College of Engineering and Science
Innovative Administration Supports
Innovative Education
Jim Nelson, Jenna Carpenter, Stan Napper, Bala Ramachandran
Louisiana Tech University
For the full paper, see
2008 Frontiers in Education Proceedings, Session T2G

College of Engineering and Science
Traditional College Structure
Question: How does one create an organization that
works collectively to make leaps in improvement?

College of Engineering and Science
CAPS
Dean
Associate Dean for
Associate Dean for
Graduate Studies
Research
Associate Dean for
Associate Dean for
Undergraduate
Administration &
Studies
COES Strategic Initiatives
Leadership Team
Director Director
Mathematics Biomedical
and Statistics Engineering
Director Director
Director Director
Industrial
Engineering
Electrical
Engineering
Computer Civil
Physics
Science Engineering
Chemical
Engineering
Nanosystems
Engineering
Electrical
Mechanical Construction
Engineering
Engineering
Chemistry Engineering
Technology
Technology

College of Engineering and Science
Who does What?
• Leadership Team
(Dean, Asso. Deans, Academic Directors, rotating Associates)
• Collective strategic planning, faculty evaluation and hiring,
resource development
• Academic Director (administrative)
• Resource allocation and workload issues
• Evaluation, tenure and promotion issues
• Cross-disciplinary issues and strategic planning
• Proposal planning and research-related issues
• Program Chair (non-administrative)
• Advising and curriculum issues
• Representing the program

College of Engineering and Science
Impact on College Processes
• Faculty and staff participation in important decision-making
• Space Accommodation Team
• Instructional Lab Equipment Team
• Research Travel Funds Team
• Graduate Studies Team
• Key Strategic Direction Teams
• College-wide resource sharing
• Accounting and Purchasing Team
• Budgeting Distribution:

College of Engineering and Science
Key Advantages to Administrative Structure
 Flexibility and Shared Ownership

College of Engineering and Science
Example:
Program groupings and Directors have been realigned several
times to better accommodate education and research goals.
Director Director
Mathematics Biomedical
and Statistics Engineering
Director Director
Director Director
Industrial
Engineering
Electrical
Engineering
Computer Civil
Physics
Science Engineering
Chemical
Engineering
Nanosystems
Engineering
Electrical
Mechanical Construction
Engineering
Engineering
Chemistry Engineering
Technology
Technology

College of Engineering and Science
Key Advantages to Administrative Structure
 Flexibility and Shared Ownership
 Rapid Response

College of Engineering and Science
Example:
Nanosystems Engineering
B.S. Degree

College of Engineering and Science
Key Advantages to Administrative Structure
 Flexibility and Shared Ownership
 Rapid Response
 Integration & Multidisciplinary Collaboration
(Education and Research)

College of Engineering and Science
Interdisciplinary Research

College of Engineering and Science
Impact on Curriculum
 Integrated Engineering Curriculum
(all engineering majors)
• Pilot in 1997
• Expanded pilot in 1998
• Full implementation in 1999
 Integrated Science Curriculum
(Comp Sci, Math, Phys, Chem, Bioscience, & Science Ed majors)
• Pilot in 2002
• Expanded pilot in 2003
• All majors in 2004
 Living with the Lab Curriculum (New Integrated Engineering Curriculum)
• Pilot in 2004
• Expanded pilot in 2005 & 2006
• Full implementation in 2007

Living with the Lab – integrates engineering, mathematics,
chemistry and physics in a systems-level, project-based
curriculum. Projects incorporate design, fabrication, and
troubleshooting to help students develop open-ended problem
solving abilities and self-reliance.
Living with the Lab
Freshman Integrated
Engineering Curriculum

College of Engineering and Science
Key Advantages to Administrative Structure
 Flexibility and Shared Ownership
 Rapid Response
 Integration & Multidisciplinary Collaboration
(Education and Research)
 Shared Resources

College of Engineering and Science
Example:
Rapid Prototyping Lab, Nanosystems Lab, Materials Lab

Louisiana Tech’s STEM Talent Expansion Program
(LaTechSTEP) – Stimulates interest in STEM topics at the high
school level by partnering with area high school math and
science teachers in Discovery Weekends for high school
students.

Freshman Enrichment Program (FrEP) – provides
additional support and community building for students
transitioning into college.
• 5-week Math 101
plus enrichment topics
• Community building
• Cohort mentoring & support

Freshman-to-Sophomore
Retention (to date)
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Fall, 2004 Fall, 2005 Fall, 2006 FrEP
Fall, 2007

STEM-Plus – trains highly-qualified K-12 teachers who have a
strong contextual understanding of mathematics and science.
Upon completion of the B.S. degree in a STEM discipline, the
program provides a one-year track leading to the Master of Arts in
Teaching. An alternate one-year track for STEM professionals who
have already completed their B.S. is available.
The major objective of STEM-Plus
is to produce 21 highly-qualified
teachers with a bachelor’s degree
in a STEM discipline and a master’s
degree in teaching.

Innovation through Multidisciplinary Projects and Collaborative
Teams (IMPaCT) – motivates students to look at the “big picture”
in a horizontally and vertically integrated program centered
around year-long design projects.
IVR
CEnIT IMPaCT
Triage Team
VETs
Patent Licenses
s
Prototypes
High-Tech Startups
Industry
Multidisciplinary Approach for Creating High-Tech Startups

Bulldog Achievement
Bulldog Achievement
Resource Center
Resource Center
Enrollment
Management
Supplemental Instruction
LaTechSTEP
TechSTEP
Living-Learning Freshman
Enrichment College of
Community Education
Program
Division of
Student
Affairs
Project
Integrated Curricula
Capstone
Living with
Integrated Engineering
Curriculum
the Lab
Integrated Science
Curriculum
College of
Applied &
Natural
STEM-Plus
Sciences
IMPaCT College of
Education
Connections
College of
College of Education
Business
Between Programs
VET