Online-BSEE (Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering): A Multi-University Collaboration Project in Partnership with Open SUNY

The Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering is a collaborative effort among three SUNY University Centers Stony Brook, Buffalo, and Binghamton. The program delivers the entire electrical engineering curriculum, including the laboratory component asynchronously at the bachelor level to students online; thus realizing the Learning Anywhere Anytime vision. Students take the basic mathematics and science courses and general education curriculum elsewhere (online or at local institutions). It is one of the first such programs nationwide in which faculty from multiple universities join forces to serve a unique online student body distinct from the traditional on-campus students. Thus far, our student body consists of mostly working professionals seeking career advancement. Some are electrical or electronic technicians seeking the degree for promotion. Some are intellectual property lawyers in different engineering disciplines seeking to expand their practice to include electrical engineering. There are yet others seeking completion of their bachelor degrees that were interrupted by various life scenarios. In this paper, we discuss the triumphs and challenges of the program and outline how our collaboration across three universities and other partnership further enables us to leverage the resources of a large public education system to make a difference and to serve a student body that is otherwise unable to pursue higher education in electrical engineering. We will also share our comprehensive model of program supports and how we plan to measure the usage, effectiveness, and long term impact of those supports over time.