Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Five Year Strategic Plan 2011-2016

Mississippi State University

April 5, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                               Page

 

Mission and Vision …………………………………………………........1

Strategic Goal 1:  Innovative Educational Programs …………………. 2

Strategic Goal 2:  Research Leadership …………………………….....5

Strategic Goal 3:  Infrastructure and Administrative Support ………....7

Strategic Goal 4:  Industry and Interdisciplinary Relationships ………..9

Strategic Goal 5:  Enhanced Reputation of the Department …………11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Mississippi State University

 

Mission

To produce top caliber industrial and systems engineers through comprehensive, proactive and evolving educational programs, to conduct and disseminate leading edge research and scholarship, and to provide service to engineers, companies, government agencies, and professional societies associated with industrial and systems engineering.

 

Vision

To become an internationally recognized, nationally prominent industrial and systems engineering department in teaching, research, and service.

 

STRATEGIC GOAL 1:  INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Strengths

§  Undergraduate program is accredited by ABET

§  We work hard to recruit good students by visiting schools, arranging campus visits, networking, providing graduate assistant support, ensuring good job placement

§  The average ACT score for our undergraduate students is 26.4

§  We offer undergraduate research opportunities

§  Significant numbers of undergraduate students are involved in internships or co-op experiences

§  We offer opportunities to study abroad

§  Undergraduate student scholarships

§  We offer a variety of courses via distance

§  Graduate students actively publish and present research

§  High percentage of on-campus students have assistantships

 

 

Objectives

Objective 1.1   Our ISE undergraduate program will be widely recognized for producing quality graduates with real world, problem-solving knowledge and experience. 

Strategy 1.1 A   Refine and continue recruiting strategies for growing undergraduate enrollment such as high school visits, scholarships, and online websites or advertisements.

Strategy 1.1 B   Increase the use of case and problem based learning. 

Strategy 1.1 C   Increase faculty supervised student participation in national and regional competitions.

Strategy 1.1 D   Increase undergraduate student participation in sponsored projects.

Strategy 1.1 E   Increase the number of plant tours to various organizations.

Strategy 1.1 F   Create an active peer mentoring program for freshmen and transfer students.

Strategy 1.1 G   Work to maintain a sense of identity among our undergraduate students with on-campus events and meetings, web-based sites and events, and other networking tools as appropriate.

Strategy 1.1 H   Continue to promote undergraduate student  involvement in the co-op and internship programs.

Objective 1.2   Our distance Ph.D. program will remain the largest in the College and will be known for student involvement in research scholarship.

Strategy 1.2 A   Build the department’s research reputation by providing collaborative research opportunities for doctoral students and faculty members at partner locations around the country and world. 

Strategy 1.2 B   Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our distance offerings. 

Strategy 1.2 C   Advertise the distance program.

Strategy 1.2 D   Facilitate video conferencing for use with the distance program (e.g., for exams, class project presentations, proposal presentations, thesis/dissertation defenses).

Strategy 1.2 E   Enhance the feeling of “community” and connect our on- and off-campus graduate students.

 Strategy 1.2 F   Improve our connection with distance program alumni.

Objective 1.3    The ISE Department will be viewed by people across campus (and beyond) as a teaching center of excellence.

Strategy 1.3 A   Provide a venue for sharing best practices among faculty.  One or two times a semester, gather to discuss practices related to some particular educational topic.  Senior graduate students should be encouraged to participate. 

Strategy 1.3 B   Include educational topics in the Pritchard Speaker Series on a regular basis.

Strategy 1.3 C   Raise funds to send faculty to Harvard Business School for training in Harvard case study teaching techniques.

Benchmarks

§  ABET accreditation is maintained

§  Average ACT scores for undergraduate students

§  Number of undergraduate students working on research projects

§  Percentage of undergraduate students who, by graduation, have participated in co-op or internships

§  Number of students participating in national/international engineering competitions

§  Number of students participating in study abroad programs

§  Frequency at which degree program curricula undergo a thorough review

§  Teaching awards/recognition received by ISE faculty members

§   Enrollment in all degree programs

 

 

STRATEGIC GOAL 2:  RESEARCH LEADERSHIP

Strengths

§  Faculty collaborates, both within and outside the department, on research

§  Ability to secure funding for research has increased

§  Research expenditures average $200,000 per faculty

§  Faculty submitted 15 proposals as PI in FY10

§  Faculty produced an average of 1 refereed journal article and 3.56 refereed conference proceeding articles in 2009

 

 

 

Objectives

Objective 2.1   Maintain the current level of research expenditures.

Strategy 2.1 A   Identify more funding sources and submit more proposals. The business manager will help to prepare budget and business management plans.

Strategy 2.1 B   Submit larger interdisciplinary research proposals.  Continue to help identify matching funds to facilitate larger proposals. Increase participation in research working groups organized by the college.

Strategy 2.1 C   Select and invest in a research subject area(s) as a focus (e.g., transportation, healthcare, energy,…) and pursue a center of excellence in the area(s). 

Strategy 2.1 D   Establish more collaboration with national labs and/or MSU research centers.

Strategy 2.1 E   Pursue federal and state earmark opportunities, mainly in the area(s) identified in 2.1 C.

Objective 2.2   Raise the external visibility of the Department regarding research scholarship.

Strategy 2.2 A   Increase the number of refereed journal papers published.  Continue the graduate student best paper award to encourage students to write papers out of their thesis or dissertation.

Strategy 2.2 B   Organize and host international, national, and regional workshop/conferences.

Strategy 2.2 C   Provide travel assistance to faculty and graduate students to attend national and international meetings.

Strategy 2.2 D   Increase participation in national proposal review panels.

Strategy 2.2 E   Increase participation in editorial work for journals.

Strategy 2.2 F    Invite researchers from other ISE programs and national labs to deliver seminars and have discussions on campus.

Strategy 2.2 G   Provide one graduate assistant to each member of the tenure-track faculty.

Strategy 2.2 H   Graduate top-caliber doctoral students and help them to secure faculty positions regionally and nationally. 

 

Benchmarks

§  Amount of research expenditure per tenure-track faculty per year ($200,000)

§  Number of proposals and the total requested amount per tenure-track faculty per year. (3, $400,000)

§  Number of publications per tenure-track faculty (2 journal papers and 1 refereed conference paper) 

§  Number of talks per tenure-track faculty per year (2)

§  Leadership in national and international professional organizations (including journals), conferences, and societies

§  Number of invited speakers giving seminars at MSU per year (4)

§  Number of Ph.D. students graduated per tenure-track faculty per year (0.5)

§  Placement of graduate students

 

STRATEGIC GOAL 3:  HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Strengths

§  Strong committed faculty and instructors

§  Hard-working staff

§  Well presented facilities

§  Leverage of facilities with other units (e.g., CAVS)

Objectives

Objective 3.1   Increase faculty size to 12 tenure track faculty, 1 Research Professor, 3 instructors to support and maintain academic program excellence.

 

Strategy 3.1 A   Continue to provide the Dean with data showing our need for new positions based on both our undergraduate and doctoral program growth.

 

Strategy 3.1 B   Increase research grant support for strategic hire of a research professor.

 

Strategy 3.1.C   Pursue the creation of one new joint faculty positions with University centers such as CAVS.

 

 

 

 

 

Objective 3.2   Enhance faculty and staff composition and support.

Strategy 3.2 A   Require a line item for specialized administrative support in research proposal budgets as appropriate.

 

Strategy 3.2 B   Enhance the efficiency of administrative staff members’ time through the judicious assignment of student workers to assist with routine office matters.

 

Strategy 3.2. C   Work with the College development staff to raise funds for two new departmental professorships or chairs.

 

Objective 3.3   Enhance the support for departmental graduate students.

Strategy 3.3 A   Continue providing one graduate assistant per faculty member each semester to support academic and research programs.

Strategy 3.3 B   Work with the College development staff to raise funds for a scholarship/fellowship for graduate students.

 

Strategy 3.3 C   Ensure graduate student support by adding a budget line item for graduate student assistance in grant proposals where appropriate.

 

Objective 3.4   Clarify and improve current policies/procedures.

Strategy 3.4 A   Form ad hoc committees to study current policies/procedures such as the workload, sabbatical, buy-out, cost sharing, etc. policies/procedure and create recommendations  where needed for improving departmental processes.

Benchmarks

§  Number of faculty and instructors

§  Number of graduate student scholarships/fellowships awarded

§  Number of graduate student assistantships funded by external grants

§  Number of graduate student assistantships funded by the department

§  Number of professorships/chairs

 

 

STRATEGIC GOAL 4:  INDUSTRY AND INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS

Strengths

§  Strong relationship with CAVS-E based in Canton as demonstrated by collaborative research projects and workshops

§  Significant student participation in cooperative education and internship programs

 

Objectives

Objective 4.1   Engage ISE students and faculty in professional practice and the application of ISE principles, tools, and methodologies in order to understand the:

§  relevance and importance of ISE’s role in industry,

§  connection between ISE and other fields, units, and disciplines, and

§  current industry practices, challenges, and needs.

Strategy 4.1 A   Conduct two industry visits (e.g., structured plant tours) per semester that are integrated into certain courses and the curriculum.

Strategy 4.1 B   Perform projects or class exercises that address specific industry needs, involving at least one class per semester.

 Strategy 4.1 C   Provide a speaker series that features practice-oriented sessions to highlight IE applications or interdisciplinary activities.

Strategy 4.1 D   Host an annual “industry day” on campus that celebrates the application of ISE in an organization or industry, preferably focusing on MSU—ISE--industry collaboration.

 Strategy 4.1 E   Encourage faculty to participate in visiting faculty fellow programs to spend a summer or semester in industry.

Strategy 4.1 F   Offer a visiting industry fellow program so that a key person from industry can spend a semester or more in residence at MSU ISE.

Strategy 4.1 G   Establish a non-tenure-track professor of the practice faculty position for eminently qualified academic, business, or government leaders who have made major impacts on ISE.

Objective 4.2   Provide services to industry that enhance organizational performance through education and direct economic impact.

Strategy 4.2 A   Develop and deliver workshops, including short courses, either at MSU or on-site.

Strategy 4.2 B   Perform projects, either fee-based or student/class based, that address specific industry needs.

Strategy 4.2 C   Provide a speaker series that features practice-oriented sessions to highlight ISE applications or interdisciplinary activities.

Objective 4.3   Effectively initiate, support, coordinate, and promote partnerships between MSU ISE and industry. 

Strategy 4.3 A   Consider establishing an ISE--Industry Steering Council or add new types of members to the current advisory board.

Benchmarks

§  Number of formal visits to and from organizations

§  Number of plant tours offered per semester

§  Number of workshops, short courses, or seminars that are attended by industry

STRATEGIC GOAL 5:  ENHANCE REPUTATION OF THE DEPARTMENT

Strengths

§  Competitive high rating within BCoE on its matrix of excellence

§  Increasing trend in undergraduate enrollment rate 

§  Faculty and students being recognized within MSU, locally and nationally

Objectives

Objective 5.1   Increase the department’s recognition among potential students, peers, other institutions, and the community.  

Strategy 5.1 A   Regularly nominate faculty to take positions with professional organizations—determine which types of positions warrant faculty support.

Strategy 5.1 B   Regularly nominate and support faculty for institutional, regional, and national awards.

Strategy 5.1 C   Prepare and distribute brochures to advertise the different  MS & PhD programs within the department.  Also post these online. 

Strategy 5.1 D   Advertise graduate assistant positions in conferences and through e-mail (IIE faculty list serve).

Objective 5.2   Promote collaborations with other institutions.

Strategy 5.2 A   Bring speakers to campus through Pritchard Distinguished Speaker Series, and Transportation Working Group meetings.

Strategy 5.2 B   Encourage faculty to visit and give presentations to other institutions. 

Strategy 5.2 C   Facilitate Sabbatical leave.   

Strategy 5.2 D  Support faculty in applying for Summer Faculty Fellowship Programs such as Air Force, DOE, ONR.

Objective 5.3   Promote well-known program strengths.

Strategy 5.3 A   Publish a yearly newsletter to discuss faculty and student research and achievements.

Strategy 5.3 B   Advertise achievements by students and faculty in IIE magazine, or IIE faculty mail serve.

 

 

Benchmarks

§  Number of institutional, regional, and national awards received by the faculty

§  Number of officer positions held by the faculty in professional societies

§  Number of publications in respected periodicals

§  Number of electronic newsletters published

§  Number of people on sabbatical