A–8 STANDING COMMITTEES
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
Approve the Establishment of the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) in the UW Tacoma School of Engineering and Technology
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is the recommendation of the administration and the Academic and Student Affairs Committee that the Board of Regents grant authority to the Graduate Faculty of the UW Tacoma School of Engineering and Technology to offer the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) effective Autumn Quarter 2020. This will be a state-based program. The graduate degree program will have provisional status with a review to be scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year. At such time that continuing status is granted, a ten-year review cycle would begin.
BACKGROUND
In April 2019, the Graduate School received notification of intent to plan the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) program from the School of Engineering and Technology at UW Tacoma. After tri-campus stakeholder comment, the faculty developed a full proposal that was reviewed and approved by the Graduate Faculty of the School of Engineering and Technology. On March 11, 2020, the UW Tacoma Academic Policy and Curriculum Committee endorsed the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) and recommended it be forwarded to the Graduate School for approval. The final proposal was submitted to the Graduate School in March 2020. On April 16, 2020, the Graduate School Council endorsed the proposal and recommended it be forwarded to the Board of Regents.
The proposed Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) will be a state-based program designed to develop scholars, educators, and interdisciplinary researchers who focus on computing principles for breadth, to become experts in one of many interdisciplinary areas in science and society characterized by substantial engineering and technology challenges requiring significant domain expertise to solve. Graduates from the program will be scholars and contributors to local growth and use-inspired innovation. The program builds advanced computing knowledge, augments critical thinking skills, and helps inquiry, questioning and abstraction towards tool development while contributing to theoretical advances in the area of the student’s emphasis. The degree program requires 90 credits and students will generally complete the program in five years. The content and degree title for this program are similar to an existing program offered by the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. There
A–8/205-20 5/14/20 STANDING COMMITTEES
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
Approve the Establishment of the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) in the UW Tacoma School of Engineering and Technology (continued p. 2) is precedent for program duplication across campuses when programs respond to high community, workforce, and/or regional demand, and all parties have provided feedback that has been integrated into the approval process.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems) degree program is proposed specifically to meet a clear regional demand. It will be the first and only Doctor of Philosophy program in computer science located in the South Sound. The School of Engineering and Technology has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of students in its master’s program in the last five years, with numerous students expressing interest in pursuing a local Ph.D. degree. Further, this proposed program seeks to address the expressed needs from local industry. Technology companies in the region have stated interest in applied research performed by students in the proposed program, hiring graduates of the proposed program, and having their current employees pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in research problems associated with industry needs. The program is expected to have two students enrolled in year one and gradually increase to 13 by 2024-2025.
The Dean of the UW Tacoma School of Engineering and Technology, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW Tacoma, Dean of the Graduate School, and the Provost have reviewed and approved the recommendation to approve the Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Systems).
A–8/205-20 5/14/20