'Leary earned BS and MS degrees in agricultural engineering and a PhD in land resources with a specialization in energy and environmental issues, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

cave 811 william mcgraw1 cave 811 leadership case study master of engineering in professional...

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