John Sharp, Texas A&M University System chancellor has launched a 25 by 25 initiative to increase engineering enrolment to 25,000 by 2025.
"Last year, more than 10,000 students applied for only 1,600 undergraduate slots available in the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M, one of the top ranking public institutions for undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering," Sharp said.
The key guiding principles of this initiative:
- To increase the access to engineering courses,
- To provide high quality engineering education,
- To offer the courses in a cost-effective and affordable manner, and
- To focus on moulding students to suit the needs of the current job market.
M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering, said the 25 by 25 initiative is not just about increasing the enrolments, but also about providing better instruction and student opportunities.
"We cannot grow in the way that universities have traditionally grown, by simply spending more," Banks said. "We are looking at a model that uses existing resources to deliver a high-quality education in a cost effective manner."
This initiative will also modify the curriculum through technology-enabled learning and will introduce Professor of Practice program.
This program invites industry leaders to share their experiences and knowledge with the students.
Senator John Cornyn and former student Mark W. Albers praised the program.
Albers is a 1979 graduate and currently serves as senior vice president at Exxon Mobil Corporation
Albers said that in order to excel in science, technology, engineering and math fields, institutions should have a strong curriculum and regularly update them.
Through this initiative, the university aims to increase the engineering workforce of the state and the nation and remain competitive in the global market.
