January 27, 2021

The ECE department’s EE curriculum has served us well for many years but is showing signs that it needs an update. Our department is now much different than it was even 10 years ago. We have more students, different areas of research, a new name (ECE instead of EE), and much more. Thus, I have started a Curriculum Reinvention Project, with the aim to roll out a new undergraduate curriculum over the next two years.
 
Curriculum revisions are extremely challenging. Many different stakeholders are involved, from current and prospective students, community colleges, industry partners, graduate schools, instructors and faculty, our advising team, and other departments in the college. In addition, the university requires a number of checks and balances and a lengthy approval process. Reinventing a curriculum is like changing the course of an enormous, cumbersome ocean liner. It takes time and a lot of energy.
 
This quarter, our curriculum reinvention team is in the idea-generation phase. Through a variety of means — mainly focus groups — we are collecting feedback from all the stakeholders listed above. So far we have talked to industry partners, academics at several top ECE departments around the country, and a handful of students. Our next step is to start conversations with all of you. The first step in that process will be the following event:
 
Curriculum Reinvention Townhall
Student Advisory Council (SAC)
Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 6-7 PM
 
As usual, this will be a student-run event and the SAC will provide a report to the ECE leadership about what was discussed. I will pop in at the beginning to frame the conversation, but will then leave you to discuss what is working and what is not working in our current curriculum and what ideas you have for the future. Note that although we are currently focused on the undergraduate curriculum, I am hoping graduate students, especially those who have served as TAs, will attend as well.
Please attend! Your voice is important!  Thank you and I hope to see you on Tuesday.