CSE-ECE Instructional Dilemma

Prepared by: Richard J. Enbody and P. David Fisher

College of Engineering

Michigan State University

Draft: September 21, 2000

Introduction

The origin of computer science education here at Michigan State University can be tracedto electrical engineering education at MSU. In the mid 1960s, some faculty members from the Department of Electrical Engineering became the core faculty in the newly formed Department of Computer Science, and some courses that had previously been offered as EE-coded courses were renumbered to instead beoffered as CPS-coded courses. It was a conscious decision on the part of each department’s faculty to minimize the duplication of courses; hence, the courses and (and faculty expertise) that left EE for CPS were not duplicatedwithin EE.

The evolution of electrical engineering education, computer science education and computer engineering education at Michigan State University—coupled with the changing supply and demand for professionals in these fields—has resulted in the creation of a dilemma, whichwe refer to as the “CSE-ECE Instructional Dilemma.”This report is an attempt to identify the origin and magnitude of this dilemma. With both undergraduate and graduate education considered, we address four core issues: supply, demand, access, and possible actions to solve the dilemma. Finally, we also examine faculty-hiring trends in each department.

Undergraduate Education

  1. Supply
  2. Freshman trends (See TABLES I-IV)
  3. In the fall of 1991, 57 freshman indicated a preference for Computer Engineering (CpE). This number swelled to 157 in the fall of 2000.
  4. In the fall of 1991, 146 freshman indicated a preference for Electrical Engineering (ECE). This number dropped to 78 in the fall of 2000.
  5. In the fall of 1991, 119 freshman indicated a preference for Computer Science (CS). This number swelled to 242 in the fall of 2000.
  6. Junior level major targets and actual (FS00 actual data is not available)
  7. CpE target = 40;actual = 58 (FS99), with a minimum GPA of 3.0 required for admits.
  8. CS target = 90;actual = 110 (FS99), with a minimum GPA of 3.0 required for admits.
  9. EE target = 120; actual = 115 (FS99), with a minimum GPA of 2.8 required for admits.
  10. CSE-coded courses of general interest to EE and CpE majors are at capacity.
  11. ECE-coded courses, which are in the CpE subject area are at or near capacity.
  12. Demand
  13. CpE (and CS) majors and enrollment demand for courses are increasing, without new resources internal or external. Both are 30% over the original enrollment targets, and the difference should be greater when Fall 2000 data becomes available.
  14. GPA cutoff for junior-level entry into the CpE and CS undergraduate programs
  15. Is there a desirable GPA target, e.g., 2.8?
  16. Is some GPA level too high, e.g., 3.5?
  17. National and State of MichiganTrends
  18. Nationally in 1989 there were 22,929 BS degrees were awarded in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1998, this had dropped by 45.5% to 12,498.
  19. Nationally in 1989 there were 4,398 BS degrees awarded in Computer Engineering. In 1998, this number had risen by 67.4% to 7362.
  20. Within Michigan in 1991,there were 216 BS degrees awarded in Computer Engineering. In 1998, this number had risen by 38.4% to 299.
  21. Within Michigan in 1991,there were 1,106 BS degrees awarded in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1998, this had dropped by 38.4% to 681.
  22. In 1998, the State of Michigan produced 5.5% of the BS Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduates produced nationally, while it produced 4% of the Computer Engineering produced nationally. In 1993, both stood at the national level of 5.5%.
  23. Access
  24. Should admissions targets for CpE, EE, and CS be equitable, i.e., the same GPA for all three programs?
  25. Should EE majors, undergraduate and graduate students, be allowed into undergraduate upper-level CSE courses related to CpE, e.g., CSE 410, 420, 422?
  26. Should there be Computational-X programs allowing majors from major "X" access to upper-level CSE courses? Examples of existing requests for "X" include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Business. (Computational Mathematics exists).
  27. Possible Actions
  28. Adjust GPA higher for undergraduates wanting to major in CS, CpE and EE
  29. Redirect resources within department, college, university
  30. Within CSE and ECE departments by altering faculty hiring practices and laboratory space utilization practices;
  31. Within the college by altering faculty hiring practices, TA appointment practices and laboratory space utilization practices.

Graduate Education

A significant number of EE graduate students have complained about not having access to certain courses at MSU that they believed were critical for their program of study. To better understand the issue, the academic programs of the most recent 230 EE-coded graduate students were examined. Some of these are recent graduates are at all different stages of their graduate programs.The following data was extracted from these programs (See TABLES V-VII).

  1. These 230 students collectively selected 504 CSE-coded courses (2.2 per student).
  2. These 230 students collectively selected 1268 ECE-coded courses (5.5 per student).
  3. These 230 students collectively selected 210 MTH-coded courses (0.91 per student)
  4. These 230 students collectively selected 30 PHY-coded courses (0.13 per student)
  5. These 230 students selected 133 STT-coded courses (0.58 per student)
  6. Courses in other subject areas made up a very small number and are not included in this survey.
  7. The typical EE graduate student's program surveyed is as follows:
  8. ECE-coded courses--5.5 (59%)
  9. CSE-coded courses--2.2 (24%)
  10. MTH-coded courses--0.91 (10%)
  11. STT-coded courses--0.58 (6%)
  12. PHY-coded courses--0.13 (1%)
  13. Total Number of Courses--9.32 (100%)

From this survey of 230 EE graduate students’ academic programs and interviews with many of these graduate students, we are able to draw the following conclusions.

  1. Supply
  2. Insufficient ECE-taught CpE courses exist, e.g., one 800-level course per semester over last five years.
  3. Some ECE students' MS programs have only two or three courses taught by ECE faculty.
  4. Demand
  5. One quarter of all ECE graduate student courses are taught by CSE faculty.
  6. Few CSE students take ECE-taught courses—e.g., FS'00 ECE 809 has no CSE students.
  7. ECE-taught CpE courses have very high enrollments when compared with ECE Department averages for ECE-coded graduate courses.
  8. During the past two years, faculty members in the ECE-CpE Faculty Group advised 54% of the EE MS graduates (TABLE VIII).
  9. During the past two years, faculty members in the ECE-CpE Faculty Group advised 24% of the EE Ph.D. graduates TABLE VIII).
  10. For the new EE graduate students who entered MSU in the fall of 2000, 65% expressed the CpE area as their preference (TABLE IX).
  11. Access
  12. Should EE grad students be able to take courses in a variety of areas, such as CSE, PHY, MTH, BUS only on the advice of their advisor?
  13. Should the ECE Department offer more ECE-taught CpE courses?
  14. Possible Actions
  15. Redirect resources
  16. Within department, college, university;
  17. Adjust faculty hiring priorities;
  18. Adjust strategic departmental planning.
  19. Create more ECE-taught CpE graduate courses
  20. Other
  21. Modify course descriptions with respect to access;
  22. Change the marketing of programs;
  23. Change admissions practices into the graduate programs.

Faculty Trends

The faculty represents the single greatest resource for any academic unit. We examined faculty hiring trends and enrollment data in various subject areas.

With respect to faculty hiring trends we were able to deduce the following (See TABLES X-XII).

  1. Faculty Size
  2. The total number of ECE faculty has remained virtually constant at about 25 FTEs between the years 1987 and 2000.
  3. The total number of CSE faculty fluctuated somewhat between 1987 and 2000.Between the years 1987 and 1993, the faculty grew from about 22 FTEs to a peak of about 26 FTEs. Since then, it has dropped to about 24 FTEs.
  4. New Faculty Hiring
  5. In the last five years, the ECE Department hired eight new faculty members. One of these was hired in the CpE area; however, he left after being on the faculty for only two years.
  6. In the last five years, the CSE Department hired seven new faculty members.
  7. ECE Faculty Teaching Loads in CpE Subject Area
  8. Fall Semester of 2000 Enrollment Data
  9. ECE 230--3(3-0)--Two Lecture Sections (130 students total)
  10. ECE 331--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and six Laboratory Sections (90 students total)
  11. ECE 410--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and six Laboratory Sections (54 students total)
  12. ECE 411--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and four Laboratory Sections (49 students total)
  13. ECE 482--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and eight Laboratory Sections (46 students total)
  14. ECE 809--3(3-0)--One Lecture Section (32 students total)
  15. Fall Semester of 2000 Summary:
  16. Seven lecture sections and 24 laboratory sections, with an average of 57 students per lecture section.
  17. The total SCHs generated is 1442, which is 32% of the department’s total for the fall of 2000 for ECE-coded courses taken by EE and CpE majors.
  18. Spring Semester of 2001 Enrollment Data
  19. ECE 230--3(3-0)--Two Lecture Sections (98 students total)
  20. ECE 331--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and six Laboratory Sections (62 students total)
  21. ECE 410--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and six Laboratory Sections (52 students total)
  22. ECE 411--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and four Laboratory Sections (50 students total)
  23. ECE 482--4(3-3)--One Lecture Section and six Laboratory Sections (36 students total)
  24. ECE 813--3(3-0)--One Lecture Section (15 students total)
  25. ECE 921--3(3-0)--Not currently scheduled for the spring of 2001; however, C.-L. Wey has requested that he be permitted to offer a section in the spring of 2001.
  26. Spring Semester of 2001 Summary
  27. Seven (or eight) lecture sections and 22 laboratory sections, with an average of 45 students per lecture section.
  28. The total SCH generated is projected to be 1139, which is 32% of the department’s total for the spring of 2001 for ECE-coded courses taken by EE and CpE majors.

LIST OF TABLES

TablePage

TABLE I—Computer Engineering Enrollment Trends at MSU...... 7

TABLE II—Electrical Engineering Enrollment Trends at MSU...... 8

TABLE III—Computer ScienceEnrollment Trends at MSU...... 9

TABLE IV—Distribution of Honors College Students...... 9

TABLE V—CSE and ECE-Coded Courses on EE Graduate Student Programs...... 10

TABLE VI—Distribution of CSE-Coded Courses on EE Graduate Student Programs...... 12

TABLE VII—Distribution of ECE-Coded Courses on EE Graduate Student Programs.....12

TABLE VIII—MS and Ph.D. Degrees Awarded in EE (1998-2000)...... 12

TABLE IX—Interest Areas for New EE Graduate Students Entering in the Fall of 2000....13

TABLE X—Number of CSE and ECE Faculty Members (1985-2000)...... 13

TABLE XI—New ECE Faculty Members (1996-2000)...... 14

TABLE XXI—New CSE Faculty Members (1996-2000)...... 14
Table I—Computer Engineering Enrollment Trends at MSU

(Three-year Moving Average)

Year / Fresh / Soph / Junior / Senior

F89

F90
F91 / 57 / 32 / 25 / 19
F92 / 66 / 40 / 30 / 25
F93 / 66 / 43 / 34 / 29
F94 / 68 / 41 / 37 / 30
F95 / 71 / 41 / 33 / 36
F96 / 91 / 45 / 34 / 35
F97 / 111 / 57 / 32 / 35
F98 / 130 / 71 / 38 / 33
F99 / 143 / 89 / 44 / 37
F00 / 157 / 105 / 56 / 45

Table II—Electrical Engineering Enrollment Trends at MSU

(Three-year Moving Average)

Year / Fresh / Soph / Junior / Senior / MS / PhD

F79

F80
F81 / 197 / 166 / 133 / 133 / 34 / 15
F82 / 221 / 210 / 138 / 143 / 37 / 19
F83 / 230 / 248 / 144 / 152 / 44 / 22
F84 / 241 / 266 / 141 / 164 / 47 / 23
F85 / 258 / 276 / 151 / 166 / 49 / 24
F86 / 283 / 276 / 143 / 172 / 55 / 27
F87 / 273 / 283 / 132 / 162 / 62 / 32
F88 / 238 / 272 / 119 / 158 / 78 / 40
F89 / 204 / 243 / 117 / 151 / 85 / 47
F90 / 178 / 206 / 118 / 147 / 88 / 54
F91 / 146 / 181 / 115 / 144 / 83 / 56
F92 / 124 / 139 / 123 / 142 / 84 / 55
F93 / 113 / 114 / 123 / 145 / 89 / 52
F94 / 112 / 87 / 126 / 143 / 88 / 50
F95 / 104 / 86 / 115 / 141 / 76 / 52
F96 / 97 / 82 / 112 / 137 / 71 / 56
F97 / 99 / 83 / 116 / 127 / 76 / 54
F98 / 96 / 86 / 127 / 132 / 93 / 49
F99 / 85 / 85 / 128 / 136 / 108 / 46
F00 / 78 / 74 / 125 / 151 / 117 / 47

Table III—Computer Science Enrollment Trends at MSU

(Three-year Moving Average)

Year /
Fresh
/ Soph / Junior / Senior / MS / PhD
F79
F80
F81 / 302 / 177 / 99 / 111 / 43 / 11
F82 / 380 / 225 / 112 / 112 / 40 / 12
F83 / 432 / 288 / 122 / 122 / 48 / 13
F84 / 447 / 301 / 140 / 132 / 65 / 14
F85 / 383 / 288 / 131 / 147 / 78 / 17
F86 / 311 / 227 / 112 / 123 / 83 / 21
F87 / 227 / 184 / 85 / 106 / 92 / 29
F88 / 181 / 153 / 85 / 81 / 110 / 36
F89 / 152 / 132 / 91 / 88 / 123 / 42
F90 / 134 / 124 / 88 / 91 / 122 / 49
F91 / 119 / 109 / 78 / 92 / 107 / 60
F92 / 103 / 95 / 72 / 89 / 89 / 68
F93 / 95 / 81 / 71 / 85 / 81 / 69
F94 / 97 / 75 / 71 / 89 / 82 / 63
F95 / 113 / 81 / 72 / 96 / 87 / 57
F96 / 136 / 92 / 78 / 101 / 88 / 57
F97 / 176 / 118 / 85 / 105 / 91 / 55
F98 / 209 / 147 / 94 / 121 / 87 / 57
F99 / 220 / 168 / 102 / 136 / 81 / 58
F00 / 242 / 173 / 110 / 156 / 69 / 56

Table IV—Distribution of Honors College Students

Academic Program / Number of Honors College Students
Computer Engineering / 41
Electrical Engineering / 41
Computer Science / 87

Table V—CSE and ECE-Coded Courses on EE Graduate Student Programs

Course Number / Course Title / Number of EE Grad Students
CSE 232 / Introduction to Programming II / 1
CSE 330 / No Title Available / 5
CSE 331 / Algorithms and Data Structures / 1
CSE 360 / No Title Available (Course Dropped) / 2
CSE 410 / Operating Systems / 79
CSE 420 / Computer Architecture / 6
CSE 422 / Computer Networks / 66
CSE 450 / Translation of Programming Languages / 3
CSE 460 / Computability and Formal Language Theory / 1
CSE 470 / Software Engineering / 9
CSE 472 / Computer Graphics / 1
CSE 479 / No Title Available (Course Dropped) / 1
CSE 480 / Database Systems / 7
CSE 802 / Pattern Recognition and Analysis / 23
CSE 803 / Computer Vision / 11
CSE 807 / Computer System Performance and Measurement / 30
CSE 808 / Modeling and Discrete Simulation / 2
CSE 812 / Advanced Operating Systems / 56
CSE 814 / Formal Methods in Software Development / 5
CSE 820 / Advanced Computer Architecture / 84
CSE 822 / Parallel Processing Computer Systems / 26
CSE 824 / Advanced Computer Networks and Communications / 11
CSE 830 / Design and Theory of Algorithms / 33
CSE 835 / Algorithmic Graph Theory / 1
CSE 838 / Design of Parallel Algorithms / 1
CSE 841 / Artificial Intelligence / 5
CSE 845 / Knowledge-Based Systems / 1
CSE 860 / Foundations of Computing / 1
CSE 880 / Advanced Database Systems / 10
CSE 890 / Independent Study / 11
CSE 891 / Selected Topics / 5
CSE 898 / Master's Project / 1
CSE 910 / Selected Topics in Computer Networks and Distributed Systems / 2
CSE 914 / Selected Topics in Formal Methods in Software Development / 1
CSE 941 / Selected Topics in Artificial Intelligence / 2
ECE 302 / Electronic Circuits / 1
ECE 303 / Electronics Laboratory / 1
ECE 305 / Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I / 1
ECE 330 / Digital Logic Fundamentals / 1
ECE 331 / Microprocessors and Digital Systems / 1
ECE 332 / Microprocessors and Digital Systems Laboratory / 1
ECE 360 / Signals and Linear Systems / 1
ECE 410 / Digital Electronics/VLSI Design / 15
ECE 411 / Electronic Design Automation / 19
ECE 413 / Control Systems / 5
ECE 435 / Electromagnetic Waves and Applications / 4
ECE 457 / Communication Systems / 6
ECE 458 / Communication Systems Laboratory / 25
ECE 466 / Digital Signal Processing and Filter Design / 24
ECE 474 / Principles of Electronic Devices / 4
ECE 476 / Electro-Optics / 8
ECE 482 / Capstone: Computer Systems Design / 2
ECE 483 / Capstone: Integrated Circuit Design and Fabrication / 8
ECE 484 / Capstone: Applications of Analog Integrated Circuits / 2
ECE 490 / Independent Study / 1
ECE 491 / Special Topics / 7
ECE 801 / Independent Study / 53
ECE 802 / Selected Topics / 12
ECE 809 / Algorithms and Their Hardware Implementation / 130
ECE 813 / Logic Design Principles/Advanced VLSI Design / 96
ECE 818 / Robotics / 18
ECE 823 / Power System Stability and Control / 5
ECE 824 / Power System Operation and Control / 9
ECE 825 / Alternating Current Electrical Machines and Drives / 8
ECE 826 / Linear Control Systems / 148
ECE 827 / Nonlinear Systems Analysis / 17
ECE 829 / Optimal Multivariable Control / 9
ECE 831 / Analog Circuit Theory / 29
ECE 832 / Analog Integrated Circuit Design / 18
ECE 835 / Advanced Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I / 35
ECE 836 / Advanced Electromagnetic Fields and Waves II / 17
ECE 841 / Fourier Optics / 6
ECE 842 / Quantum Electronics / 8
ECE 847 / Analog and Digital Communications / 12
ECE 850 / Electrodynamics of Plasmas / 10
ECE 863 / Analysis of Stochastic Systems / 58
ECE 864 / Detection and Estimation Theory / 22
ECE 865 / Analog and Digital Communications / 25
ECE 866 / No Title Available / 7
ECE 874 / Physical Electronics / 130
ECE 875 / Electronic Devices / 40
ECE 885 / Artificial Neural Networks / 18
ECE 899 / Master's Thesis Research / 78
ECE 921 / Advanced Topics in Digital Circuits and Systems / 20
ECE 925 / Advanced Topics in Power / 3
ECE 929 / Advanced Topics in Electromagnetics / 11
ECE 931 / Advanced Topics in Electronic Devices and Materials / 12
ECE 960 / Advanced Topics in Control / 4
ECE 963 / Advanced Topics in Systems / 1
ECE 966 / Advanced Topics in Signal Processing / 14
ECE 989 / Advanced Topics in Plasma / 5
ECE 999 / Doctoral Dissertation Research / 38

Table VI

Distribution of CSE-Coded Courses on EE Graduate Student Programs

Percent of Program in CSE Courses / Number of Students
0-10% / 108
10-20% / 19
20-30% / 15
30-40% / 17
40-50% / 24
50-60% / 32
60-70% / 10
70-80% / 1
80-90% / 2
90-100% / 2

Table VII

Distribution of ECE-Coded courses on EE Graduate Student Programs

Percent of Program in ECE Courses / Number of Students
0-10% / 3
10-20% / 1
20-30% / 14
30-40% / 29
40-50% / 22
50-60% / 28
60-70% / 28
70-80% / 32
80-90% / 38
90-100% / 35

Table VIII—MS and Ph.D. Degrees Awarded in EE (1998-2000)

Year / MS (CpE) / MS (Total) / PhD (CpE) / PhD (Total)
1998-99 / 25 / 47 / 4 / 10
1999-00 / 31 / 56 / 1 / 11
TOTALS / 56 / 103 / 5 / 21

Table IX

Interest Areas for New EE Graduate Students Entering in the Fall of 2000

Subject Area / Number of Students
Computers / 24
Communications & Signal Processing / 3
Control Systems / 7
Circuits and Devices / 1
Electromagnetics / 1
Power / 1

Table X—Number of CSE and ECE Faculty Members (1985-2000)

Year

/

Number of CSE Faculty

/

Number of ECE Faculty

(Three-year Average) / (Three-year Average)
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88 / 21.8 / 25.0
1988-89 / 23.6 / 25.3
1989-90 / 24.2 / 25.0
1990-91 / 25.1 / 25.1
1991-92 / 25.8 / 25.0
1992-93 / 26.2 / 25.0
1993-94 / 26.0 / 25.4
1994-95 / 25.2 / 24.9
1995-96 / 24.4 / 24.5
1996-97 / 23.7 / 24.0
1997-98 / 23.9 / 24.3
1998-99 / 24.0 / 25.0
1999-00 / 24.0 / 25.2

Table XI—New ECE Faculty Members in Last Five Years

Name / Arrived / Area / Departed
R. Nowak / 1996 / Communications / 1999
V. Ayres / 1997 / Materials
N. Xi / 1997 / Manufacturing
L. Kempel / 1998 / Electromagnetics
B. Kim / 1998 / Computers / 2000
T. Hogan / 1998 / Materials
F. Peng / 2000 / Power
H. Radha / 2000 / Communications

Table XII—New CSE Faculty Members in Last Five Years

Name / Arrived / Area / Departed
L. Dillon / 1997 / Software Engineering
S. Mahadevan / 1997 / Machine Intelligence
C. Owen / 1998 / Multimedia
K. Stirewalt / 1998 / Software Engineering
S. Kulkarni / 1998 / Systems
P. Mohapatra / 1999 / Networks
J. Lee / 2000 / Compilers

1cse_ece_14.doc