College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Michigan University

CEAS Strategic Plan

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) is one of seven academic colleges at Western Michigan University. Its seven departments span the breadth of engineering, engineering technology, and applied science and provide the educational basis of our career-ready graduates. Our 17 undergraduate, ten masters, and six doctoral programs incorporate experiential learning that maintains the depth of rigor required by our professions.

Consistent with the Strategic Plan of WMU and the Strategic Plan of Academic Affairs, CEAS puts forward the following strategic plan focused on the areas of undergraduate, graduate, research, and community.

Undergraduate

CEAS fosters a nurturing environment for all of our students to be successful. To better prepare our students for the 21st Century, we need to be engaged in their success throughout their academic careers. From our first recruitment encounter, during their days on campus culminating in a distinctive capstone experience, to a life-long rewarding career we are committed to excellence in our endeavors with our students.

Objective U1: Increase the academic profile and diversity of our incoming students

Strategies

Brand and update media.
Manage and grow scholarship resources.
Increase recruiting and outreach efforts through increased staff, summer activities, and programs for K-12 students and teachers.

Goals

1. The average ACT composite score of the incoming students will be at least 27.

2. The average math ACT sub-score of the incoming students will be at least 27.

3. At least 95% of our incoming transfer students will not be required to enter the college through the CEAS Explore program.

4. The percentage of incoming under-representative students will be at least 20%.

5. The percentage of incoming female students will be at least 14%.

Objective U2: Increase the retention rate of students within CEAS

Strategies

Provide sustainable funding for our Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP).
Systematically identify at-risk students for early intervention and collaborate regularly with university student support services, residence life, and student affairs.
Strengthen our registered student organizations (RSO’s) through recruitment of membership and development of RSO leadership.
Raise admission standards to increase math-preparedness of our entering students to a minimum of pre-calculus ready.

Goals

1. First-to-second year retention within CEAS will be 73% or better.

2. Second-to-third year retention within CEAS will be 78% or better.

Third-to-fourth year retention within CEAS will be 90% or better.

Objective U3: Foster an undergraduate culture that better prepares our students for success in their careers.

Strategies

Collect internship activity data from students and employers and use it to support future internship opportunities.
Increase contacts with international companies for internship opportunities.
Promote study abroad programs in the college and in the university.
Promote and support our students’ service-learning activities.

Goals

1. At least 75% of graduating seniors will have at least one internship experience.

2. At least 20% of graduating seniors will have at least one international experience (internship, study abroad, etc.).

3. At least 25% of graduating seniors will have at least one service learning experience.

Graduate

Our graduate programs complement our mission to support the needs of society and our profession. We build on the undergraduate foundation to enable the individual to extend to their fullest capacity. We are committed to excellence as we select our students and prepare for them a rewarding learning experience so that in the end they have become colleagues.

Objective G1: Promote graduate education to undergraduate students and provide incentives for top-quality undergraduates to obtain advanced degrees.

Strategies

Brand and update media specifically detailing our graduate programs.
Support efforts of individual programs, faculty, and staff to actively recruit prospective graduate students at other institutions.
Streamline and accelerate the application process for our high-performing undergraduates for our graduate programs.
Establish partnerships with undergraduate-only institutions.

Goals

1. At least 10% of our graduating seniors will matriculate in one of our graduate programs.

2. At least 15% of our incoming graduate students will have earned a BS degree from an ABET accredited program other than WMU.

Objective G2: Provide agile and responsive graduate programs that support current and future global needs.

Strategies

Explore delivery methods and content to extend and expand graduate programs.
Engage the professional community through learning opportunities.
Provide incentives for faculty members to participate as active graduate faculty.
Increase the number of funded graduate positions within the college through the development of additional sources.

Goals

1. The ratio of doctoral students to faculty will be at least 1.5.

2. The ratio of master students to faculty will be at least 2.5 and at most 3.5.

3. At least 80% of the faculty will be regular graduate faculty.

Objective G3: Promote a multi-disciplinary, global culture in our graduate programs.

Strategies

Develop graduate programs and course offerings that transcend departmental boundaries.
Establish graduate-level global exchange programs.

Goals

1.0 At least 50% of MS committees in the college will have membership from more than one department.

2. At least 65% of doctoral committees will have membership from outside of the college.

3. At least 10% of doctoral committees will have membership from international universities.

Research

CEAS is forever dedicated to our discovery-driven agenda. We as faculty and our colleagues as students work together to solve the difficult problems and to make the world better through rigorous exploration of the unknown and the creation of new knowledge.

Objective R1: Increase faculty productivity in research and scholarship.

Strategies

Support research working groups in focus areas.
Support faculty to develop new areas of research and scholarship.
Increase the visibility of research and scholarship through an annual publication, the establishment of a faculty expertise database, and highlighting our faculty research productivity.
Coordinate with the Office of the Vice President for Research in securing additional research grants and support of the federal delegation.

Goals:

1. At least 40% of the faculty will be a PI on at least one external grant in the past two years.

2. At least 70% of the faculty will be a PI or Co-PI on at least one external grant in the past two years.

3. The average annual number of peer-reviewed archival journal papers (or their equivalent) per faculty will be at least 1.5.

4. Research expenditures will be at least $7.5M per year.

Objective R2: Increase student participation in externally-funded research.

Strategies

Support faculty to engage undergraduate and graduate students in their research.
Establish a college-wide competition for undergraduate and graduate research awards.
Increase the level of graduate stipends.
Support university efforts to reduce the burden of tuition on external grants.

Goals

1. At least 20% of graduating seniors will have had a research experience supported by externally-funded research.

2. At least 50% of these research experiences will result in a presentation or a publication.

3. At least 35% of the MS degrees awarded will be thesis based.

4. At least 50% of the support for PhD students will be from externally-funded research.

Community

As we prepare our students for their life-long careers, we too are part of and servants to our greater community. We share in the collective desire of improving our world and safeguarding the future.

Objective C1: Advance our community through engagement and contribution.

Strategies

Serve as a technical resource to the region.
Serve as a citizen of the community.
Expand service learning opportunities.

Goals

1. CEAS will support at least 5 service-learning opportunities each year.

2. CEAS will have at least 10 programs in collaboration with the community.

Objective C2: Elevate the external reputation of CEAS by actively participating in national and international professional communities.

Strategies

Promote faculty, staff, and student participation in activities in regional, national, and international professional societies.
Encourage faculty and staff leadership in regional, national, and international professional societies.

Goals

1. At least 80% of the faculty will participate in at least one regional, national, or international conference each year.

2. At least 75% of doctoral students and 20% of master students will have presented at least at one regional, national, or international conference within one-year of graduation.

3. At least 20% of the faculty will hold leadership positions in professional societies.

4. At least 20% of the faculty will achieve the rank of Fellow in their professional.

Download the pdf. version of the CEAS Strategic Plan