Distance education program in Electrical Engineering

Traditional engineering programs are taught in a class setting, accompanied with laboratory exercises that complement lecture and reinforce theory. This is the ideal format, as students have easy access to both faculty and laboratories. Many times, however, students are place-bound in locations where they do not have access to institutions offering engineering programs. Furthermore, engineering degrees are expensive degrees and opening one requires a significant investment from the organization and/or the state. On the other hand, many community colleges have laboratories that are highly underutilized despite being adequate for undergraduate instruction. Following this reasoning Eastern Washington University (EWU) extended its established Electrical Engineering (EE) program into the Seattle metro area by partnering with North Seattle Community College (NSCC). Upon finishing their two-year degree at the community college, students start taking classes imparted by EWU faculty both through two-way interactive TV broadcasting and in the internet through Webex. This paper documents the various lessons learned through the first year of class delivery, including lecture delivery through TV broadcasting, dual-site laboratory management, advising issues, etc. Furthermore, it presents a model for a successful partnership between a four-year institution and a community college.