COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Worcester, MA.Department Head: Dr. Micha Hofri
Email: hofri@cs.wpi.eduPrimary contact: Dr. David C. Brown
Email: dcb@cs.wpi.edu
Telephone number: (508) 831-5618
FAX: (508) 831-5776Dates of Visit: December 9-10, 2002
Team Chairperson:
Dr. Allen Parrish
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Program Evaluators:
Dr. John Weiss
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD.
Dr. Robert France
Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO.1. Introduction
This document constitutes the response of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to the ABET CAC preliminary report that finds deficiencies in our Computer Science program.
1.1 Background: WPI
The WPI Computer Science (CS) Department supplies a broad general education using an innovative, non-traditional approach to undergraduate education which places much of the responsibility for the detailed design of a suitable undergraduate program on the student. As a consequence, WPI places a significant emphasis on high quality advising so that students can benefit from the flexibility our program provides. Programs are structured to emphasize the importance of mastering all the key courses. Courses and suggested sequences are reviewed on a yearly basis. In addition, required projects serve both to integrate previously taught material and to motivate independent learning.
A major aspect of WPI's innovative educational philosophy is that there are no required courses. Instead, WPI's high academic standards are met by the completion of Qualifying Projects and Distribution Requirements. Distribution Requirements specify sets of courses meeting curricular objectives. Students elect to take particular courses within each set in order to satisfy the requirements. These Distribution Requirements, the sets of recommended background courses for advanced courses, and the strong system of academic advising, ensure an effective, well-balanced program for all students.
1.2 The Deficiencies
The deficiencies listed in the Preliminary Statement are associated with Standards IV-12, IV-13 and IV-14.
We agree with the visiting team that there was a deficiency in the Science sequence. That deficiency is being corrected by a revision of our CS Department's curriculum Distribution Requirements, as described in Section 2, below.
We agree with the visiting team that our program does not meet the associated Standards with regard to Science course work. Our report did not clearly make a case based on Intent, for reasons described below, and the visiting team was correct in its observation to that effect. We apologize for this oversight, and in section 3 we present the case that our program meets the Intent statement of the Curriculum Criterion.
We fully expect that this response will demonstrate that our program, as revised, is accreditable under ABET CAC criteria.
2. Science Sequence Deficiency Citation
2.1 The Deficiency Citation
Where the Preliminary Statement:
"... of the 9 semester hours of laboratory science, no full year science sequence is required. As such, Standard IV-13 is not satisfied."
refers to "full year science sequence", we believe that what is intended is "two-semester sequence in a laboratory science". This would be consistent with Standard IV-13:
"Course work in science must include the equivalent of a two-semester sequence in a laboratory science for science or engineering majors."
The Preliminary Statement acknowledges that a WPI course is "comparable to a typical 3 semester-hour course". In WPI terms, Standard IV-13 translates to a two course sequence. Thus, our response to the Preliminary Statement finding regarding the science sequence is to require that all students take a two-course sequence in a laboratory science.
2.2 Discussion of a Sequence
ABET CAC provides no definition for a "sequence", nor a discussion of the rationale for that Standard. There are a variety of possible interpretations.
Because of the way that WPI courses are loosely associated, we consider a sequence to be:
any pair of courses in a discipline from its introductory set of courses, or any pair where one is the recommended or suggested background course for the other.
Note that at WPI one course is not "required" to be before another. Instead, the WPI faculty has approved the terms "recommended background" and "suggested background" to indicate material that students are expected to know before enrolling in a course.
The "introductory set" wording is used in order to include sets of introductory courses that form a mutually supporting cluster of material, where there is no explicit recommended background link given between them. In particular, this responds to a reorganization of the introductory biology courses in Academic Year 1999-2000, taken in response to strategic planning and external advisory committees. This part of our definition of "sequence" takes into account extensive feedback we obtained from the Department Heads of all the WPI Science Departments. It does provide the "continuity of progression" as defined by Webster's dictionary.
WPI's definition of a "sequence" accounts for the kinds of courses our students actually take (based on an analysis of transcripts), ensures that this requirement is testable (by the Registrar's Office as well as by Academic Advisors), and maintains reasonable flexibility for our students, in a manner compatible with WPI's educational philosophy.
2.3 Proposed Distribution Requirement Revision
The following motion was approved unanimously by the faculty of the WPI Computer Science Department on April 1, 2003. It is intended to modify the Distribution Requirements that are published in the Undergraduate Catalog and on the Web.
The Accreditation Coordination Committee of the Computer Science Department recommends approval of the following change in the CS Program Distribution Requirements listed in the 2003/2004 undergraduate catalog:
4. Courses satisfying the science requirement must come from the BB, BE, CE, CH, CM, EE, ES, GE, ME, PH disciplines. At least three courses must come from BB, CH, GE, PH, where at least two courses are from one of these disciplines.
4. Courses satisfying the science requirement must come from the BB, BE, CE, CH, CM, EE, ES, GE, ME, PH disciplines. At least three courses must come from BB, CH, GE, PH, where at least two courses are a sequence from one of these disciplines. A sequence is any pair of courses in that discipline from the introductory set of courses, or any pair where one is the recommended or suggested background course for the other.2.4 Status of Proposed Revision
Having been approved by the department the motion has been passed to the Committee on Academic Operations (CAO). It consists of six elected faculty members, two undergraduate students, and a representative of the Provost's Office. CAO is responsible for monitoring procedures for administering existing undergraduate academic, admission, and financial aid policies.
Recommendations regarding courses, projects, and programs are made to the Faculty by this Committee. These recommendations, such as the proposal to change the Computer Science Distribution Requirements, are subsequently voted on at a monthly Faculty Meeting. Voting privileges are restricted to members of the WPI Faculty.
At the time of writing, CAO has approved the motion, and has distributed it to the WPI Faculty, ready for the next Faculty Meeting. It may be subject to requests for minor changes in wording, but as it concerns accreditation it is very unlikely to be rejected by the Faculty.
Additional Note:
The Motion included in section 2.3 of the WPI CS Response to the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission "Preliminary Statement for Review and Comment" was presented to the WPI Faculty Meeting by the Committee on Academic Operations on May 1, 2003, and was "approved" by the faculty. This means that the Distribution Requirements for CS majors that are published in the Undergraduate Catalog and on the Web will be changed at the earliest opportunity. {May 9, 2003}2.5 Analysis of Effect of Proposed Revision
The effect of the proposed revision is that all Computer Science majors will take a two-course sequence in a laboratory science. This will remove the problem that Standard IV-13 is not currently satisfied by our students' transcripts, and will remove the deficiency.
3. Science Course Work Deficiency Citation
3.1 Nature of the Deficiency Citation
The Preliminary Statement says:
"...Standard IV-12 is not satisfied, since the curriculum does not contain 12 semester hours of science."
"Since the course work beyond the 9 semester hours [of laboratory science] is not required [at WPI] to be in science courses or courses that enhance the student's ability to apply the scientific method, Standard IV-14 is also not satisfied."
3.2 History of WPI CS Accreditation
In seventeen years of accreditation visits, including three full visits and one focus visit, the adequacy of science was never raised as an issue. Consequently we had not considered that our program would fail to satisfy the criteria. We apologize for the oversight. However, the CS Department believes that the curriculum satisfies the Intent statement of the CAC Curriculum Criterion.
3.3 The Relationship between the Intent and the Standards
Consider ABET CAC's own definitions:
"An Intent provides the underlying principles associated with a Criterion. For a program to be accreditable it must meet the Intent statement of every Criterion.
Standards provide descriptions of how a program can minimally meet the statement of Intent. The word "must" is used within each Standard to convey the expectation that the condition of the Standard will be satisfied in all cases. For a program to meet the Intent of a Criterion, it must satisfy all the Standards in that Criterion or demonstrate an alternative approach to achieving the Intent of the Criterion."
Note that the "or demonstrate an alternative approach" clause in the final sentence allows a program not to meet the Standard and still achieve the Intent. This provision is vital as it provides the all-important flexibility that was missing in the earlier CSAB `Standards only' approach.
The emphasis on allowing an "alternative approach" is refreshing, and, for WPI, very important, given our non-traditional approach to undergraduate education.
3.4 Analysis of the Curriculum Intent Statement
The ABET CAC Curriculum Intent statement is as follows:
"The curriculum is consistent with the program's documented objectives. It combines technical requirements with general education requirements and electives to prepare students for a professional career in the computer field, for further study in computer science, and for functioning in modern society. The technical requirements include up-to-date coverage of basic and advanced topics in computer science as well as an emphasis on science and mathematics."
The visiting team agreed that:
- The curriculum is consistent with the program's documented objectives;
- It combines technical requirements with general education requirements and electives to prepare students for a professional career in the computer field, for further study in computer science, and for functioning in modern society;
- Up-to-date coverage of basic and advanced topics in Computer Science is provided.
The only point from the Curriculum Intent statement that must be demonstrated is that the technical requirements include "an emphasis on science and mathematics".
3.5 Emphasis on Science and Mathematics
In this section a variety of arguments are used, accumulating to produce what we feel is clear and overwhelming evidence that our technical requirements include "an emphasis on science and mathematics".
The WPI Computer Science Department's Distribution Requirement specifies 12 courses of science and mathematics (i.e., 36 credit hours). This amounts to 27% of WPI's minimum academic credit for graduation, and 40% of the Computer Science Distribution Requirements: clearly an "emphasis" on science and mathematics.
Engineering is included in the 5 course science portion of the Distribution Requirement and may account for up to 2 of those courses: i.e., a maximum of 6 credit hours of the 36.
Note that the inclusion of engineering courses is particularly appropriate at WPI, which has ABET EAC accredited programs and a technically-oriented student body.
However, Engineering is, by definition, the application of Science and Mathematics. Merriam-Webster Online defines Engineering as "the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people".
As a consequence our requirements actually provide more exposure to Science and quantitative methods than the ABET CAC Standard specifies.
We would also argue that, as applications of Science, most Engineering courses have many of the following characteristics: they have an experimental basis, they develop and use models, they develop hypotheses and confirm them using data analysis, they use scientific laws, and they require good lab practices. These are all characteristics of situations that "enhance the student's ability to apply the scientific method."
Unfortunately, the phrase "emphasis on science and mathematics" in the Intent statement is not clearly defined elsewhere by CAC. This leaves it up to the WPI Computer Science Department to use an appropriate definition, and our judgment.
As a consequence, for clarity, we adopt the ABET EAC view, as specified in EAC Criterion 4:
Criterion 4. Professional Component
...
The professional component must include:
(a) one year of a combination of college level mathematics and basic sciences (some with experimental experience) appropriate to the discipline.
<http://www.abet.org/images/Criteria/2002-03EACCriteria.pdf>Our Distribution Requirement of 36 credit hours exceeds this specification, and satisfies it even if the up-to-two Engineering courses are not included (i.e., 30 semester hours is one year of full-time study).
For further evidence we turn to ABET CAC's Guidance for Interpreting the Criteria document, which says that "Science course work additional to the two-semester sequence in a laboratory science should be in courses for science or engineering majors or courses with a strong emphasis on quantitative methods."
Students not taking Science courses will take Engineering courses. But, clearly, almost all engineering courses have "a strong emphasis on quantitative methods". This holds irrespective of whether the course content is engineering science, design, or analysis. Hence, we are following the guidance given.
As an example, many CS majors take one or two EE courses as part of satisfying their science Distribution Requirements. Each of the four most frequently taken EE courses has a significant laboratory component. Although laboratory topics vary by course, they may include taking measurements of electrical values (application of Physics), logical expressions and truth tables for digital circuits (application of Discrete Mathematics), and measurement of rise/fall times and digital circuit delay (quantitative methods).
These EE courses also contribute to other components of Intent: e.g., preparation for professional careers. Feedback from our Alumni was very positive about the usefulness of the EE courses for career preparation.
4. Conclusion
In order for ABET CAC to find that a deficiency remains, it must either show that the curriculum revision now in process does not meet the science sequence criterion, or it must show that our program fails to meet the Curriculum Intent statement.
We can see no reason for rejecting the curriculum revision.
So, in order to determine that our program fails to meet the intent statement, all of the following must be found to be false:
- Engineering constitutes the application of science and mathematics;
- Engineering involves quantitative methods;
- Ten courses in science and mathematics, as required by ABET EAC for engineering programs, constitutes an emphasis on science and mathematics; and
- Twelve courses in science and mathematics, including up to two in engineering, constitutes an emphasis on science and mathematics.
If ABET CAC finds all of the above statements false, we would concede that a deficiency existed in our program. However, we would respectfully request a point-by-point explanation of each item.
WPI provides an innovative, non-traditional approach to undergraduate education, with a strong emphasis on Mathematics, Science and Engineering. In this context, we feel confident that our program meets the Intent statement of the CAC Curriculum Criterion, and we appreciate the Commission's consideration.
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Version: Tue Apr 22, 2003