We are thrilled to learn of the creation of this Commission. As individuals deeply concerned about the preparation of the domestic workforce to meet the challenges of national security and the 21st Century’s global economy, we urge the Commission to enunciate clear implementation steps that will advance our National capacity and competitiveness. In particular, we encourage the Commission to build on key recommendations made by other distinguished bodies:
- Recognize that the value of engineering and science education includes providing a “liberal” foundation base of relevant and real-world critical systems thinking and design approaches to those students who wish to use it as a springboard for pursuing careers in other professions such as education, business, medicine or law.
- Strengthen support for education research within engineering and science disciplines.
- Encourage institutions, departments, and individual faculty to develop and implement assessments of student learning and instructional quality that can be used to guide course and curriculum development as well as to communicate the value added by education to students, parents, and other stakeholders of the academic enterprise.
- Exploit innovative instructional technologies in order to enhance the affordability of, and access to, collegiate study in engineering and science for all students especially members of groups not yet fully participating in these fields such as underrepresented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.
- Facilitate student transitions from community colleges to baccalaureate programs.
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