April 15, 2000

Background *

Recommendations *

APPENDIX *

April 15, 2000

In the fall of 1999, Vice President Doug Brown appointed three major task forces to develop recommendations for University academic initiatives. The vision for the University was to select vital initiatives that could form a blueprint of the future for academic programs at James Madison University. The task forces were broadly charged with soliciting ideas from the entire JMU community and selecting, shaping, and/or blending the more promising ideas into viable recommendations. The search was for new programs, formed by the connection of existing programs and collaboration of faculty, that would create unique opportunities and distinguish JMU as a leader among the universities of Virginia.

One of the three task forces was the Task Force for Integrating the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology: the ISMT Task Force. The objective of this group of faculty was to include all five colleges within JMU in an examination of programs in science, mathematics, and technology. Specific opportunities would be identified that would meet emerging needs of society in which the University could provide a unique service to the Commonwealth.

The kickoff event for the Task Force was a two-hour faculty forum held in Taylor Hall on September 16, 1999. Several of the ideas presented in the kickoff forum are contained in this report. Concomitant to the forum announcement, a general call was made for faculty interest in serving on any of the three task forces. The Academic Council selected the task force members, and Dr. Brown made the appointments on October 5, 1999. Weekly meetings of the ISMT Task Force followed these appointments and continued throughout the fall semester.

The constituent members of the ISMT Task Force are

The mission of the Task Force for Integrating the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology is to bring about collaboration, interaction, and integration among the JMU programs in the sciences, mathematics, and technology to best serve the students and faculty, and to better equip the University for the challenges of the 21st century.

The objective of the Task Force was to develop recommendations for the formation of University initiatives that will combine the talents, resources, and strengths of the science, math, and technology programs to provide unique opportunities for faculty and students. The envisioned programs may be academic (majors, minors, concentrations), collaborative research efforts, centers, or themes that are responsive to the societal needs of the 21st Century. The expectation is that such initiatives will enhance the competitive posture of JMU as a singularly distinctive university in Virginia.

The task force decided upon a two-phase approach to its work. During the fall 1999 semester, the focus would be on collecting ideas, recommendations, comments, and proposals from the faculty of the University. The collection of faculty input would cease on December 31^st, and the task force would begin deliberation over the received ideas.

To facilitate communication, the ISMT Task Force created a web site and advertised its presence to the academic community. A web bulletin board was created for discussions, and a page was established whereby proposals could be submitted. By January 1, 2000, the task force had received many comments and suggestions from the university and some 22 proposals.

During the fall, as proposals were being received, the task force focused on several principal tasks. Once the web site was up and running, the focus was placed on defining the Task Force mission and its objectives, and developing a process. Finally, a set of criteria was developed by which the proposals could be evaluated. The recommendations would eventually be presented to the Academic Council in the form of a final report on March 31, 2000. (Note: The date was later slipped to April 15, 2000 for the written report, and May 3, 2000 for an oral report to the Council.)

An early action was to establish a set of criteria to assist in evaluating ideas. The Task Force formed the following criteria to be applied as a metric for proposals and suggestions that were received -- a guide for developing recommendations.

1. Building on existing strengths.

Does the program incorporate existing strengths?

2. Innovativeness and timeliness.

What is the degree of innovation of the proposed program?

Is it timely for the program to begin now?

3. Breadth of support (number of faculty, or number of departments, or number of colleges involved).

Will it encourage collaboration?

Is it of a seriously interdisciplinary nature?

4. Positive impact on undergraduate students (education).

Does it focus on students and their employability?

Does it have academic rigor?

Does the proposed program have flexibility?

Will it result in the students’ development?

Is there no negative effect on undergraduate program(s)?

6. Sustainability

Does it have potential for continuous improvement?

Is the program of a long-term, lasting nature?

If research, will it eventually be self-supporting?

7. Positive impact on General Education

Does it have value for the non-science major?

8. It brings additional distinction to University

Does it represent a distinctive JMU niche?

9. Positive impact on society

Does it add value to the region, state, or nation?

Does it add quality of life to the stakeholders?

10. Properly focused.

On January 4, 2000, the Task Force met at an offsite location for an all-day session. The purpose was to review the proposals that had been received and, using the criteria, above, eliminate, combine, and/or modify the proposals to arrive at recommendations deserving further study. The following areas for further consideration were distilled from the 22 proposals received.

1. University Center for Faculty Support
2. Biotechnology
3. Environment
4. Neuroscience
5. Applied Science and Manufacturing
6. K-12 Outreach
7. Statistical Design and Data Analysis/Visualization

A subcommittee, or subtask force, was appointed for each of the seven areas. Each subcommittee was lead by one of the Task Force members. The other members of the Task Force then volunteered to be working members of one or more of the areas.

The Task Force received inputs through three channels: hard copies sent directly to the Task Force, information to any Task Force member, or electronic submissions to the Task Force Web Board. Figure 1 (next page) has been created to illustrate the process that was followed by the Task Force in receiving inputs from the JMU faculty at large, evaluating them for further discussion, interacting with the faculty in open forums, grouping all inputs into seven major areas, and then forming subgroups to evaluate and recommend actions.

The capstone activity for the final gathering of comments and suggestions from the University at large took place as a second university-faculty forum held on January 13, 2000. A brief overview of the Task Force’s activities, culminating in the seven areas to be evaluated and developed, was presented to the university faculty. The Task Force answered questions, and the ensuing discussion was amicable and constructive.

It was now time for the Task Force to include some of the university faculty who had earlier stated interest in serving on the ISMT Task Force but who had not been initially selected. The membership of each subcommittee was fleshed out to include a total of 7 to 10 members. These subgroups met throughout the spring 2000 semester to formulate specific recommendations; they are the authors of the

recommendations that are summarized below. The complete recommendation of each subcommittee is contained in the Appendix.

Prior to delineating specific program recommendations, the Task Force uniformly agreed upon a strong foundational recommendation that underlies all the specific-area recommendations that follow.

The Task Force recognized the current excellence of the undergraduate programs at JMU. This is a result of exceptional faculty-to-student relationships existing at the university as well as the curriculum content and quality of instruction. The faculty-to-student relationship that exists at JMU is nationally unparalleled for a university of this size. The undergraduate programs at James Madison University currently provide a mark of quality that sets our university apart from all other universities in the Commonwealth.

The Task Force agreed that no program or initiative should be recommended that in any way jeopardizes the quality of JMU’s undergraduate programs. The greatest threat to this distinctive attribute is a lack of resources. This support must provide a sufficient number of faculty (faculty numbers have not kept pace with the burst in new student numbers over the past several years) as well as financial support for the science programs. Financial support for the sciences would include funding for new equipment, maintaining and repairing current equipment, and laboratory/teaching supplies. The anticipated building renovation program and the east-campus construction will provide much relief for needed classroom, office, and laboratory space.

Finally, it was recognized that any move toward developing additional graduate programs must only be done after much careful deliberation and forethought. This is not to say that new graduate programs will not be recommended; the Task Force will be very selective in making such recommendations. The danger is that graduate programs siphon needed funding for undergraduate programs, and they place an increased emphasis on research to support the graduate (and not the undergraduate) programs. There is also the danger that too much emphasis on graduate programs may move JMU into a new class of university peers – a class in which we may not compete as well.

An executive summary of the report of each of the seven subgroups is presented below. The full report of each group is contained in the Appendix. In particular, the Appendix reports contain the members that comprised each subgroup along with any background thought process, supporting information, delineation of needed resources (facilities, space, faculty/staff, etc.), and, in some cases, formal proposals.

The task force unanimously recommends that James Madison University establish a Center, tentatively named The Madison Science and Technology Center (MSTC), to foster and facilitate collaboration among faculty members and students with external partners in industry, government, and education. While focusing primarily on the Shenandoah region of Virginia, the Center will stimulate cross-disciplinary research in science, mathematics, and technology across the country and globally.

The Madison Science and Technology Center will promote education and research in science and technology in order to meet the needs of students, faculty, the national workforce, industry, and the region.

1. A strong history and foundation in undergraduate research.

At JMU, research is not an activity separate from education, but instead is considered to be perhaps the foundational and integrative educational experience for students in science, mathematics, and technology. In fact, JMU faculty members do not distinguish between faculty research and student research. Faculty members have the tradition, commitment, and proven ability to promote undergraduate learning through research and to integrate research experiences and findings into their teaching.

2. Interest is strong.

The extent of undergraduate student participation in science and mathematics research at JMU exceeds that of other Virginia colleges and universities and, indeed, occurs at a scale accomplished by few if any institutions nationwide. It is bringing considerable recognition to the institution across the country. In addition, there is even more interest in student research on the part of both students and faculty members than the science and mathematics faculty is presently able to accommodate.

3. Infrastructure is currently lacking.

JMU is very "lean" administratively and does not provide adequate support for sponsored research. In addition, faculty members lack the necessary time and resources to address large research questions and educational issues that require systemic approaches. Teaching loads are heavy and time limitations are severe.

4. Expertise exists.

Faculty members possess expertise in a wide range of science, mathematics, and technology areas including emerging fields such as environmental monitoring, biotechnology, bioremediation, computational science, materials science, neuroscience, and data analysis.

5. Proven track record.

There has been a significant increase in the level of external research and education awards received by JMU faculty in the sciences, mathematics, and technology. Individual faculty members are already submitting proposals and receiving awards to pursue multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. An increase in external funding is expected.

6. Increased opportunities and new horizons.

The Center will increase interaction and collaboration among students and faculty from departments and colleges across campus, further enhancing the integration of teaching and research, exploring emerging fields, and developing new research methods and approaches that in turn shape the curriculum.

7. Opportunity for outreach to K-12 schools, teachers, and students.

Historically, JMU has been Virginia’s premier institution for teacher training. The faculty and students have a sustained interest in working with teachers and school systems to improve science, mathematics, and technology education across the state. This outreach opportunity would be substantially enhanced by the Center, which would provide a university focus for this activity.

Eight objectives of the Center would drive its activity. These objectives would be to:

• Provide increased opportunities for faculty/student research and sponsored programs at JMU, especially of an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature.
• Act as a focal point for university-level fundraising specifically for science, mathematics, and technology activities.
• Respond to interdisciplinary funding opportunities that involve faculty and students from several departments and colleges, serving as a mechanism to bring faculty together.
• Identify, incubate, and develop initiatives and organizing themes for new research and curricular programs and for incorporating research experiences and findings into the curriculum. These themes may be focused by discipline (e.g. biotechnology, materials science, neuroscience) or geographically (e.g., a Shenandoah Valley regional data repository).
• Develop logical partnerships with industry, other colleges and scientific centers, and with government with the purposes of (i) fostering student research and internship opportunities, (ii) promoting entrepreneurship and technology transfer, and (iii) improving JMU’s ability to provide a well-educated workforce.
• Act as a resource to surrounding K-12 schools in the areas of science, mathematics, and technology.
• Develop and maintain a data repository specific to the Shenandoah Valley region. The repository will include, for example, ecological, socioeconomic and geographical data that will be used by researchers, teachers, government, and industry.
• Increase the visibility of science, mathematics, and technology education and research and particularly the integration of education and research at JMU.

The sub task force on biotechnology first identified a number of questions, issues, and concerns directly related to the development of a biotechnology program at JMU. Although each of the questions was discussed, many remain unanswered and should be addressed by the recipients of this report. (Those who may be tasked to carry this recommendation forward.) The following list summaries the questions, issues, and concerns.

• What impact would a new biotech program have on existing academic programs, in particular, Biology and ISAT (i.e., student enrollments and resources)?
• From a curriculum perspective, what is biotechnology and how would biotechnology courses differ from certain biology courses (i.e., molecular, cell, genetics, etc.)?
• From the student perspective, what would be the goal of a biotech program (preparation for graduate/medical school, preparation for research jobs, preparation for non-research industry jobs)?
• What would be the mix or ratio of basic science and applied science in a biotech program?
• What role would undergraduate research have in a biotech program?
• How many students should be targeted for a new biotech program?
• What new resources would be required for a biotech program (faculty FTE’s, space, equipment, facilities, etc.)?
• What is the nature of existing academic biotech programs (number, focus, success, etc.)?
• What types of training or skill sets are biotech companies looking for in BS graduates?
• Would biotech companies support a new biotech degree program?
• What are the opportunities for external funding to develop a new biotech program?

After in-depth discussion concerning whether a biotechnology program should be undertaken, and what would be the nature of the program, the subcommittee concluded that a BS degree program in Biotechnology would be recommended. In considering the new biotech program, the committee discussed a number of issues and parameters that helped chart out a new curriculum for the program. A set of foundational recommendations that accompany our recommendation for a new BS in Biotechnology program, is:

• A new biotech program should not diminish nor in any way jeopardize the quality of existing undergraduate programs at JMU.
• Considering the strength and excellence of undergraduate education at JMU, a Bachelor of Science degree program is recommended.
• A new biotech program should be built upon a strong foundation of the basic sciences with high academic rigor.
• The lower-division curriculum should enable students to cross over to other disciplines easily (i.e., Biology, Chemistry, or ISAT).
• Students should not have to declare a biotech major until their junior year.
• The upper-division curriculum should contain new course material with an emphasis on new technology used in the biotech industry.
• A significant amount of hands-on laboratory work should be integrated into the curriculum.
• A social context (bioethics) and a business component should be included in the curriculum.
• Sufficient credit hours should be dedicated for electives to allow students to customize a specialized area of study (i.e., molecular genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, bioprocessing, agricultural biotechnology, genomics, etc.).
• An assessment instrument should be developed and implemented.
• A mechanism to adapt curriculum to the rapidly changing technology in the industry should be developed.
• Cross-disciplinary curriculum development and team teaching should be an integral part of the program.

• A cross-disciplinary team should be formed to develop external funding and grant proposals.

The details of a typical program (curriculum) for Biotechnology majors including course descriptions and potential electives are contained in the Appendix report. Essential considerations such as recommended resources and funding opportunities are also presented.

The Environment Subtask Force arrived at five prioritized recommendations, and these are summarized, below. In arriving at these recommendations, key factors acted as driving issues for the deliberations. These were:

1. The charge to the committee was to consider two possible alternatives: to develop the best single environmental program at the University, or to consider the desirability of developing a JMU Center for Environmental Studies that could possibly house several programs.

2. The need to look carefully at what other Virginia colleges are offering. Committee members knew already what other programs existed, but checked further on the "competition." It was ultimately decided that the JMU approach should focus primarily on the Shenandoah Valley, and this was the consensus of the members.

3. Ultimately, all members agreed that both the environmental science and the environmental management programs are needed at JMU. There is a strong need for both a discipline-based science major as well as an applied environmental management major at JMU for the following reasons:

• Students are demanding both majors. The committee anticipates that there is enough student interest easily to justify both majors.
• Both majors are required to meet varying career and employment interests of students. Some environmental science majors, while interested in environmental science, also want the option of pursuing a specific science discipline in graduate school. While many students in the environmental management program will also move to graduate studies, it is expected that many of them will seek employment immediately upon graduating from JMU. Having both majors increases students’ choices and options.
• This position was validated at the meeting of the CISAT Advisory Board during the committee’s deliberations. Members of that Board stated emphatically that both science discipline and applied majors were required and that their companies employed graduates from both types of programs.

4. In addition, the members agreed that the current interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies should be strengthened. The group discussed this issue at almost every meeting, but finally decided that this was not the group to develop that program further at this time. The suggestion for a major with a single common core and several concentrations was put forth and discussed at length, but was finally determined to be undesirable and unworkable.

5. The members also spent considerable time discussing how to meet the needs of students who are interested in environmental studies, but who do not want to major in either the discipline or applied program. It was suggested that many undergraduate education and K-12 students might be interested in such a program. One of the problems here is the need for more social science faculty members to commit to teaching in such a program. The committee members seemed to "hit the wall" with this concern and finally decided it would require effort and contacts that we could not address at this time.

6. One of the things that emerged from the members’ discussions was the development of a collaborative ethic. Members informed others of what they were doing and had in the pipelines, which led to discussion of how colleagues could help with upcoming planned research, workshops, etc.

7. One member put before the group some of his thoughts about how an "Institute for the Environment" might look, how it might be structured, and how it could foster collegiality and collaboration among both faculty members and students. This is provided as Attachment 1 in the full report that is placed in the Appendix.

8. It is essential to emphasize that among the members of this committee there was unanimity of concern for continuing and enhancing faculty-student research at JMU. This was a thread through most issues the committee discussed. Members explored many ways to get students involved in research early in their academic careers, how to bring an interdisciplinary opportunity to the students’ experience, and how to provide opportunities for students from discipline-based majors and an applied major to work together in doing and presenting research.

The following recommendations, all unanimously approved, are provided below in prioritized order.

1. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends that both the discipline-based program (Environmental Science) and an applied program (Environmental Management) major should go forth with revisions for approval.
2. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends the "Institute for the Environment" proposal to the Taskforce for Integrating the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology (see the full report in the Appendix.).
3. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends providing opportunities for the community of students to participate and experience interdisciplinary environmental research early in their careers across disciplines at JMU.
4. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends that the present interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies be retained, re-examined, and restructured.
5. After much thought and harried attempts to locate parking spaces for meetings, the Environmental Subtask Force recommends that designated parking spaces for CISAT faculty members be located behind Miller or Burruss Halls, and that, conversely, spaces at CISAT be designated for College of Mathematics and Science faculty members to facilitate interaction and collaboration.

The sub task force on neuroscience unanimously recommends that the proposal for the BS degree program in Neuroscience be approved by the Academic Council of James Madison University and that approval be sought from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia for initial offering of the major beginning Fall of 2001. (The proposal package is part of the full report contained in the Appendix.)

An interdisciplinary neuroscience program will capitalize on JMU’s expanding faculty resources in neuroscience and will benefit:

• the University by offering an educational experience that closely matches its evolving mission
• the State by attracting a greater number of Virginia’s outstanding high school students to a state institution over out-of-state schools that currently offer neuroscience program

1. the students by providing them with a wide range of career opportunities

An interdisciplinary major program in neuroscience is expected to:

• provide JMU students with a highly interdisciplinary program in which knowledge and skills from the traditional disciplines of biology, psychology, chemistry and philosophy are combined with contemporary approaches of biotechnology, artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to provide real world education and training for careers in technology, research, education and health care.
• attract to JMU outstanding high school students within and outside of Virginia that have interests in Neuroscience.

• promote interaction between faculty and students in the Colleges of Integrated Science and Technology, Science and Mathematics, and Education and Psychology

• to encourage development of liaisons with the private sector through internships, seminars and collaborations.

• lead to new Federal and private funding of education, research and development in Neuroscience and related disciplines.

• reflect the evolving missions of JMU and recommendations of the Centennial Commission.

The specific educational aims of the Neuroscience Program will be to

• provide students with a broad base of knowledge and skills in Neuroscience
• develop students' ability to integrate and critically apply knowledge from different disciplines
• prepare students for further graduate or professional education or to successfully compete in the workplace

The curriculum of the Neuroscience major Program will integrate a wide range of existing courses with four new courses developed for the Neuroscience Program – Neuroscience, Neuroscience Laboratories, Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Seminar – into a flexible framework that can be adapted to the specific needs of diverse students. The curriculum will consist of 70 required credit hours, comprised of 48 hours of required neuroscience and cognate courses and 12 hours of Neuroscience elective courses. Upon successful completion of the Major and University requirements, students will be awarded a B.S. in Neuroscience. Graduates will be well prepared with a Neuroscience B.S. degree to begin careers in academic or industrial settings, or to continue their education in graduate or professional programs.

• Neuroinformatics – will focus on contemporary applications of neuroscience in biotechnology, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence. Students completing the Neuroinformatics concentration would be exceptionally well prepared to obtain positions in industry or pursue advanced training.

• Neuroscience Investigations – will focus on the traditionally academic aspects of research and teaching across the disciplines of biopsychology and neurobiology. Students completing the Neuroscience concentration would most likely matriculate into graduate or professional careers.

The Neuroscience Program will be governed by a steering committee consisting of five faculty. One member will be chosen from Biology, Communication Science and Disorders and Psychology respectively. The remaining two may be from any department. Steering Committee members will serve three-year, staggered terms. Members will be appointed by the current Steering Committee.

The steering committee will elect a director who will serve for three years as director and three additional years as a steering committee member to effect a smooth transition. The Steering committee will meet at least once each semester. Decisions will be made by a simple majority. Day-to-day decisions will be determined by the Director alone; appeals raised by either students or Neuroscience faculty will be considered by the full steering committee.

Since the Neuroscience Program is fundamentally interdisciplinary, reporting to a single Dean may be inappropriate. Reporting procedures will be established by the VPAA in consultation with appropriate Deans.

This sub-group for Applied Science and Manufacturing is submitting three major proposals to the Task Force. The group evaluated each proposal primarily in terms of the following criteria:

• Potential to fill a niche in order to offer new opportunities to our students and faculty
• Interdisciplinary requirements and potential
• Opportunity to build on existing program, curricula, facilities, and faculty strengths
• The manner in which each proposal might complement the others

Each of the three proposals is contained in the Appendix as attachments to this sub task force’s full report.

1. Program Proposal for a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design (Submitted by Dr. Cole Welter)

Industrial design education involves a combination of the visual arts disciplines and technology and requires sophisticated problem-solving and communication skills. Clearly a niche is waiting to be filled. The success of the program will depend heavily on the collaboration of the School of Art and Art History, the College of Integrated Science and Technology, and the College of Business. The strengths of programs in these Colleges of the University offer potential unmatched by programs at other institutions. Of particular note is the growing emphasis and experience at JMU in Operations (manufacturing, especially) Management. A student majoring in Industrial Design will be able to study contemporary manufacturing processes. Similarly, students majoring in Operations Management will be able to enhance their education by including Industrial Design in their coursework. There is a strong complementary potential that exists between this proposal and the two described below. One element is that the Manufacturing Systems Center proposal will serve to strengthen our reputation and experience in manufacturing which will provide great value to the Industrial Design Program.

2. Proposal for a Manufacturing Systems Center and a Minor in Manufacturing Systems (Submitted by Dr. Mohamed Y. Zarrugh)

This center is designed to provide context-driven learning, student-centered research, and faculty professional development in manufacturing systems. Functional areas within manufacturing systems include manufacturing systems technology, manufacturing management, and applied materials science and manufacturing processes. The Center will be of great interest and value to participants from the College of Integrated Science and Technology, the College of Business, and the Center for Materials Science, among others. The center will build on strengths and experience already being gained through Virginia's Manufacturing Innovation Center, a technology innovation center newly funded by Virginia's CIT. As described above, the center will offer opportunities for collaboration and thus enhance the Industrial Design program.

3. Program Proposal for a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science (Submitted by Dr. Gerald R. Taylor, Jr.)

Virginia and the nation are bracing for a significant shortfall of teachers over the next decade (up to 2 million teachers by some estimates). Much of the demand will be in areas requiring technical competence in math, science, and technology. Given the quality of our undergraduate programs in these areas, JMU can play a significant role in the region, state, and nation by helping to meet this shortage. Part of the demand can be met by working with pre-service teachers, but much can be done by keeping in-service teachers in the classroom and providing them with the support and tools they need to teach science, math, and technology effectively. By bringing together the many parties on campus with interest and talent in this area, JMU can develop strong programs and outreach, much of it potentially supported by external fund, to bear on this area. To that end, we have developed specific recommendations to the University.

JMU has a long and distinguished history of training the teachers of Virginia from its earliest days as a normal school. We have continued that tradition to the present by continuing to work with distinction in training future teachers and working with teachers in the field to improve their practice. However, our efforts in math, science, and technology have been somewhat uneven and we are not currently training sufficient numbers of individuals to meet the current demand in these areas.

In fact, the growing shortage of teachers trained in math, science and technology offers both opportunities and challenges to JMU. We need to continue to build our efforts to better train our future teachers, combining the skills of the College of Education and the technical disciplines in the Colleges of Science and Math and Integrated Science and Technology. At the same time, we need to better support the efforts of teachers in the field as they educate the next generation of college students. The considerable federal presence in this endeavor offers the opportunity to garner external funds to help further our efforts. There is also considerable pressure at the state level to improve performance in these disciplines. If we do not do our job in this area, we will feel the aftermath of this failure for years to come.

Our group considered the current status and future possibilities for K-12 outreach activities in math, science, and technology at JMU. We identified current activities, future opportunities, and the resources necessary to get us from here to there. A summary of these is presented, below, but fully developed in the complete report (Appendix). Incidentally, we included current JMU students as working members of our group, courtesy of Bob McKown’s research group, giving a broader sense of current activities and future work.

• Form a Center for K-12 Outreach with a part-time faculty director, a support-staff person, and an advisory board of K-12 and college faculty (both education and science, math, and technology faculty).
• Work with departments to include K-12 outreach activities as a viable part of promotion and tenure packages and merit raise consideration
• Focus university efforts on areas where we fill a key niche (student/teacher research, technology in the classroom) and develop programs of national distinction. We should resist the urge to be all things to all schools (or all people).

During the Fall Semester, 1999, the Task Force on the Integration of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (IMST) received several proposals from faculty across campus that dealt with statistical analysis, data visualization, and modeling. The faculty interest was so strong, and the potential for collaboration across departments appeared to be so promising that the IMST group appointed a working group of six faculty members to consider how this potential could be realized. This is a summary of the findings and recommendations of that working group. (The full report is contained in the Appendix.) The conclusion of the subgroup was this:

The remainder of this report briefly outlines the rationale for the center, the potential for faculty and student involvement, the promise for innovative curriculum development and collaboration across campus, and a recommendation for the center mentioned above. The minimal resource requirements for the center are addressed in the complete report in the Appendix.

Today's high-tech, computer-intensive age has dramatically increased the potential for obtaining large data sets that would have been virtually impossible to gather only 10 years ago. Examples of such data sets are:

• On-line archives of government data covering everything from the national economy to global health to international military readiness
• Ongoing satellite measurements of the environment and the global ecosystem (air quality, land use, topography, etc.)
• E-commerce data documenting consumer preferences, trends, and patterns (from the growing internet-based economy)
• On-line quality measurements of manufacturing operations.

These data sets are both exhaustive in scope and are relevant to many important topics covered in an undergraduate liberal arts or science curriculum. In addition, these types of data are directly related to important issues facing modern society. Unfortunately, while today's academic and private sectors find themselves virtually buried in data, it is often the case that the information contained in these extensive collections is never revealed or used because the expertise for organizing and analyzing such information is not easily accessible.

JMU has large numbers of faculty and programs that already use such data or that could significantly benefit from having both the access to the data and the technical know how and resources to use the data in meaningful way. The growing emphasis on environmental science and GIS in CSM and ISAT provides one obvious example. The E-commerce program now under development would likely benefit significantly from curricular elements and faculty expertise in collecting and analyzing internet-based data on customer preferences. Numerous other programs around campus in areas as diverse as political science, mathematics, statistics, health science, and the traditional sciences could make classroom use of "case studies" based on data from the economy, global climate, manufacturing operations, etc. In addition, regional industry and government could benefit from studies of data on regional demographics, pollution, mathematical modeling of traffic flows or pollution, etc. See Attachment A for a (non-exhaustive) list of faculty and activities at JMU whom we identified as being already involved in these areas or who have a significant potential for involvement.

After considering the data analysis, computational, data representation, experimental design and data acquisition activities and needs at JMU, we propose creating a center for data analysis, visualization, and modeling. This will provide a center of excellence for technology and expertise associated with the acquisition, management, visualization, analysis, and modeling of data in order to extend knowledge and guide decision making. Key beneficiaries of the center will be JMU faculty and students, Virginia K-12 schools, local businesses, industries, and government organizations. This center will provide a mechanism for

• Building collaborations, academic programs, technologies, and research opportunities for faculty and students who are interested in working in areas that require computer-intensive data collection and analysis tools.
• Partnering with local agencies, industries, etc to understand and address local issues through sophisticated tools of visualization, modeling and data analysis. Examples of such issues are long-term land use planning, demographic studies of the community, and environmental issues.
• Providing expertise in the tools, software, and strategies that can aid researchers and practitioners who must tackle problems involving large, complex sets of data and information
• Providing an educational archive of important data and supporting curricular elements that can be used in the classroom by faculty in numerous disciplines as real-life case studies.
• Providing a rich environment for preparing pre-service teachers for using data analysis and visualization tools in their teaching careers.
• Leveraging JMU resources to provide the best software, hardware, and know-how for handling large complex problems involving data.

We propose the center to be named the Shenandoah Regional Data Analysis Center (SRDAC) to indicate both the geographic location of the center as well as a strong (but not exclusive) emphasis on serving the local Shenandoah Valley community. We want to stress that SRDAC will have both national and international aspirations. SRDAC will create alliances and collaborations with local businesses, industries, government agencies, governments and educational institutions that would help them with planning, development, research and advancement. See the full report in the Appendix for a schematic representation of the center and the kinds of expertise and benefits we would expect.

• Madison Center for Science and Technology

The task force unanimously recommends that James Madison University establish a Center, tentatively named The Madison Science and Technology Center, to foster and facilitate collaboration among faculty members and students with external partners in industry, government, and education. While focusing primarily on the Shenandoah region of Virginia, the Center will stimulate cross-disciplinary research in science, mathematics, and technology across the country and globally.

The Madison Science and Technology Center will promote education and research in science and technology in order to meet the needs of students, the workforce, industry, and the region.

1. A strong history and foundation in undergraduate research.

At JMU, research is not an activity separate from education, but instead is considered to be perhaps the foundational and integrative educational experience for students in science, mathematics, and technology. In fact, JMU faculty members do not distinguish between faculty research and student research. Faculty members have the tradition, commitment, and proven ability to promote undergraduate learning through research and to integrate research experiences and findings into their teaching.

2. Interest is strong.

The extent of undergraduate student participation in science and mathematics research at JMU exceeds that of other Virginia colleges and universities and, indeed, occurs at a scale accomplished by few if any institutions nationwide. It is bringing considerable recognition to the institution across the country. In addition, there is even more interest in student research on the part of both students and faculty members than the science and mathematics faculty are presently able to accommodate.

3. Infrastructure is currently lacking.

JMU is very "lean" administratively and does not provide adequate support for sponsored research. In addition, faculty members lack the necessary time and resources to address large research questions and educational issues that require systemic approaches. Teaching loads are heavy and time limitations are severe.

4. Expertise exists.

Faculty members possess expertise in a wide range of science, mathematics, and technology areas including emerging fields such as environmental monitoring, biotechnology, bioremediation, computational science, materials science, neuroscience, and data analysis.

5. Proven track record.

There has been a significant increase in the level of external research and education awards received by JMU faculty in the sciences, mathematics, and technology. Individual faculty members are already submitting proposals and receiving awards to pursue multi- and interdisciplinary research. An increase in external funding is expected.

6. Increased opportunities and new horizons.

The Center will increase interaction and collaboration among students and faculty from departments and colleges across campus, further enhancing the integration of teaching and research, exploring emerging fields, and developing new research methods and approaches that in turn shape the curriculum.

7. Opportunity for outreach to K-12 schools, teachers and students.

Historically Virginia’s premier institution for teacher training, JMU’s faculty members and students are interested in working with teachers and school systems to improve science, mathematics, and technology education across the state.

• Provide increased opportunities for faculty/student research and sponsored programs at JMU, especially of an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature.
• Act as a focal point for university-level fundraising specifically for science, mathematics, and technology activities.
• Respond to interdisciplinary funding opportunities that involve faculty and students from several departments and colleges, serving as a mechanism to bring faculty together.
• Identify, incubate, and develop initiatives and organizing themes for new research and curricular programs and for incorporating research experiences and findings into the curriculum. These themes may be focused by discipline (e.g. biotechnology, materials science, neuroscience) or geographically (e.g. a Shenandoah Valley regional data repository).
• Develop logical partnerships with industry, other colleges and scientific centers, and with government with the purposes of (i) fostering student research and internship opportunities, (ii) promoting entrepreneurship and technology transfer, and (iii) improving JMU’s ability to provide a well-educated work force.
• Act as a resource to surrounding K-12 schools in the areas of science, mathematics, and technology.
• Develop and maintain a data repository specific to the Shenandoah Valley region. The repository will include, for example, ecological, socioeconomic and geographical data that will be used by researchers, teachers, government, and industry.
• Increase the visibility of science, mathematics, and technology education and research and particularly the integration of education and research at JMU.

• A major activity of the Center will be interaction with business, industry, government and other universities. Distinguished researchers, educators, business, and government leaders will come to the Center to meet and work with JMU faculty and students. There will be scientific and technological seminars, conferences, and informal gatherings ranging in focus from basic science to applied technology to business and education. Potential benefits include: the development of collaborative research, identifying emerging trends in research, learning state of the art research techniques, and exploring new discoveries and outreach activities. Contributors to these endeavors will come from national laboratories and funding agencies, high-tech industries, research foundations, educational institutions (including historically black universities) and other institutions involved in science, mathematics and technology research, development, and education.

• The Center will encourage faculty discussion and interaction amongst faculty from departments and colleges across campus. This will lead to faculty seminars, collaborative research involving undergraduates from across campus, and the creation of new tools and methodologies for research and teaching.

• The Center will be engaged in helping faculty and students find funding, collaborative arrangements, and support for their research. The support will include research equipment, data bases, and grant writing. The Center will explore and discover innovative funding strategies. The Center will help faculty develop as researchers and will provide faculty support in grant writing for research projects.

• Another major activity of the Center will be outreach, including professional development of K-12 teachers, workshops, and conferences. JMU faculty members will be engaged in developing tools that K-12 teachers can use to (1) stay abreast of developments in science, mathematics and technology, (2) make discoveries in science, mathematics and technology and (3) educate and excite students in the classroom.

• The Center will specifically support student research and internships. The Center will sponsor student research symposia and build working relationships with business, industry, government and other universities for the benefit of our students.

• The Center will house a data repository. The repository will have access to data bases across the world that are used by the Center and will house data bases that could be used by the Shenandoah Valley community, including JMU. It will build tools that will enhance research and teaching at JMU and interest business, industry, government, and educational institutions to form collaborations with JMU. The data repository will also catalog equipment and software held at JMU.

• The Center will be actively involved in supporting and developing sub-centers that experience growth and success. These will especially include involvement with local entities such as corporations, farmers, government agencies (the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, National Forest Service, etc.) and local planning and growth organizations. The data repository will facilitate the growth of these enterprises.

• A research coordinator to aid in identifying funding opportunities, to act as a liaison with program officers, and to aid in the preparation and administration of scientific research grants and contracts on campus.
• A second research support person to focus specifically on corporate and private foundation funding support (and who might also work with other academic divisions).
• Office personnel as necessary.

• Personnel: as required for above positions. Also, two to three faculty full-time equivalents to use for faculty participation in the Center.
• Funding for expenses to host visiting scientists and other outside interests, host luncheons, travel for personnel, etc.
• Equipment as necessary.

• The sub-task force recommends that the MSTC ultimately include space for conferences of various sizes, including a large auditorium with multimedia capabilities and several relatively large breakout rooms.

• We suggest that the MSTC could begin in A2, inasmuch as an adequate auditorium is available there, together with some smaller rooms for groups. Alternatively, the Center could begin in a location on the main campus which would provide ready access to an auditorium and breakout rooms, and ultimately move across the interstate with the College of Science and Mathematics.

• We anticipate that a satellite office in northern Virginia might eventually be necessary.

James Herrick, chair

Department of Biology

National Science Foundation

College of Science and Mathematics

Department of Mathematics

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Department of Psychology

Bob McKown, Chair

Doug Dennis

Corey Cleland

Jim Herrick

Gina McDonald

Jon Monroe

Murray Nabors

Rita Teutonico

Barbra Gabriel

Cindy Klevickis

Ivor Knight

Bill Voige

Rob Whitehead

Tracy Wilkins, Director of the Fralin Biotechnology Center at Virginia Tech

Clark Tibbetts, Associate Director of the Bioinformatics Center at Virginia Tech

Jerry Coughter, Industry Director for Biotechnology at CIT

March 24, 2000

On January 20, 2000, the Biotechnology Sub Task Force was established and given the following charge:

The term "biotechnology" was first published in 1917 by Karl Ereky to describe the large-scale production of pigs using sugar beets as a food source. Although the use of living systems to make a product has a long and established history, the modern definition of biotechnology is usually associated with genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology. Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer first demonstrated the founding principles of recombinant DNA technology in 1973 and in 1980 a U.S. patent was issued describing a "Process for Producing Biologically Functional Molecular Chimeras". In 1974, the first independent Biotechnology Company, Genentech, Inc. (South San South San Francisco, CA) was founded to commercialize the newly discovered recombinant DNA technology. Although many applications of this technology were considered, the first biotech product created with recombinant DNA technology was human insulin (humulin) produced in the bacteria Escherichia coli to treat diabetes.

Recombinant insulin, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis), was a major success (worldwide sales in 1997 exceeded $1 billion) and set a paradigm that is still the driving force of the biotech industry today. According to Ernst & Young’s LLP (San Francisco, CA) annual report Biotech 99: Bridging the Gap, sales of biotech products exceeded $13 billion in 1998. Of these sales, 92% can be attributed to human therapeutics and human diagnostics (source: Consulting Resource Corp., Lexington, MA). In 1998, the FDA approved 24 new biotechnology drugs and more than 1,200 biopharmaceutical products are currently in clinical trials. Clearly, the development of new biotechnology products for the diagnosis and treatment of human disease is currently the primary focus of the biotech industry.

The biotech industry was founded on technology derived from basic academic research, however, it is the application of this technology that fuels the industry. The challenge in developing a new academic program in biotechnology is to find the correct balance between basic science education and the application of this knowledge to develop a market product.

Preliminary research has been done to identify B. S. degree programs in biotechnology within the United States. To the best of our knowledge, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not offer a B. S. degree in biotechnology in any of the public or private colleges and universities. The table below summarizes academic institutions within the U. S. offering B. S. degree programs in biotechnology that have been identified to date.

The sub task force first identified a number of questions, issues, and concerns directly related to the development of a biotechnology program at JMU. Although we discussed each of these questions, many remain unanswered and should be addressed by the recipients of this report. The following list summaries our questions, issues, and concerns.

• What impact would a new biotech program have on existing academic programs, in particular, Biology and ISAT (i.e., student enrollments and resources)?
• From a curriculum perspective, what is biotechnology and how would biotechnology courses differ from certain biology courses (i.e., molecular, cell, genetics, etc.)?
• From the student perspective, what would be the goal of a biotech program (preparation for graduate/medical school, preparation for research jobs, preparation for non-research industry jobs)?
• What would be the mix or ratio of basic science and applied science in a biotech program?
• What role would undergraduate research have in a biotech program?
• How many students should be targeted for a new biotech program?
• What new resources would be required for a biotech program (faculty FTE’s, space, equipment, facilities, etc.)?
• What is the nature of existing academic biotech programs (number, focus, success, etc.)?
• What types of training or skill sets are biotech companies looking for in B. S. graduates?
• Would biotech companies support a new biotech degree program?
• What are the opportunities for external funding to develop a new biotech program?

In considering a new biotech program, the committee discussed a number of issues and parameters that helped chart out new curriculum. A list of recommendations and proposed curriculum is provided.

• A new biotech program should not diminish or in any way jeopardize the quality of existing undergraduate programs at JMU.
• Considering the strength and excellence of undergraduate education at JMU, a Bachelor of Science degree program is recommended.
• A new biotech program should be built upon a strong foundation of the basic sciences with high academic rigor.
• The lower division curriculum should enable students to cross over to other disciplines easily (i.e., Biology, Chemistry, or ISAT).
• Students should not have to declare a biotech major until their junior year.
• The upper division curriculum should contain new course material with an emphasis on new technology used in the biotech industry.
• A significant amount of hands-on laboratory work should be integrated into the curriculum.
• A social context (bioethics) and a business component should be included in the curriculum.
• Sufficient credit hours should be dedicated for electives to allow students to customize a specialized area of study (i.e., molecular genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, bioprocessing, agricultural biotechnology, genomics, etc.).
• An assessment instrument should be developed and implemented.
• A mechanism to adapt curriculum to the rapidly changing technology in the industry should be developed.
• Cross-disciplinary curriculum development and team teaching should be an integral part of the program.

• A cross-disciplinary team should be formed to develop external funding and grant proposals.

• Three new faculty with biotechnology experience and expertise that includes molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, bioethics, or agricultural biotechnology
• A biotechnology training laboratory and supporting equipment (much of the infrastructure for this facility is in place).
• A full time staff technician to monitor and maintain laboratory operations.
• A bioinformatics center with technical support
• A transgenic plant facility and greenhouse with support staff.

• A biotechnology training facility would be partially funded through Virginia’s Manufacturing Innovation Center at JMU.
• The proposed biotechnology curriculum and training laboratory could be used as a foundation for grant proposals such as the NSF CCLI grant.
• Equipment manufacturers could be solicited to support a biotechnology training laboratory.
• Biotechnology companies could be solicited to support a biotechnology training program.
• Development of bioinformatics curriculum may be supported by an initiative currently under consideration for the Commonwealth.
• A transgenic plant facility could be used as a foundation for agricultural biotechnology grant proposals.

A minimum of 12 additional credit hours are required to satisfy the major requirements and 11 more credit hours are needed to satisfy the graduation requirement of 120 credit hours. It is anticipated that all or part of these 23 credit hours could be used to develop a specialized area of study within the biotechnology program. Although the sub task force considered the idea of packaged concentrations within the biotechnology program, freedom to select an individualized set of electives would permit the greatest flexibility for the student. Shown below is a proposed list of new and existing courses that may satisfy the elective requirement. It is expected that new courses would be added to this list as the biotech industry evolves.

A new biology core curriculum is currently being developed for all biology freshman students. This core curriculum would also be required for all biotechnology majors.

A one credit hour course required for all biotechnology majors in the spring semester of the second year. This would be structured as a weekly symposium delivered by biotechnology instructors, other JMU faculty, and invited speakers. The objective is to provide an introduction to a wide array of biotechnology topics. May be offered as a pass/fail course based on minimum required attendance.

A new biotechnology core curriculum required for all biotechnology majors in the third year is proposed. As envisioned, the curriculum would be a coordinated one-year laboratory intensive exercise based upon applied molecular biology and biochemistry. A suggested format includes gene discovery and identification (screening and sequencing), genetic engineering (cloning and expression), cell line development (optimizing expression and metabolic engineering), production (fermentation and cell culture), product purification (biochemical separation techniques), and product analysis (biochemical analytical techniques). A primary objective of this course would be to provide the student with a hands-on experience in the technology used for discovery and development of a biotechnology product. Social, legal, and business issues could be integrated into the curriculum. This would be a team-taught course. A proposed development and teaching team would include Doug Dennis, Ivor Knight, Gina McDonald, Bob McKown, Jon Monroe, and Rita Teutonico.

A dedicated biotechnology training facility is proposed. It has been noted that space in CISAT A1 has been dedicated to a biomanufacturing training facility that could also serve this purpose. This project has been funded by Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) as part of Virginia’s Manufacturing Innovation Center (VMIC) and use of state-of-the-art equipment has been offered by the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Integrated Science and Technology. The facility will include a prep room, a teaching laboratory, and a bioprocessing room for fermentation and purification. Development of this facility and curriculum could provide the foundation for external funding such as the NSF CCLI grant.

A new course is proposed that focuses on the economic and business aspects of the biotech industry. Proposed curriculum may include an economic history of the industry, business issues in developing a new biotech product, starting a new biotech company, and investing in the biotech industry. Active participation from the College of Business, College of Science and Mathematics, CISAT and the biotech industry is anticipated.

New technology and new biotech products have raised a number of important social, ethical, and legal issues that should be addressed in a biotechnology program. Active participation from the College of Arts and Letters, College of Science and Mathematics, CISAT, and the Federal Government is anticipated.

The Environmental Subtask Force was established in December 1999, when it was discovered that separate proposals for environmental majors, a discipline-based program (Environmental Science) and an applied program (Environmental Management) were at various stages of development and approval in the university. Since the two proposing groups had not interacted substantially, a joint meeting of Deans and faculty members was assembled to discuss the situation. It was decided that before proposals went any farther that a subtask force should be setup to consider the nature and direction the study of the environment should take at JMU.

Subsequently, the Environmental Subtask Force was established with members from CISAT and the College of Mathematics and Science. The membership included four faculty members from CISAT: Tom Benzing, Steve Frysinger, Jack Gentile, and Wayne Teel; four faculty members from the College of Mathematics and Science: Roddy Amenta, Dan Downey, Stan Ulanski, and Bruce Wiggins; Bob Abel, on an IPA assignment from NSF, and Jim Steele (Sociology) served as chair. All members were present at almost every meeting, and the committee completed its discussion with four meetings and numerous e-mail exchanges.

The group discussed such issues as:

1. The charge to the committee was to consider two possible alternatives: to develop the best single environmental program at the University, or to consider the desirability of developing a JMU Center for Environmental Studies that could possilby house several programs.

2. The need to look carefully at what other Virginia colleges are offering. Committee members knew already what other programs existed, but checked further on the "competition." It was ultimately decided that the JMU approach should focus primarily on the Shenandoah Valley, and this was the consensus of the members.

3. Ultimately, all members agreed that both the environmental science and the environmental management programs are needed at JMU. There is a strong need for both a discipline-based science major as well as an applied environmental management major at JMU for the following reasons:

• Students are demanding both majors. The committee anticipates that there is enough student interest easily to justify both majors.
• Both majors are required to meet varying career and employment interests of students. Some environmental science majors, while interested in environmental science, also want the option of pursuing a specific science discipline in graduate school. While many students in the environmental management program will also move to graduate studies, it is expected that many of them will seek employment immediately upon graduating from JMU. Having both majors increases students’ choices and options.
• This position was validated at the meeting of the CISAT Advisory Board during the committee’s deliberations. Members of that Board stated emphatically that both science discipline and applied majors were required and that their companies employed graduates from both types of programs.

4. In addition, the members agreed that the current interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies should be strengthened. The group discussed this issue at almost every meeting, but finally decided that this was not the group to develop that program further at this time. The suggestion for a major with a single common core and several concentrations was put forth and discussed at length, but was finally determined to be undesirable and unworkable.

5. The members also spent considerable time discussing how to meet the needs of students who are interested in environmental studies, but who do not want to major in either the discipline or applied program. It was suggested that many undergraduate education and K-12 students might be interested in such a program. One of the problems here is the need for more social science faculty members to commit to teaching in such a program. The committee members seemed to "hit the wall" with this concern and finally decided it would require effort and contacts that we could not address at this time.

6. One of the things that emerged from the members’ discussions was the development of a collaborative ethic. Members informed others of what they were doing and had in the pipelines, which led to discussion of how colleagues could help with upcoming planned research, workshops, etc.

7. One member put before the group some of his thoughts about how an "Institute for the Environment" might look, how it might be structured, and how it could foster collegiality and collaboration among both faculty members and students. This is provided as Attachment 1 in the full report that is placed in the Appendix.

8. It is essential to emphasize that among the members of this committee there was unanimity of concern for continuing and enhancing faculty-student research at JMU. This was a thread through most issues the committee discussed. Members explored many ways to get students involved in research early in their academic careers, how to bring an interdisciplinary opportunity to the students’ experience, and how to provide opportunities for students from discipline-based majors and an applied major to work together in doing and presenting research.

The following recommendations, all unanimously approved, are provided below in prioritized order.

1. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends that both the discipline-based program (Environmental Science) and an applied program (Environmental Management) major should go forth with revisions for approval.
2. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends the "Institute for the Environment" proposal to the Taskforce for Integrating the Sciences, Mathematics, and Technology (see the full report in the Appendix.).
3. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends providing opportunities for the community of students to participate and experience interdisciplinary environmental research early in their careers across disciplines at JMU.
4. The Environmental Subtask Force recommends that the present interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies be retained, re-examined, and restructured.
5. After much thought and harried attempts to locate parking spaces for meetings, the Environmental Subtask Force recommends that designated parking spaces for CISAT faculty members be located behind Miller or Burruss Halls, and that, conversely, spaces at CISAT be designated for College of Mathematics and Science faculty members to facilitate interaction and collaboration.

The Institute for Environment is a collegial association of environmental faculty from James Madison University, crossing departmental, college, and academic program boundaries.

The Institute for Environment (IFE) will promote synergism and faculty/student collaboration in environmental research, projects, and degree programs, helping to ensure that James Madison University, located and concerned with the larger Shenandoah Valley environment, is identified as an institution with a world-class environmental presence which is both coordinated and diverse.

The IFE membership consists of JMU faculty with active teaching and/or research programs pertaining to the environment. The Institute is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of a to be determined number of members selected from/by the membership. The Steering Committee elects its own chairperson annually, and the chairperson should receive a minimum of one-quarter release time. Honorary student membership may be granted to students by the Steering Committee on the basis of scholarship and service.

The IFE conducts a variety of activities intended to foster communication and collaboration among the James Madison University environmental faculty and students, as well as their external stakeholders. Examples of these activities include:

• maintenance of a presence in the James Madison University Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs (including their indices) to help prospective students and other stakeholders find and navigate the various environmental programs and courses available at JMU;

• maintenance of a world wide web presence (www.jmu.edu/environment) which serves as an electronic "front door" to environmental programs and activities at JMU;

• facilitation of dialog about the various environmental programs offered or proposed;

• operation of a directory and email list to help Institute members discover each other's expertise and communicate with each other;

• dissemination of news of interest to Institute members via either electronic or paper means;

• maintenance of a resource list to help faculty and students locate environmental instruments, equipment, and software on campus;

• organization of mini-conferences/workshops on the environment to showcase student and faculty work from all departments and programs;

• sponsorship of scholarships/grants to help students with research expenses, conference travel, etc.

The task force unanimously recommends that the proposal for the Neuroscience Major be approved by the Academic Council of James Madison University and that approval be sought from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia for initial offering of the major beginning Fall of 2001. (The proposal package is part of the full report contained in the Appendix.)

An interdisciplinary neuroscience program will capitalize on JMU’s expanding faculty resources in neuroscience and will benefit:

• the University by offering an educational experience that closely matches its evolving mission
• the State by attracting a greater number of Virginia’s outstanding high school students to a state institution over out-of-state schools that currently offer neuroscience program
• the students by providing them with a wide range of career opportunities

The objectives of an interdisciplinary major program in neuroscience are to:

• provide JMU students with a highly interdisciplinary program in which knowledge and skills from the traditional disciplines of biology, psychology, chemistry and philosophy are combined with contemporary approaches of biotechnology, artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to provide real world education and training for careers in technology, research, education and health care.
• attract to JMU outstanding high school students within and outside of Virginia that have interests in Neuroscience.

• promote interaction between faculty and students in the Colleges of Integrated Science and Technology, Science and Mathematics, and Education and Psychology

• encourage development of liaisons with the private sector through internships, seminars and collaborations.

• lead to new Federal and private funding of education, research and development in Neuroscience and related disciplines.

• reflect the evolving missions of JMU and recommendations of the Centennial Commission.

The specific educational aims of the Neuroscience Program will be to

• provide students with a broad base of knowledge and skills in Neuroscience
• develop students' ability to integrate and critically apply knowledge from different disciplines
• prepare students for further graduate or professional education or to successfully compete in the workplace

The curriculum of the Neuroscience major Program will integrate a wide range of existing courses with four new courses developed for the Neuroscience Program – Neuroscience, Neuroscience Laboratories, Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Seminar – into a flexible framework that can be adapted to the specific needs of diverse students. The curriculum will consist of 70 required credit hours, comprised of 48 hours of required neuroscience and cognate courses and 12 hours of Neuroscience elective courses. Upon successful completion of the Major and University requirements, students will be awarded a B.S. in Neuroscience. Graduates will be well prepared with a Neuroscience B.S. degree to begin careers in academic or industrial settings, or to continue their education in graduate or professional programs.

The Neuroscience Program will offer two concentrations that are unique among institutions offering undergraduate neuroscience programs: Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Investigations

• Neuroinformatics – will focus on contemporary applications of neuroscience in biotechnology, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence. Students completing the Neuroinformatics concentration would be exceptionally well prepared to obtain positions in industry or pursue advanced training.

• Neuroscience Investigations – will focus on the traditionally academic aspects of research and teaching across the disciplines of biopsychology and neurobiology. Students completing the Neuroscience concentration would most likely matriculate into graduate or professional careers.

Since Neuroscience is likely to appeal to a range of students will diverse backgrounds and career goals, students will be also able fashion individual programs in collaboration with their advisor.

Students will be required to obtain practical experience by either participating in faculty scholarly activities or in a summer internship. Participation in the Honors Program and/or conduct of Honors or other substantive practical experience will be strongly encouraged and supported. Students will be expected to present the results of their experience in Neuroscience Seminar (NEURO 4xx) and Student Research Symposia.

The major requirement will be 60 credits, which consists of a core of 5 Neuroscience (16 credit hours) and 9 cognate courses (32 credit hours), and 3-4 Neuroscience electives that can be drawn from Neuroscience or related Departments. Up to ten of the 60 credits may be earned in the GenEd program. The Neuroscience Core consists of NEUROSCI 200, 400 and 490, one advanced laboratory course at the molecular/cellular level and one course at the behavioral or cognitive level. Additional elective requirements will include a total of at 4-5 courses totaling 14 credits drawn from additional pre-existing courses Elective courses include neuroscience courses, closely related science courses, or courses providing skills essential to the practice of modern neuroscience.

The Neuroscience Program will be governed by a steering committee consisting of five faculty. One member will be chosen from Biology, Communication Science and Disorders and Psychology respectively. The remaining two may be from any department. Steering Committee members will serve three-year, staggered terms. Members will be appointed by the current Steering Committee.

The steering committee will elect a director who will serve for three years as director and three additional years as a steering committee member to effect a smooth transition. The Steering committee will meet at least once each semester. Decisions will be made by a simple majority. Day-to-day decisions will be determined by the Director alone; appeals raised by either students or Neuroscience faculty will be considered by the full steering committee.

Since the Neuroscience Program is fundamentally interdisciplinary, reporting to a single Dean may be inappropriate. Reporting procedures will be established by the VPAA in consultation with appropriate Deans.

Although the Neuroscience Program can be implemented without additional faculty or funding, our ability to consistently offer a wide range of courses, effectively attract students and attract external funding would benefit from

• three new faculty lines (one in Biology, one in Psychology and one in Communication Sciences Disorders/ISAT)
• an appropriate operating budget for promotion and daily operation

Regarding the resources needed for the program and additional courses, four new courses are proposed, each being taught once/year, with the following needs:

Further, we request that the Director of Neuroscience Program receive a 1 contact hour reduction per semester to defray administrative responsibilities, which are likely to be significant in the early years of the program.

Taken together, these commitments will require 16 contact hours/year ( 2/3 FTE/year) distributed across three Departments (~5 contact hours/Department-year). Thus, without additional faculty lines and limited Departmental support the curriculum can be implemented without additional faculty. Further, since most Neuroscience students are likely to drawn from Psychology or Biology, the overall departmental teaching loads in terms of number of students would be unchanged

Long-term success of the Program may depend on additional faculty lines.

Proposed start data: Fall, 2001 (for the 2001-2002 calendar year).

Anticipated Enrollment: Based on other schools with undergraduate Neuroscience programs (n=13 with sufficient information), 75 students/all years at JMU would be expected. Thus, we anticipate graduating at least 20 Neuroscience majors each year.

Assessment of the program will be closely tied to the educational aims of program. Because of the flexibility of the program and the lack of defined Neuroscience core content, standardized exams (e.g. ETS tests) will not be appropriate. Instead, assessment will focus on how successfully students compete for jobs or advanced education and their perception of how well the Neuroscience program prepared them for their subsequent activities. To this end, student's will be surveyed in their Junior and Senior year on the their career goals. One to two years following graduation, students will be sent a questionnaire. Compliance will be strengthened by actively following up on all questionnaires (email, phone). Further, qualitative assessment will be performed by phone interviews. Since the program will relatively small, high compliance is possible.

The Neuroscience Program will educationally complement existing and proposed degree programs. The natural science majors in the College of Science and Mathematics at JMU are largely traditionally taught, whereas CISAT programs are innovative and highly applied. The Neuroscience program will help bridge the gap between the CSM and CISAT. Two new interdisciplinary majors are also under consideration - Cognitive Sciences (based in Philosophy) and Human Biology. Each program has largely different faculty and different courses expectations, making significant redundancy unlikely. Further cooperation and pooling of ideas, resources and programs through the Neuroscience Program may permit greater opportunities for external funding and educational integration.

Administratively, Biology and Psychology will be affected by needing to provide some limited contact hour support (see above) and will probably lose a small number of students that either transfer to Neuroscience or initially chose Neuroscience and fail to enter either major in the first place. Since Biology and Psychology combined graduated 234 students in 1998-1999, the small number of transfers will have minimal effect. On the hand, the funding opportunities that the Neuroscience program presents stands to significantly enhance the research and teaching of the twelve participating faculty from Biology and Psychology, which will ultimately benefit their home departments. Other departments that will provide courses taken by Neuroscience students will be minimally affected.

There are currently 16 faculty interested in participating in a Neuroscience program. The faculty are drawn from four departments and three Colleges. All of the major Neuroscience areas, including molecular (Rife, Welsford), cellular (Welsford, Ryals), systems (Cleland, Paternostro, Wunderlich, Kushner), behavioral (Baker, Murphy, Rogers, Stoloff, Baker, Serdikoff) and cognitive (DePaolis, Gottfried, Walker) neuroscience are represented. Together, the 16 faculty currently mentor over 60 undergraduate students and have received substantial funding in both external grant support for both research (e.g. NIH and NSF) and education (e.g. NSF and GTE).

This sub-group for Applied Science and Manufacturing is submitting three major proposals to the Task Force. The group evaluated each proposal primarily in terms of the following criteria:

• Potential to fill a niche in order to offer new opportunities to our students and faculty
• Interdisciplinary requirements and potential
• Opportunity to build on existing program, curricula, facilities, and faculty strengths
• The manner in which each proposal might complement the others

Each of the three proposals is contained in the Appendix as attachments to this sub task force’s full report.

Industrial design education involves a combination of the visual arts disciplines and technology and requires sophisticated problem-solving and communication skills. Clearly a niche is waiting to be filled. The success of the program will depend heavily on the collaboration of the School of Art and Art History, the College of Integrated Science and Technology, and the College of Business. The strengths of programs in these Colleges of the University offer potential unmatched by programs at other institutions. Of particular note is the growing emphasis and experience at JMU in Operations (manufacturing, especially) Management. A student majoring in Industrial Design will be able to study contemporary manufacturing processes. Similarly, students majoring in Operations Management will be able to enhance their education by including Industrial Design in their coursework. There is a strong complementary potential that exists between this proposal and the two described below. One element is that the Manufacturing Systems Center proposal will serve to strengthen our reputation and experience in manufacturing which will provide great value to the Industrial Design Program.

This center is designed to provide context-driven learning, student-centered research, and faculty professional development in manufacturing systems. Functional areas within manufacturing systems include manufacturing systems technology, manufacturing management, and applied materials science and manufacturing processes. The Center will be of great interest and value to participants from the College of Integrated Science and Technology, the College of Business, and the Center for Materials Science, among others. The center will build on strengths and experience already being gained through Virginia's Manufacturing Innovation Center, a technology innovation center newly funded by Virginia's CIT. As described above, the center will offer opportunities for collaboration and thus enhance the Industrial Design program.

Materials Science is a major interdisciplinary area. This program would provide students with expansive opportunities in applied science in regard to breadth and depth. Students will be encouraged to work with faculty in basic and applied research. Students completing this major will have a number of paths from which to choose, including advanced study in materials science, engineering, operations, professional graduate programs, and high level positions in applied science, technology, and selected engineering fields. Course within this program will certainly interest Industrial Design, Manufacturing Systems, and Operations Management students. There is a natural collaborative opportunity with the Manufacturing Systems Center and with VMIC.

Introduction and Rational

Materials Science is a major interdisciplinary area of developing innovation and technology. Students trained in materials science have significant employment opportunities to work in a variety of industrial, government and academic activities. These include semiconductor device development in lasers and solid state electronics, manufacturing, nano-fabrication, thermal packaging, recycling, and light weight structures, as well as the selection and design of materials for products such as spacecraft, cars, medical implants, computers, bikes, fishing rods, electronic sensors, etc.

In the proposed major, students would take courses in the departments of chemistry, geology, integrated science and technology, mathematics and physics and they would gain significant experience and depth in applied science and mathematics. Students would be encouraged to work with faculty in basic and applied research on problems of interest to industry and government in materials processing, materials characterization, materials applications, materials engineering, and thermal sciences including thermal structural interactions and infrared analysis. Students completing the materials science major would have the basic preparation in applied science, mathematics, and technology needed to prepare them for advanced study in materials science, engineering, professional graduate programs, and high level BS positions in applied science, technology and selected engineering fields.

The proposed interdisciplinary program in materials science would be offered through the Center for Materials Science at JMU. The Center currently offers the minor and concentrations in materials science.

As proposed below, the major in materials science includes courses in five specified areas, requires a minimum of 34 credits in materials science, engineering materials and related topics, plus 33 credits in cognate courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Courses in the study of microelectronics, engineering materials, materials applications and materials processing are included in the major; some as required courses and others as electives. In addition, a concentration in electronics and instrumentation would be offered. Courses for this concentration currently exist in the department of physics and in the integrated science and technology program which also could offer the concentration. Cognate courses and course requirements for the materials science major are listed below.

A solid foundation in mathematics, physics and chemistry

taken mostly in the first and second years of the program …………..33 credits

1. Recommended

Courses taken in the following five areas:

1. Required foundation courses in materials science and engineering ….18 credits

MATS/CHEM/PHYS 275: An Introduction to Materials Science... (3)

ISAT 300: Instrumentation and Measurement ……………………. (3)

MATS/ISAT 431: Materials Science in Manufacturing …………...(3)

MATS/PHYS 381: Materials Characterization…....................….... (3)

MATS/ISAT 432: Selection and Use of Engineering Materials and

Manufacturing Processes……………………………………(3)

MATS/ISAT 436: Micro-Nanofabrication and Applications……….(3)

2. Elective Lecture/laboratory courses that emphasize more specialized

areas in materials and applied science: …….………………….….…...6 credits

CHEM 331: Physical Chemistry I..….……………………………... (3)

PHYS 347: Advanced Physics Laboratory (Formal Report Writing)

Or

TSC 210: Intro. To Technical and Scientific Writing …………. …. (3)

MATS/GEOL 396 X-Ray Characterization of Solid Materials …… (3)

PHYS 380, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

Or

ISAT 310: Thermodynamics and Energy Fundamentals ………..….. (3)

CHEM 445: Polymer Chemistry……………………………..…….... (3)

3. Materials science and approved electives ………………………………. 6 credits

MATS/ISAT 430, Manufacturing Processes…………………………(3)

ISAT 310: Thermodynamics and Energy Fundamentals ………..….. (3)

MATS/PHYS 337, Solid State Physics………………………………(3)

PHYS 347: Advanced Physics Laboratory ………………………… (3)

TSC 210: Intro. To Technical and Scientific Writing ………….... ... (3)

PHYS 350: Electricity and Magnetism …………………………..…. (3)

PHYS 380, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics …………… (3)

CHEM 331: Physical Chemistry I…………………………….…….. (3)

CHEM 342 Organic Chemistry II ………………………………….…(3)

CHEM 445, Polymer Chemistry……………………………………... (3)

MATH 248: Computers and Numerical Algorithms (FORTRAN 98) .(4)

Special Topics in materials science registered under:

CHEM 480, Selected Topics in Chemistry (materials science)...…. (1-3)

GEOL 398, Topics in Geology (materials science)…………..…… (1-4)

ISAT 480, Selected Topics in ISAT (for example, Light Metals)… (1-4)

MATH 483, Selected Topics in Applied Math (materials science) … (3)

PHYS 497, Topics in Physics (materials science)…………...…… (1- 4)

4. Materials Science Seminar ………………………………………………. 1 credit

MATS 491/492: Materials Science Seminar (1 credit/semester)… (2)

CHEM 481-482: Literature and Seminar ………………………... (2)

PHYS 291-291: Seminar ………………………………………….(1)

5. Research experience in materials science……………………..……….. 3/6 credits

Suggested Advisory Committee

To assist the Center for Materials Science with university policy and best practices for current and future developments of the proposed undergraduate major in materials science, an advisory committee is proposed. This Committee would include the Leadership Committee in the Center for Materials Science, the Department Head of Chemistry, the Department Head of Physics, the Program Coordinator of Integrated Science and Technology, and the Director of the Center for Materials Science. These individuals represent the faculty and departments that would be expected to participate in the proposed interdisciplinary major.

The B.S. degree program in materials science that has been presented in this proposal is the result of discussions that the author has had with ISAT faculty and members of the Center for Materials Science Leadership Committee, listed below. I sincerely thank them for their contributions. The proposed degree will be fine-tuned by the CMS's C & I Committee if approved for development by JMS's administration.

Dr. Roddy Amenta Geology & Environmental Science

Dr. Thomas (Tom) DeVore Chemistry

Dr. Brian Augustine Chemistry

Dr. Lon Enloe ISAT

Dr. David (Dave) Lawrence ISAT

Dr. Jon Miles ISAT

Dr. John (Jack) Taylor ISAT

Dr. Mohamed (Mo) Zarrugh ISAT

Dr. Anne Henriksen , visiting member, ISAT

Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Taylor, Jr., CMS Director Physics & ISAT

Industrial design education involves a combination of the visual arts disciplines and technology, utilizing problem-solving and communication skills. When an institution is adequately staffed and equipped to offer specialized courses in industrial design and related areas, the offering of a degree with a major in industrial design is justified. ¹

The JMU School of Art and Art History is now working with the College of Integrated Science and Technology and the College of Business to offer a B.S. in Studio Art with an emphasis in Industrial Design. This degree program, now in its second year of existence, builds on course work and programs presently offered by CISAT, the College of Business and the School of Art and Art History.

The focal point of JMU's emphasis in ID is the design of consumer-oriented manufactured products, desk-top to automobile size in scale. The program is intended to prepare students for immediate employment in the manufacturing design field or for advanced graduate work. Further development of the ID "emphasis" into a full major is proposed so that JMU's program may meet accreditation standards and to help JMU fill a unique role in higher education in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region.

The birth of Industrial Design (ID) is traced to western Europe in the early 1900s. Several German companies commissioned craftsmen and architects to design various products for manufacture. Early European theories on industrial design went beyond mere functionalism, and emphasized the importance of geometry, precision, simplicity and economy in the design of products. The idea of "form follows function" is a direct descendant of these early industrial designers.

In the United States, early concepts of ID took a distinctly different approach. While early European industrial designers were architects and engineers, most American industrial designers were theater designers and artist-illustrators. Not surprisingly, ID in the United States was often at the service of sales and advertising, where a product's exterior was all-important and its insides mattered little. By the 1970s, however, the European influence had strongly influenced American ID thinking. Heightened competition in a global marketplace forced American companies to search for ways to improve and differentiate their products. Increasingly, American companies accepted the notion that the role of ID needed to go beyond mere shape and appearance.

Industrial designers are now typically educated in four-year university programs where they study sculpture and form, develop drawing, presentation and model making skills, and gain a basic understanding of materials, manufacturing techniques and finishes. Industrial designers also must receive exposure to basic engineering, advanced manufacturing/fabrication processes, and common marketing practices. University ID programs are professional accredited through the standards and guidelines adopted by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD) and formalized by a 1984 Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)/NASAD agreement.

Bachelor degrees in Industrial design structured to meet NASAD/IDSA accreditation guidelines must adhere to the following format (based on a 120 credit hour program): Studies in industrial design comprise 30-35% of the total program; supporting courses in design, related technologies, and the visual arts, 25-30%; studies in art and design history 10-15%; and general studies and electives 25-30%. Studies in industrial design, supportive courses in design, related technologies, and the visual arts; and studies in art and design histories normally total at least 65% of the curriculum.