Student Learning Outcomes MEM

This page provides information about student learning outcomes for the MEM degree. The MEM has an assessment plan that will continuously improve the program, and also meet the accrediting requirements of Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which is its accrediting body. To be accredited, certain student learning outcomes must be measured, evaluated and improved. The MEM assessment strategy follows ABET’s, the international engineering accrediting body, general learning outcomes.

Students will gain many student learning outcomes by pursuing the MEM degree. The student learning outcomes will be partially based upon the student's chosen coursework. Of these many student learning outcomes, the MEM degree will assess its effectiveness based upon the number of yearly graduates, and the following assessed student learning outcomes. These student learning outcomes are the seven learning outcomes required by ABET.

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. This student learning outcome will be assessed in the core area entitled Financial Decision Making. This requirement can only be satisfied by SIME 6560 - Engineering Economic Analysis. This class requires students to create their own large spreadsheets. These spreadsheets include mathematical and statistic models of engineering economic systems. Students use their spreadsheets to improve engineering decision making.The second assessment will occur during the capstone exam. To successfully pass the capstone exam, the students have to identify a problem and show how they have used knowledge from their courses (one of them required to be a course from the quantitative decision making core) to solve the complex problem. Thus, the capstone exam demonstrates the student's ability to solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. This learning outcome will be assessed during the capstone exam. Besides providing an engineering solution to the students selected capstone problem. The students must also present how their solution relates to public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. Thus, the examiner will be able to determine the student's mastery of this learning outcome.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences. Written communication will be assessed in the core area entitled Financial Decision Making. This requirement can only be satisfied by SIME 6560 - Engineering Economic Analysis. Students are required to write extensive reports for their projects. The executive summaries are read and graded by someone “wearing the hat” of a CEO. The technical reports are read and graded by someone “wearing the hat” of an engineer that has been out of school for 10 years.Oral communication will be evaluated during the capstone exam. The student must give a 20-25 minute presentation. Thus, the examiner will be able to assess the student's presentation skills (oral communication).Coupling both of these assessments together shows that the student can effectively communicate with a wide audience range.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.This outcome will be assessed in the core area entitled Management of Engineers. This requirement can only be satisfied by SIME 6500 - Engineering Leadership and Management. This class' sole focus is on leading and managing people and organizations. This includes the evaluation of employees, divisions, groups, etc. The impact of hiring/firing employees will be discussed along with a variety of other ethical and professional responsibilities. Thus, the class will include material on ethics, professional responsibility and the impact that engineering management/leadership decisions have on global, economic, environmental and societal areas.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.This outcome will be assessed in the core area entitled Management of Engineers. This requirement can only be satisfied by SIME 6500 - Engineering Leadership and Management. This class focuses on leading teams of engineers. Many topics relating to functioning effectively on a team will be taught. As such, some of the class assignments will involve group projects where students have the opportunity to be both a leader on one project and have someone else as a leader on another project.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.This learning outcome will be assessed in the core area entitled Financial Decision Making. This requirement can only be satisfied by SIME 6560 - Engineering Economic Analysis. This class requires students to create their own large spreadsheets and to make recommendations from this analysis. Much of these spreadsheets involve experimentation. Furthermore, the students have analyzed, interpreted data and shown engineering judgment in making their recommendations. In this case, the recommendations are the conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.This learning outcome will be assessed in the capstone exam. To successfully pass the capstone exam, the students have to have identified a problem and shown how they have used knowledge from their courses (one of them required to be quantitative decision making core) to solve the complex problem. The fact that the students have to integrate knowledge from three different courses demonstrates how they applied new knowledge as needed. Furthermore, if the student passes this exam, then they have used appropriate learning strategies.

Besides these formally assessed student learning outcomes, the department has created an informal assessment of the elective classes through the capstone project and exam. Students present how they will use three different classes to solve a real-world problem. Unknowingly, the students are randomly sampling the courses on their Program of Study to complete this experience. Thus, the faculty will learn about a variety of elective classes. Through this sampling, the faculty will be better able to provide suggested elective classes for students and potentially add or modify the degree requirements. Thus, the program will also be informally evaluating the effectiveness of the students' selected electives through random sampling and have a feedback loop for continuous improvement