THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

 

                                                                   FACULTY SENATE

 

 Senate Document Number    7107S

 

 Date of Senate Approval      05/03/07

 

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

 

 

APC Document  61:                              Add new courses: ECE 109 and ECE 209;

                                                         Delete ECE 480 and add EGM 482;

                                                            Change credit hours and description for ECE 200

 

Effective Date:  Fall 2007

 

 

1.         Add:     On page 119, a new course: ECE 109

 

109       Introduction to Computer Systems (3)

Introduction to key concepts in computer systems. Number representations, switching circuits, logic design, microprocessor design, assembly language programming, input/output, interrupts and traps.  Prerequisite: E101. Fall.

 

Impact:

JEM majors will take this course instead of CSCI 201. UNCA Computer Science faculty will teach it. There will be little impact on the resources and staffing of the Computer Science department as a result of this change. We expect the number of JEM majors to be adequate to fill one section of ECE 109 per year; the corresponding reduction in enrollment in CSCI 201 will likely reduce the number of sections for this course by one. There is the possibility of cross-listing ECE 109 with CSCI 255 in the future, but differences in the number of credit hours and the prerequisites would have to be resolved.

 

 

 

 

Rationale: 

The addition of ECE 109 is recommended by NCSU Engineering which is responsible for the Engineering curriculum in the JEM program.  ECE 109 is currently offered at NCSU as part of the Electrical Engineering curriculum. Although it is similar in content to ECE 206, an existing course in the Electrical Engineering curriculum, ECE 109 is designed to be an introduction to programming and ECE 206 is not.

 

 

2.         Add:     On page 119, a new course: ECE 209

 

209             Computer Systems Programming (3)

Computer systems programming using the C language. Translation of C into assembly language. Introduction to fundamental data structures: array, list, tree, hash table.  Prerequisite: ECE 109. Spring.

 

Impact:

JEM majors will take this course instead of CSCI 202. UNCA Computer Science faculty will teach it. There will be little impact on the resources and staffing of the Computer Science department as a result of this change. We expect the number of JEM majors to be adequate to fill one section of ECE 209 per year.

 

Rationale: 

The addition of ECE 209 is recommended by NCSU Engineering which is responsible for the Engineering curriculum in the JEM program. ECE 209 is currently offered at NCSU as part of its Electrical Engineering curriculum.

 

 

3.         Delete:  On page 120, the entry for ECE 480:

 

            480       Senior Design Project in Electrical Engineering (4)

Applications of engineering and basic sciences to the total design of electrical engineering circuits and systems. Consideration of the design process including feasibility study, preliminary design detail, cost effectiveness, along with development and evaluation of a prototype accomplished through design-team project activity. Complete written and oral engineering report required. Prerequisite: senior standing in JEM. Spring.

 

 

      Add:     On page 121, a new course: EGM 482

 

            482       Senior Design Project in Mechatronics Engineering (4)

Applications of engineering and basic sciences to the total design of electro-mechanical systems. Consideration of the design process including feasibility study, preliminary design detail, cost effectiveness, along with development and evaluation of a prototype accomplished through design-team project activity. Complete written and oral engineering report required. Prerequisite: senior standing in JEM. Spring.

 

Impact: 

There will be no impact on resources and staffing of the Engineering program due to this change. Students will no longer take ECE 480. It will be replaced by EGM 482, and will have the same credit hours and prerequisites. No new lab equipment or space will be needed for this course. The new course serves as a better description of the existing Mechatronics Senior Project course.

 

Rationale: 

Prior to this change, the senior project course in the JEM program was ECE 480, Senior Design Project in Electrical Engineering.  The catalog description of this course only addresses the design of electrical circuits and systems.  The course, as taught at UNCA, also includes mechanical design. The new course, EGM 482 is a better representation of the content of the JEM senior design course. This change is requested by NCSU Engineering which is responsible for the Engineering curriculum in the JEM program.

 

 

4.         Delete:  On page 119, the entry for ECE 200:

 

            200       Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratory (3)                            Laboratory with experiments in six groups designed to provide an overview of                            electrical and computer engineering: Fundamental Concepts, Analog Electronic                                  Circuits, Digital Circuits, Communications Systems, Signal Processing.                                          Prerequisite: MATH 192. Corequisite: PHYS 222. Fall.

 

 

            Add:     On page, 119, in place of deleted entry:

 

            200       Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratory (4)                            Laboratory with experiments designed to provide fundamental concepts and an                          overview of electrical and computer engineering specialization areas including                                   analog circuits, communication systems, and signal processing. Experience with                              standard laboratory equipment including power supply, multimeter, function generator,         oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer. Prerequisite: MATH 192. Corequisite: PHYS 222. Fall.

 

Impact:

There will be no impact on the resources and staffing of the Engineering program due to this change.  The content of the course will remain unchanged, but the credit hours associated with the course and the course description will be updated to better represent its content.

 

Rationale:

ECE 200 is part of the Electrical Engineering curriculum at NCSU.  In Fall 2007, the credit hours associated with ECE 200 at NCSU will increase from 3 to 4; the course description will also be updated.  Changing the UNCA course description and credit hours to match the catalog listing at NCSU will maintain consistency between the catalog listings for courses in the joint degree program.