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Mission Statement

College of Engineering

Tennessee State University, established in 1890, as a land-grant institution is a major urban comprehensive university. The College of Engineering was established in 1951. Its Statement of Mission reads:

The College shall have an educational delivery system and research of uncompromising high quality which addresses the needs of the people and the goals of the State of Tennessee, the region and the nation in the areas of analysis, design and development of systems, system components and processes.

The College shall prepare students to think critical, apply knowledge, communicate effectively and function productively as members of professional teams, pursue graduate studies and engage in life long learning.

The College shall pursue basic and applied research in critical technologies including transportation and environmental engineering, design and manufacturing engineering, computer communication and networks, wireless and intelligent systems, robotics building technology, software productivity and security systems for networks manufacturing systems and individual facilities.

The College shall be a full partner with business, industry and related government agencies to enhance Tennessee's economy through research activities in critical technologies, continuing education and technology transfer.

In carrying out this diverse mission, the College of Engineering at Tennessee State University serves Nashville and middle Tennessee, the State of Tennessee,The Nation, and the international community with Universities Motto, "Think, Work, Serve" as the basis of the College's Mission. In this regard, the College seeks to provide its students with these experiences which lead to a wholesome, well-rounded and well-balanced quality life.

The College serves a diverse population of students of all races: traditional, non-traditional, commuter, residential, undergraduates, graduates, non-degree, full-time, and part-time. In doing so, the College seeks to develop the talents of its students, including those with special academic talents as well as those who have educational, cultural, environmental, social and/or economic constraints.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATIONAL GOALS

The educational goals of the College are:

• To prepare students to think critically, interpret knowledge, and pursue lifelong learning, function effectively and productively as members of a global society as professional in a technology based work force.
• To familiarize the student with the systematic scientific approach to problem-solving, including the use of modern tools and current technology.
• To provide the student with a strong foundation in engineering fundamentals.
• To aid students to develop habits of orderliness, carefulness and objectivity.
• To aid students to develop professional attitudes, communication skills, and professional ethics, including the understanding of the engineering profession.
• To aid students to develop an understanding and sensitivity for social, political, economic, and environmental implications of technological system in the real world.
• To provide the student with intellectual challenges designed to arouse curiosity and a desire for lifelong learning.
• To provide students with experiences which will prepare them to function effectively in multi-cultural and multi-discipline groups.

ENGINEERING PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Graduates from an engineering program in the College of Engineering shall have the ability to demonstrate the following:

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
• 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.
• An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• 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.
• 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 objective.
• An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

ENGINEERING DESIGN EXPERIENCE

A major engineering curriculum objective is to provide engineering students with the ability to systematically apply engineering fundamentals to the design of engineering components, systems and processes.

Engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision making process (often iterative). The fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, construction, testing and evaluation, and may include a variety of realistic constraints, such as economic and environmental factors, safety, reliability, aesthetics, ethics and social impact, and security.

In this regard, the College has in place, a series of required courses with engineering design content, which are integrated throughout the curriculum in each engineering department.

The engineering design experience begins in the freshman year with ENGR 1020 Freshman Engineering Seminar, and continues in the sophomore year with ENGR 2010 Thermodynamics (or ENGR 2250 Transport Phenomena) and ENGR 2130 Mechanics of Materials.

Engineering design continues in the junior year with the required course ENGR 3200 Introduction to Design or ENGR 3250 Introduction to Systems Engineering where upper division students are once again introduced to the design process in a much more rigorous and comprehensive manner, building upon concepts introduced at the freshman and sophomore levels.

Specialization in each department begins in the junior year with departmental design courses. Program specific design courses are listed in each department curriculum. Further specialization takes place in the senior year with realistic design projects appropriate to the students' field of study. Each department offers at least one course which is 100% engineering design. The engineering design sequence is completed with a two-semester capstone design course. An integral part of the design experience is the introduction of ethical, economical, social, safety and security factors required to make a design successful and realistic. These concepts are introduced during the freshman year, reinforced during the junior year and integrated into design projects in junior level and senior level design courses. At each level, formal written reports and formal oral presentations are required to communicate the design.