Students at Big 12 universities without nuclear engineering programs now can take online courses taught by K-State, partner institutions

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Sources: Sue Maes, 785-532-5493, scmaes@k-state.edu
Mo Hosni, 785-532-5610, hosni@k-state.edu
http://www.mne.ksu.edu/big12ne
News release prepared by: Dawn Anderson, 785-532-1552, dpeters@k-state.edu

Wednesday, January 3, 2006

STUDENTS AT BIG 12 UNIVERSITIES WITHOUT NUCLEAR ENGINEERING PROGRAMS NOW CAN TAKE ONLINE COURSES TAUGHT BY K-STATE, PARTNER INSTITUTIONS

MANHATTAN -- Nuclear engineering courses are no longer out of reach for many students at Big 12 universities, thanks to online classes offered by Kansas State University and three partner institutions through the Big 12 Nuclear Engineering Program.

"With rising energy costs, demand for engineers with knowledge of nuclear science and technology has increased dramatically," said Mo Hosni, professor and head of K-State's department of mechanical and nuclear engineering. "Over the last two decades many university nuclear engineering programs were cut, creating a serious national shortage for nuclear-trained engineers."

To meet this work-force challenge, the Big 12 engineering colleges have designed a new online course-sharing model beginning in the spring 2007 semester. Faculty from K-State, along with other universities with nuclear engineering programs -- Texas A&M University, University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Texas-Austin -- will teach online nuclear engineering courses to students at the other eight Big 12 universities: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

The introductory-level undergraduate courses being offered in the spring semester cover concepts in nuclear and radiation engineering/physics and use of nuclear technologies in society. There are no prerequisites for the courses. Students must be degree-seeking students at one of the eight Big 12 universities without a nuclear engineering program to be eligible for tuition assistance of up to 70 percent from the U.S. Department of Energy. Assistance will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment ends Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, and the courses begin Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007. For enrollment information, call 785-532-5493 or visit http://www.mne.ksu.edu/big12ne

The Big 12 Nuclear Engineering Program is a cost-effective solution to rapidly meet industry needs, said Sue Maes, co-director of K-State's Institute for Academic Alliances. Noted faculty members with nuclear engineering specialties will share their expertise with students throughout the Big 12 schools. K-State and the three other universities with nuclear engineering programs also will exchange graduate courses to enhance the opportunities available to their graduate students.

The U.S. Department of Energy provided seed money to encourage the development of the Big 12 Nuclear Engineering Consortium, which offers the Big 12 Nuclear Engineering Program. It also is providing tuition assistance for undergraduate students taking the courses.

The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded a grant of $631,000 to the K-State Institute for Academic Alliances and the College of Engineering to study higher education policies affecting the development of the Big 12 collaborative curricular partnerships. Hosni and Maes are the project directors.

A national higher education strategy council will assist Big 12 teams of provosts, chief finance officers, registrars, financial aid directors, deans, department heads, state higher education executive officers and regional accrediting association directors in overcoming policy barriers encountered while implementing the Big 12 Nuclear Engineering Consortium. Overcoming these policy barriers and developing new financial and academic policy agreements will break new ground for long-term Big 12 higher education programs of the future, Maes said.