SKILLS OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHAIR

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SKILLS OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHAIR

• Plenary Session IV
• ECEDHA
• March 24th, 2009

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Panelists

• Gonzalo Arce University of Delaware
• Mohammad Alam University of South Alabama
• Mark Smith Purdue University
• Bing Chen University of Nebraska-Lincoln -
  (Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha) moderator

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Did you know?
For the times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan
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Did you know?
For the times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan
China has more honors students than there are
students in the United States.
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Did you know?
For the times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vxHWTLA8WecI
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Did you know?
For the times they are a-changin' - Bob Dylan
Lockheed Martin will retire more engineers in the
next five years than the entire US output of
engineers. This is the manpower needs of only
one company. What about all the other companies
with "baby boomers" now approaching retirement
age?
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Challenges Facing Chairs Traditional Problems

• Shrinking Budgets (Boom and Bust Cycles) with no
  more fat to cut
• ABET (before, now and forever the bane of our
  collective ECE existence)
• Flat to declining student numbers
• Faculty Recruitment (especially for URMs who all
  go to the marquee places first)
• Promotion and Tenure

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Challenges Facing Chairs the new problems added
on to our plates
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Challenges Facing Chairs the new problems added
on to our plates

• Changing student expectations (multiple degree
  and specialization interests and societal
  concerns)
• Newly emerging fields coming out of or related to
  ECE (nano, bio, gaming, and what ever is next?)
• Global competition from overseas (I can hire an
  engineer for 10K in China. Why should I hire in
  the US - CEO National Semiconductor)
• Why come to ECE in North AM when overseas schools
  are every bit as prestigious or North AM ECE
  departments set up branch campuses overseas
• Chinese Academy of Science is funding faculty to
  come to PRC Does this sound like a familiar
  theme?

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Given the changing landscape of educational
globalization what attributes must we as ECE
chairs possess or develop in order to be
competitive in the following areas department
climate, student recruitment, student retention
and satisfaction, funding and outreach?
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Department climate the ECE chair as a leader,
supporter and mentor for department faculty,
staff and students. Shared governance in taking
care of department business such as budgets and
ABET preparation, putting out fires.
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Department climate the ECE chair as a leader,
supporter and mentor for department faculty,
staff and students. Shared governance in taking
care of department business such as budgets and
ABET preparation, putting out fires.
Skill Set Cheerleader and Fireman
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Recruitment of Students high achieving students
who once beat a path to ECE no longer choose this
path. What role do chairs play in this area?
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Recruitment of Students high achieving students
who once beat a path to ECE no longer
automatically choose this path. What role do
chairs play in this area?
Skill Set Barker
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Education of and Retention of Students ECE
programs have historically had higher student
attrition rates. Can chairs enhance a sense of
community and improve the student commitment to
their studies? Can chairs affect their local ECE
climates?
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Education of and Retention of Students ECE
programs have historically had higher student
attrition rates. Can chairs enhance a sense of
community and improve the student commitment to
their studies? Can chairs affect their local ECE
climates?
Skill Set Encouraging innovation to excite
student interest
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Creating Collaborations for Funding can
increasing collaborations with other departments,
colleges, research centers, outside universities
and industry to increase funding opportunities
for ECE departments? Can ECE chairs identify
opportunities for their departments and make
connections for their faculty?
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Creating Collaborations for Funding can
increasing collaborations with other departments,
colleges, research centers, outside universities
and industry to increase funding opportunities
for ECE departments? Can ECE chairs identify
opportunities for their departments and make
connections for their faculty?
Skill Set Bloodhound
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Outreach to the local and regional educational
K-12 entities for building bridges. Can chairs
develop ties with the K-12 educational community
to increase their department's exposure and
recognition? Are there other entities that
increase exposure?
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Outreach to the local and regional educational
K-12 entities for building bridges. Can chairs
develop ties with the K-12 educational community
to increase their department's exposure and
recognition? Are there other entities that
increase exposure?
Skill Set Bridge builder
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• So What skill sets
• do we need
• to be chairs in 2020
• ?

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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the patience of Job
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the courage of David
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the wisdom of the Buddha
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the decisiveness of Patton
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the military skill of Sun Tzu
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer the visionary mind of Francis Bacon
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So What skill sets do we need to be chairs in
2020? Answer and a good dose of humor!
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SKILLS OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHAIR

• And Now Our Panelists
• Gonzalo Arce University of Delaware
• Mohammad Alam University of South Alabama
• Mark Smith Purdue University

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QUESTIONS? AND DISCUSSION
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• For the times they are a-changin'
• -Bob Dylan
• The 2020 ECE chair may have to be
• agile, adaptive, challenging, compassionate,
  consensus building, decisive, flexible,
  inclusive, nimble, open minded, opportunity
  seeking, patient, responsive, risk taking, team
  building, thoughtful, thought provoking, tolerant
  and visionary.
• Bing Chen