Program wouldn't fly at U.

Although Enhanced Educational Experience in Engineering – E4 – seems to be working for Drexel, it will be difficult to incorporate it in any of the schools at the University. "For us at Penn, it would be really difficult to implement the program in the University's engineering department for two reasons," Associate Engineering Dean John Keenan said. "One, a number of students enter Penn with different numbers and levels of AP credits, so everyone begins at different points in the curriculum," he explained. "At Drexel, everyone starts off at one level and learns more together because of the program. "And two, for us at the University of Pennsylvania, dual degree programs are very important for many engineering students, to take classes and do majors in the College or Wharton, and you can't integrate classes where students have such a variety of interests." In 1987, the University and Drexel both received grants from the Gateway Coalition of the National Science Foundation. The University received approximately $180,000 to "develop a new civil engineering systems curriculum," Keenan said. "The curriculum wasn't brand new, but an improvement on a former established curriculum, the civil engineering program," he explained. The main difference between civil engineering and civil engineering systems is that CES is on a larger scale and focuses more on the systems aspect of civil engineering, Keenan said. However, the University is trying to change its curriculum by using new technology and creating integrated classes which involve different departments working together to make a connection, Keenan said. For instance, the Math Department has undergone a major change by implementing the software program Maple in calculus classes. The idea was to not only help the student learn and understand the principles of calculus better, but also to introduce students to the technology of the future. Another change at the University is that departments are now trying to offer integrated courses where professors team-teach a class, like in the classical studies course, "The Cultural Constructions of the 'East' and 'West.'" In the class, experts in ancient Greek and Japanese cultures work together in lecturing. The students not only learn about two totally different subjects, but learn to connect them. In the Engineering School, integration has already been initiated. Last summer, a pre-freshman program was designed where math, chemistry and physics were integrated into one class. "The interdisciplinary class was so much better than the classes I'm taking right now because this summer, they showed how all the subjects related," said Engineering freshman Alex McClennan, who attended the integrated pre-freshman class in the summer. "You could understand the reasons why you were learning what was being taught," McClennan said. "Every thing was relevant to each other. But right now, I'm just sort of memorizing stuff for my classes, but not really seeing how they relate." According to Dwight Jaggard, associate dean of graduate education and research at the University, unlike the total integration of classes at Drexel, the Engineering School is also planning some changes and additional opportunities for its students. Engineering courses for freshmen are being offered to introduce students to the subject so they can understand from the beginning what it is about, he said. The Engineering School is working on a course that can be taken by all engineering students that will teach fundamental things about all forms of engineering, according to Jaggard. The school is also trying to integrate math and physics to enhance the freshman experience. They are attempting to internationalize engineering by offering summer internships where engineering students can take classes and do research in another country. "We want to have it available to any student to participate in," Jaggard said. "But, it will take a few years to ramp up enough contacts." They want to give a human face to engineering by such meetings as "Chili and Conversation," where freshman engineers and faculty meet for lunch and dialogue. The goal is for each engineer to have at least one faculty member to talk to, Jaggard said. The school also will attempt to provide every student with an opportunity to do research in at least one of the University's many research facilities, he said. Jaggard added that although these steps will not lead to a completely integrated program like the one at Drexel, the liberal arts atmosphere at the University allows students to receive a fully integrated education.