Re-engineering an engineering school

This paper describes an attempt to re-engineer a large engineering school in a mass education university in response to the economic constraints and accountability demands being imposed on the university system. An outline of the source of the problems which have led to the perception of a crisis in the higher education system is presented. The tensions between the public good and private benefit, both from without and within the university are considered. A plan to satisfy the demands for accountability in the use of public funds based on peer accountability and accountability to students is discussed. The application of these principles to the organisation of the learning environment in a large engineering school, by the empowerment of totally inclusive teams of academics, is described. The steps involved in changing the culture to reassert the practical importance of the community of scholars are reported.