SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SUBCOMMITTEE
	 AMENDED MINUTES and REPORT

	March 31, 2009
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
VKC 204

I.	ANDRUS SCHOOL OF GERONTOLOGY

A.	Add a New Program							Eff. Term:  Fall 2009
B.S.	Lifespan Health (128 units)
Alternative to BS in Gerontology for students interested in preparing for graduate study in one of the many health related sciences.
•	APPROVED, with clarification of the catalogue language about elective units to permit students to choose free electives whether or not they are related to Gerontology.  It was considered acceptable to keep the requirement that 12 elective units be GERO courses, but beyond that the student should be free to choose from a wider range.  (The catalogue language will be changed from “32 units of electives in GERO and related disciplines” to “32 units of electives.”)  Dean Davison, Professor Davies, and Assistant Dean Maria Henke attended the meeting to respond to the subcommittee’s concerns, which centered around whether there is enough science in the required and elective courses to prepare students for graduate studies in a health field, whether the program was too narrow, requiring only GERO courses toward the major, and to what careers GERO degrees lead.   The representatives from the school indicated that they consider the social sciences as science; that they strive to create an intellectual environment within its ‘professional’ structure.   The careers they are preparing students for are still being created; the preparation they receive encourages the capacity to branch out to apply knowledge and skills to that which is coming.  Those present strongly suggest that undeclared and undecided students who are targeted for this program be actively recruited so as to provide them with the kind of support freshmen and sophomores benefit from.  However, it was noted that transfer students are also a target audience, and the program can be completed in the junior and senior years.  

II.	VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

A.	Add a New Program							Eff. Term: Fall 2009
		1.	M.S. Green Technology (27 units)
Interdisciplinary program compromised of courses from AME, EE, CHE, ISE, CE, ENE, GEOG and POSC.  Includes 9 units of required courses (3 courses chosen from a list of 5), 9 units of technical electives (3 courses chosen from a list of 8), and 9 units of electives, for a total of 27 units.  Offered on campus and via DEN.	
	
•	DEFERRED TO SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR.  Assistant Dean Margie Berti, Professor Mansour Rahmi, and Professor Sati Sadhal attended the meeting to address the subcommittee’s concerns, which were primarily about whether the program is well enough defined and whether two of the courses are substantial enough. However, the lack of depth that concerned some subcommittee members could be addressed by indicating that the nine units of  “other technical electives” would focus the student’s interests in particular areas. .  The committee wishes to see sample student schedules showing the kinds of courses that students with various interests might choose for these 9 units.  One of the courses on the technical electives list, EE 511, was terminated in February 2008; it would need to be reinstated if it is to be included.  The new courses associated with this program posed some issues because of inadaquate syllabi.It appears that faculty involvement in the preparation of the program was limited. Viterbi has indicated that they should be able to get the remaining issues resolved before the May UCOC meeting. It was considered important that students be advised by an advisor in MAPP.  There was discussion of whether “Green technologies” is the best name for the program, as it  is such a buzzword.  Other options might be “Environmental Technology” or “Energy Technology.”  However, SES is willing to accept “Green Technologies.”  

Includes four new courses:						Eff. Term: Fall 2009
B.	AEROSPACE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
	1.  AME 581 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering (3)
Review of basic nuclear physics, binding energy, reactor kinetics, thermal transport in reactor systems, radioactivity, shielding, reactor safety and health effects of radiation, risk assessment. Recommended Preparation: Undergraduate degree in Engineering; AME 310, MATH 245, PHYS 153L.  Open only to: Graduate Students
•	PREVIOUSLY APPROVED

C.	CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
	1.  CHE 510 Energy and Process Efficiency (3)
Management and engineering strategies utilized to improve energy efficiency.  Open only to Graduate students.
•	DEFERRED TO SUBCOMMITTEE CO-CHAIR.  The book doesn’t seem advanced or technical enough for a graduate level class.  There should be readings which are clearly appropriate for a graduate course.  There are take-home midterms and finals; which is atypical of Engineering courses and, upon review, is considered inappropriate.  

D.	CIVIL ENGINEERING
	1.  CE 518 Carbon Capture and Sequestration (3)
		The needs for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and systematic introduction to CCS technologies. 			Main topics include: introduction to global change, world energy consumption, greenhouse gases control, 			carbon capture and separation, and carbon sequestration.
•	DEFERRED TO SUBCOMMITTEE CO-CHAIR.  The syllabus structure is inadequate; readings need to be matched up to lecture titles on the week-by-week breakdown, and more information about the readings and homework is requested.

E.	ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
	1.  EE 513 Solid State Energy Devices (3)
Design and operation of solar photovoltaic energy converters, thermovoltoic energy converters, thermoelectric energy converters, and solid state light emitters; their roles in renewal and conservation of energy. Recommended Preparation:  EE 338
•	PREVIOUSLY APPROVED

Members present			Members absent		Guests
	
Antoine Bechara		Andrea Armani				Kelvin Davies, GERO	
Hans Bozler (co-chair)		Elizabeth Garrett (ex-officio)		Gerald Davison, GERO
Frances Fitzgerald (staff)	Julena Lind (ex-officio)			Maria Henke, GERO
Thomas Henyey		Chi Mak				Margery Berti, ENGR
Jordan Olliges (student)		Robin Romans (ex-officio)		Mansour Rahmi, ENGR
Alice Parker (co-chair)		Mahyar Salek (student)			Sati Sadhal, ENGR
James Weiland 			Kenneth Servis (ex-officio)
Edwenna Werner 
   (for Kenneth Servis)
Suya You

			
AMENDED REPORT
MARCH, 2009

ACTIONS BY CHAIR OR CHAIR PLUS ONE

III.	VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING	

A.	AEROSPACE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
One New  Course								Eff. Term: Fall 2009
1.	AME-581  Introduction to Nuclear Engineering (3)
  Review of basic nuclear physics, binding energy, reactor kinetics, thermal transport in reactor systems, radioactivity, shielding, reactor safety and health effects of radiation, risk assessment. Recommended Preparation: Undergraduate degree in Engineering, and  AME 310, MATH 245, PHYS 153L.
  Open only to: Graduate Students
>	Approved
Used in the proposed MS in Green Technologies

B.	CIVIL ENGINEERING
One New  Course								Eff. Term: Fall 2009
1.	CE-470 Building Information Modeling and Integrated Practice (3)
Building Information Modeling, current BIM technologies; coordination of design and construction; information management throughout building life cycle; project delivery systems and technologies for integrated practice.
>	Approved

C.	COMPUTER SCIENCE
Revise  a Program								Eff. Term: Fall 2010
1.	M.S. Computer Science (High Performance Computing and Simulations) (27)
Replace CSCI 653 with CSCI 596 as the required core course for the Master of Science in Computer 
Science (High Performance Computing and Simulations).  Add CSCI 653 to list of electives for Computer Science track; add MATH 578a as elective for Computational science/Engineering application track.
>	Approved

D.	ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
One New  Course			Eff. Term: Fall 2009
1.	EE-513 Solid State Energy Devices (3)
Design and operation of solar photovoltaic energy converters, thermovoltoic energy converters, thermoelectric energy converters, and solid state light emitters; their roles in renewal and conservation of energy. Recommended Preparation EE 338.
>	Approved
Used in the proposed MS in Green Technologies
	
	E.	INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Revise  a Course									Eff.  Term: Fall 2010
1.	SAE-550	Systems Architecting and the Political Process (3)
New: Systems Architecting and the Political Process.
Analysis of risks inherent in managing high-tech/high-cost government-funded engineering programs; tools and techniques for coping with the impacts of politically-driven budgets on the engineering design process. Recommended  preparation: 2 years of work experience.
CURRENT: Engineering Management of Government-Funded Programs
No change in catalog description.  Title change only.
>	Approved