History
Idaho State University has been serving the citizens of the State since 1901 when the institution was first established as the Academy of Idaho. Renamed the Idaho Technical Institute in 1914 and reorganized as the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho in 1927, it was established as Idaho State College in 1947. The change from ISC to ISU took place in 1963.
The history of engineering education at the institution now known as Idaho State University (ISU) is much longer than most people realize. Dr. Merrill D. Beal, in his book, "The History of Idaho State College," states that two of the first four graduates of the Academy of Idaho in 1902 were "Civil Engineers."
Only Associate degrees were offered for many years. In fact, during the latter part of these early years, a very broad program existed for the Associate of Science Degree in various branches of engineering. The freshman year was common for all of the programs but the sophomore year was tailored to each discipline. Associate degrees were offered in Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Mining and Metallurgy.
By 1964 it became apparent that few of the students in the program were going to the University of Idaho to complete their engineering degrees, and the program was changed so that students could obtain either an Associate of Science in Engineering without designation or a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Engineering. The latter degree required three years at ISU followed by 32 upper-division credits at some other institution in an accredited engineering program; this was typically that institution's normal junior year. The student then transferred those credits back to ISU to earn the BS degree here. The student could, of course, opt to continue through the senior year at the second institution in order to complete the requirements for its BS in engineering. No more than half a dozen of the pre-engineering degrees were awarded, but the program remained in the bulletin until 1970.
In the fall of 1964, the State Board of Education voted to phase out all engineering education at ISU. This appeared to many in eastern Idaho to be an ill-advised action, primarily because of the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) being located only 50 miles from the ISU campus. (The NRTS has since been renamed several times, and is now designated the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory - INEEL) At that time the NRTS was engaged in a number of high technology research and development programs, had nearly 50 operating experimental and test nuclear reactors, and was conducting a number of advanced state-of-the-art R&D programs, some of which were highly classified. To remove the engineering program from this nearby campus did not seem to many to be appropriate.
Fortunately, the legislature responded by passing an amendment to the 1963 law. The amendment said, in part, that ISU should now "... give instruction in a four year program in general engineering, with emphasis on nuclear science, but not in mechanical, electrical, chemical, or civil engineering ..." This wording seemed to satisfy the University of Idaho, which had provided an off-campus evening graduate engineering educational program for the NRTS since 1955. (The University of Idaho is located approximately 550 road miles away from the NRTS, in the panhandle of northern Idaho.) The State Board changed their resolution later that spring and authorized not only a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering but also a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering. The legislature then appropriated $250,000 to start the new programs. Two departments were established to administer the programs: the Department of Engineering and the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, both in the College of Liberal Arts.
The new BS degree first appeared in the Bulletin in the fall of 1967. It was fairly unstructured, using many of the old courses from the two-year programs (still designated EE and ME) plus a selection of new courses designated as General Engineering. The "core" took most of the junior year and some of the senior. However, the degree program allowed a selection of 18 credits of "... upper division sequence in engineering and physical science ..." and 18 credits of "free" electives. The degree required 140 semester hours total.
By 1968 the programs were unified in the Department of Engineering and Nuclear Science. Two options were available at the BS level. One, the "Nuclear Option," was pretty well specified but the "General Option" still had some flexibility. The credit requirements for the degree were dropped to 136 semester hours by eliminating some of the electives. The EE and ME designations were still used for lower division courses. This program lasted through 1970.
In 1970 all course designations were changed to "Engineering" and a new option, the "Management Option," was added. The Management Option was dropped after a few years when the College of Business attained accreditation.
In response to suggestions offered during an unsuccessful initial attempt to gain ABET accreditation, portions of the program were revised. The next attempt was successful, and the college has maintained accreditation ever since. First, the School of Engineering was formed to move the program out of the College of Liberal Arts. The "General Option" now required the common core plus the completion of two sequences. Each of the six sequences contained three courses of three credits each. (It might be noted that at that time, ENGR 321, Mechanics of Materials, was taken out of the core and placed in Sequence A. The students taking that sequence then had a choice of "ENGR 462 or 464 Design of Steel or Concrete Structures." Most took both, however, since 12 credits of "technical electives" were required.) The "Nuclear Science Option" was retained without much change and a new "Digital Option" was added.
By 1980 the "Option" designation had been dropped and the six sequences were each expanded to four courses. ENGR 321 was back in the core again by popular demand of the faculty. The sequences did not have designated laboratory courses yet, but the student was required to take an Advanced Engineering Laboratory for 1 credit and an Engineering Design Elective for 3 credits. The technical elective requirement was dropped to six credits and the degree requirement to 128 semester credits to be consistent with the rest of the University.
In addition to gaining accreditation for the "general engineering" program from ABET in 1985, the designation of the academic unit was changed from the School of Engineering to the College of Engineering. Also in 1985, a one-credit laboratory requirement in each sequence was added, as well as ENGR 495, Senior Design Project, for 3 credits. Since that time there have been minor course changes within some of the sequences, the senior design program has been changed to a sequence of two 2-credit project design courses, and a new sequence in "Mechanical Systems" has been added.
In 1989 the Master of Science Degree in Measurement and Control Engineering and the Ph.D. in Nuclear Science and Engineering were added to the graduate program. A year later, a graduate option in Hazardous Waste Management was added. However, the latter is under the direction of the Dean of Research, as an interdisciplinary curriculum including all of the "hard" sciences and many of the "soft" sciences.
In 1990 an entirely new BS degree was added, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management. This program requires extra credits (nominally five years for completion) and should prepare the student for entry into an MBA program.
In 1990 the College of Engineering was authorized to drop the word "General" from the degree designation. All transcripts and diplomas now read "Bachelor of Science" with the word "Engineering" printed below. Each student's sequences were also listed on the transcript.
In the early 1990's, the federal government began reducing research and development support for the nuclear industry, and enrollment in that sequence has declined to very few students. ISU continues to maintain the sequence and graduate degree because of our heritage and our belief that the future will bring renewed interest in nuclear power. The graduate nuclear science and engineering programs are now emphasizing medical and industrial applications, including accelerator technology in cooperation with the Department of Physics.
In 1993 an MS program in Environmental Engineering was added. That same year, the State Board of Education selected the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC) as one of four approved centers on the ISU campus.
In 1996, the legislative restrictions, which had been placed on the College of Engineering's offerings in 1965, were removed at the request of the Idaho State Board of Education. Beginning in May of 1997, programs in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering were offered as additions to the long-standing and ABET-accredited 128 credit interdisciplinary degree. Students completed two designated sequences plus an additional 9 credits in these areas to qualify for a CE, EE, or ME specialization designation on their transcript.
In preparation for re-accreditation in 1999, and in charting the future of the College of Engineering, the faculty elected in 1997 to develop a Strategic Plan. It is used as a working document in that the goals and plans are continually updated and modified. During 1997 and 1998 the Strategic Plan went through 17 updates and revisions.
In the fall of 1999, ABET accreditation was sought for the three new programs and re-accreditation for the interdisciplinary program under ABET's Engineering Criteria 2000. In August 2000, ABET accreditation was received for all four programs. In May 2001, the Idaho State Board of Education approved the College's request to begin offering Bachelor of Science Degrees in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering. Also in 1999, a Master of Science program in Engineering Structures and Mechanics was implemented. Plus, the administration of the Bachelor of Science program in Computer Science was transferred to the College of Engineering from the College of Business.
The College of Engineering at ISU continues to modify and update its undergraduate and graduate engineering and computer science programs to ensure that our graduates are equipped to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.