Instrumentation and measurement in a first-year engineering program

The First-Year Engineering (FYE) program at the University of Kentucky (UK) is a three course sequence intended to recruit and retain engineering and computer science students by engaging them in exploration and design experiences. Transfer students are also welcomed into the College of Engineering through a course developed specifically for students entering the College with a previous degree or more than 30 credits in another major. FYE program development started in 2014, a Director was selected in 2015, six faculty were hired in 2016 and the first cohort of students enrolled in Fall 2016. All nine undergraduate degree programs changed their curricula to accommodate the new courses which replaced the individual departmental "101" courses, the introductory computer science course and the UK Core Intellectual Inquiry into Arts and Creativity requirement. In order to appeal to all disciplines, the courses address multidisciplinary global issues and pair computer programming with hands-on sensor and motor circuits. All types of engineers collect data from sensors, analyze the data to make decisions and then command an action as a result. By introducing students to basic sensor, data and actuator circuits and programs, they will be prepared for lab courses and research opportunities in their major with some ability to design new measurement systems.