Institutionalizing a new curriculum for engineering majors at Polytechnic University

In the fall of 1993, Polytechnic University initiated a new core curriculum for engineering majors, including a comprehensive freshman engineering curriculum. Without extensive pilot testing, the new curriculum was introduced to all incoming freshman engineering students a little over 15 months from the time serious discussions of major curriculum revision were initiated. This was a remarkable achievement for a school whose history and success was based upon "traditional" engineering programs. Over 96% of Polytechnic undergraduates study engineering or computer science, and issues of curriculum are dominated by the engineering faculty. This paper deals primarily with the process of rapid institutionalization of such a program. The role of the Gateway Coalition in this process is discussed.