Section 1 - Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board

2. Program Outcomes
Methodology
The Task Force synthesized input from sequence committee meetings and Program Advisory
Committee meetings (Online Resources/E-3). In addition, and given the opportunity of the
Consent Renewal process, the Task Force looked at trends in the employment market and in the
competitive postsecondary marketplace.
Students provided input both through the Graduating Students Focus Group and the
comprehensive questions in the Student Satisfaction Questionnaire.
Findings
The Task Force’ analysis is provided in Course/Sequence Analysis Table (Online Resources/E-4.)
The general consensus is that the courses and sequences are achieving the program outcomes.
Students, too, are satisfied that the program provides the skills and abilities for their chosen
career. 72% are satisfied while 8% are not satisfied. (Last year’s input was 87% and 2%,
lending credence to a perception that this year’s graduating class, which has been notoriously
negative, has skewed the numbers.)
The Graduating Students Focus group provided detailed input about each of the sequences.
these suggestions more or less align with the Task Force analysis. Here is a summary of the
findings organized by sequence:
1. The Electronics Fundamentals sequence is solid.
2. The Digital Sequence:
The sequence does not deliver the stated programming outcomes. The curriculum in the
CMP231 course should be reviewed and the programming outcomes developed
throughout the sequence.
There is some unnecessary redundancy and questionable sequencing.
The sequence should include higher end technology (ARM) and have a more distinct and
rigorous capstone course.
3. The Communications Sequence:
The Networking course NET210 needs to be better integrated into the sequence.
Course titles need to change to better reflect the content of the course.
The sequence needs an overall review, especially the labs in the higher end courses.
4. Other courses (signal processing, control systems, physics) need to integrate more effectively
with the primary sequences (Embedded Systems and Communications). The graduating students
also commented on the need to integrate the physics, current industry practices, motor control
and fuzzy logic more effectively.
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