GOALS

OVERALL DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES:

• To be, and to be generally recognized as, the leading science and engineering-based university affiliated program focused on technology-based policy problems in the world.
• To provide a friendly, cheerful, intellectually rich and stimulating work environment for our students, our faculty and our staff.

OBJECTIVES IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION:

• Through double major degree programs with each of the five traditional engineering departments provide roughly ten percent of CMU's undergraduate engineering students with an extra dimension to their education in the area of technology and policy. The objective in doing this is not to produce graduate who will pursue significantly different careers, but rather, to produce conventionally trained engineers who for the most part will enter traditional engineering careers ...and in doing so will carry with them a set of insights and skills that will help them to better deal with issues in technology and policy and better exercise their ethical and social obligations as practicing professionals.

OBJECTIVES IN RESEARCH AND GRADUATE EDUCATION:

• Concentrate on that sub-set of policy problems in which an adequate treatment of the science and engineering is essential for appropriate policy insights and solutions.

• Adopt an interdisciplinary approach to problems, drawing upon, combining, and extending insights and tools from a variety of disciplines. At the same time, assure that the insights, perspectives and skills of science and engineering exert a major influence in graduate education and in most programs of faculty research.

• Concentrate on problems of general and fairly long-term importance. Minimize involvement in policy analysis of the "fire fighting" or "staff work" variety except as such involvement is essential for access to important resources and problems.

• Encourage a high level of professional involvement ...including publication in refereed professional journals... by all faculty and graduate students.

• Concentrate efforts in graduate education on a research-focused Ph.D. program that is designed to train students with substantive backgrounds in science engineering for careers in research and other activities related to technology-focused policy problems. In doing this, adopt the following strategies and philosophies: - View research ...the process of identifying, structuring and solving intellectually and socially significant problems... as the central element of this program. Treat course work as an important but secondary element ...as one of several means of developing the insights and skills that are required for research.- Insist that graduate students have adequately mastered both the science and engineering skills and the social analysis skills that are necessary for success in their chosen area of research.- Encourage independence and initiative on the part of graduate students.- Encourage close, supportive, collegial ties between faculty advisors and graduate students.- Apply strict standards of excellence in both graduate admission and advancement.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT:

• Build and maintain an outstanding faculty that is dedicated to teaching and research, highly motivated and hardworking, friendly, caring, and guided by the highest standards of professional and personal conduct.

• Support and encourage activities which will promote faculty professional growth and recognition.