Per the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP), this Final Assessment Report (FAR) provides a synthesis of the external evaluation and internal response and assessments of the graduate programs offered by the Faculty of Engineering for the MEng, the MASc and the PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This report identifies the significant strengths of the programs, along with opportunities for improvement and enhancement, and sets out and prioritizes the recommendations selected for implementation.
This report includes an Implementation Plan that identifies who will be responsible for approving the recommendations set out in the Final Assessment Report, who will be responsible for providing any resources entailed by those recommendations, any changes in organization, policy or governance that will be necessary to meet the recommendations and who will be responsible for acting on those recommendations; and timelines for acting on and monitoring the implementation of those recommendations.
Overview of Programme Review Process:
The Department completed the Program Self-Study Report and submitted the report to the Vice-Principal of Academics through the Dean of Graduate Studies on 20 August 2023. For the programs under review, the MEng, the MASc and the PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering contained the degree level expectations for these programs, an analytical assessment of the programs, course outlines, program-related data, survey data from the Office of Quality Assurance and appendices with sample examinations and CVs of faculty members.
The Dean of Graduate Studies selected two arm' s-length external reviewers (Dr. Adbulsalam Yassine, PhD, Department of Software Engineering, Lakehead University, and Dr. Dongyu Qiu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University) from a list of possible reviewers. An internal reviewer, Dr. Abdellah Chehri from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, was also selected to participate in the ERC. They reviewed the self-study documentation and conducted an on-site visit to RMC from 15 to 16 November 2023.
During the in-person visit, the External Review Committee (ERC) met with the Vice-Principal of Research, the Head of the Department, the Programme Chair, the Director of Quality Assurance, the Dean of Engineering, the Dean of Graduate Studies, both the military and civil faculty members as groups, the support staff (admin and techs), the post-graduate students registered in the programs under study, and the Chief Librarian.
The reviewers submitted their report on 20 December 2023. In their report, the ERC summarizes that RMC's graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering offer high-quality programs that benefit from its ties with the Canadian Armed Forces and industry.
Significant Strengths and Areas of Concern of the Programme:
The ERC identified several strengths of the graduate programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE):
- The graduate programs of the ECE department have their uniqueness because RMC is a federally funded university and has a tight connection with the Department of National Defense;
- The Department attracts abundant funding;
- The student-to-faculty member ratio is excellent.
The ERC identified some areas for improvement and opportunities for enhancements in the graduate programs in ECE:
- Recruiting talented students is challenging;
- Recruiting female students at all levels and in all research areas;
- Hosting a regular distinguished lecturers series;
- Workshop in collaboration with the library personnel to teach students how to access the library databases;
- Creation of an operational zone for faculty to access computer networks to develop course material;
- Access to high-performance computing infrastructure.
The Program Chair consulted with the program's faculty and staff and submitted a response to the ERC Report on 25 June 2024. The Dean of Graduate Studies prepared this Final Assessment Report on 26 July 2024. Specific recommendations are discussed, followed-up actions and timelines are provided.
Summary of the Reviewers’ Recommendations with Dean’s Responses
While their report was very positive, the ERC identified several areas of concern or issues requiring attention. These issues are discussed in the order that they appear in the ERC Report:
Recommendation 1:
Student Security Clearances. The review committee recommends that a committee be formed between the Faculty of Engineering, Dean of Graduate Studies, Vice-Principal (Research) and CAF administration to review the process of screening graduate students (Nationally and Internationally). The main objective of this committee would be to speed up the process of obtaining security clearance for students to join the ECE department in a timely fashion. Faculty members of the ECE department have expressed that recruiting talented students is a challenging prospect, especially since it can negatively impact their efforts to maintain a high-quality graduate program.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. The Department of ECE supports all efforts to streamline efforts to help facilitate student security requirements. ECE would fully engage with the commitment described by the ERC and would actively participate if invited. We also support a broader effort to consider a more independent RMC research space (similar to the swing space) that does not require special security clearance to alleviate security concerns.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean appreciates the Department’s support in streamlining security requirements for students. There is a pre-existing process to simplify the security requirements specifically for civilian students who the Tri-Agencies or Calian do not fund. The process was designed in collaboration with the Division of Graduate Studies, the Registrar, and CDA CIS to ensure that these students could access the necessary resources and facilities without undergoing extensive security clearances that might otherwise hinder their admission to the graduate program or their research activities.
The Division of Graduate Studies will continue to facilitate collaboration between the departments to ensure that the existing process is efficient and meets the needs of all civilian students. Your Department's active participation will be instrumental in this effort.
We will review the current process to identify areas for improvement, including streamlining documentation, reducing wait times, and ensuring that all relevant personnel are aware of and adhere to the process.
Exploring the feasibility of creating additional independent research spaces, similar to the swing space, that do not require special security clearance will require engaging security personnel, administrative staff and the Commandant.
Vice-Principal - Research’s Response:
The VPR agrees with the recommendation of the committee that a clear and streamlined process would support the recruitment of graduate students. The Office of Research is in communication with the security personnel and the Commandant to develop this process and ensure that the security process reflects the specificity of graduates and researchers (nationally and internationally).
The VPR supports the development of an independent research space and the Research Office will engage with the different stakeholders to explore the feasibility of this recommendation.
Recommendation 2
Encouraging Applications by Female Students. The review committee recommends a collective effort by the ECE department, Faculty of Engineering, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Vice-Principal (Research) to encourage CAF administration to nominate female students to join ECE programs at all levels and in various research areas. Furthermore, the Faculty of Engineering and Dean of Graduate Studies should hold women-in-engineering workshops to attract civilian females into the ECE department. These workshops can be coordinated with professional organizations such as IEEE, PEO, etc.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. The Department of ECE is fully committed to increasing the number of its members who come from equity-seeking groups, including women. We look forward to working with the stakeholders named above and others (perhaps including the RMC Equity Officer) towards this goal.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean is pleased to hear about the Department’s strong commitment to increasing the number of members of equity-seeking groups, including women. The Department's dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion is commendable and aligns with our institutional goals.
Recommendation 3:
ECE Distinguished Lecture Series. The review committee recommends establishing a regular distinguished lecture series where top researchers (national and international) are invited, e.g., on a monthly basis, to present their latest research results to professors and graduate students. The Department would also be able to showcase its research facilities to these invited speakers. The program can be coordinated with the IEEE’s Distinguished Lecturers Program (DLP) to minimize the cost.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. The Department of ECE will establish a regular distinguished lecture series organized by Dr. Hussein Ammar starting in the fall semester 2024. The Series will consist of at least one monthly lecture during the fall and winter academic semesters.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
This initiative is an excellent opportunity to enhance the academic environment, foster intellectual exchange, and provide valuable learning experiences for our students and faculty. It will have a significant positive impact on our community.
Recommendation 4:
Library Database Workshop. The review committee recommends organizing a 30-minute workshop in collaboration with library personnel for students enrolled in course EE502 Applied Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering. The committee learned from several students that accessing library databases can be technically cumbersome.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. A detailed briefing by the RMC Library, including access to library databases, was an integral part of EE502 in the past, and the Department of ECE commits to reestablishing it in the fall semester of 2024. The ECE Library Committee Representative, Dr. Liu, has established coordination between the EE502 Instructor, Dr. François Chan, and the RMC Chief Librarian, Ms. Sarah Toomey.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean thanks the Department for reestablishing the detailed library briefing as an integral part of EE502, starting in the 2024 fall semester. I am pleased to hear that Dr. Liu has already coordinated with Dr. François Chan and Ms. Sarah Toomey, RMC's Chief Librarian, to ensure a seamless integration into the course.
Reestablishing the library briefing will provide our students with critical skills and knowledge to access and utilize academic resources effectively.
Chief Librarian’s Response:
The Chief Librarian and Dr. Chan have been in touch about the briefing. In the two months remaining before the start of the term, they will coordinate regarding the content of the briefing and any logistical details
Recommendation 5:
Courseware Development Facility. The review committee recommends creating a safe operational zone for faculty members to access the computer network to develop course material. The committee learned that some ECE professors face a great deal of frustration when developing course material that requires internal (RMC) computer network infrastructure.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. While the development of course material is often considered an undergraduate teaching activity, it significantly impacts graduate courses. The Department of ECE fully supports any efforts to recognize the unique nature of electrical and computer engineering education in a constrained environment involving multiple stakeholders such as CDA, CDA CIS and SSC. The Department is committed to supporting any efforts to address ECE's severe course development problems.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean thanks the Department for bringing to our attention the technical challenges faced by the Department in providing internet access for teaching activities. We understand the critical need for a secure yet flexible network environment that supports the unique demands of the Department's teaching activities, including uploading student codes from outside the RMCNet, updating drivers and software on robots and other essential tasks that require internet access. The Department needs a means to support undergraduate and graduate teaching. The current RIOZ system is inappropriate for teaching activities since RIOZ focuses mainly on research activities.
In response, I fully support the Department's efforts to find a viable solution. In collaboration with the Vice-Principals of Academics and Research, the Dean will actively engage with RMC's J6, CDA CIS, and SSC to advocate for viable solutions for the specific network needs the Department requires for its teaching activities.
I am confident that working collaboratively with all stakeholders to explore potential solutions that balance the need for security with the flexibility required for effective teaching will result in a solution that supports the ECE department's innovative teaching activities while maintaining the necessary security protocols.
While working towards a long-term solution, we should investigate interim measures that the College can implement to support the Department’s teaching activities.
Vice-Principal of Academics’ Response:
The VPA acknowledges the frustration of ECE faculty members for developing their courses. The Department is encouraged to seek out solutions with the network stakeholders at RMC.
Recommendation 6:
High-Performance Computing. The review committee recommends installing high-performance computing infrastructure for machine learning research. The committee learned from students that such infrastructure is not available for their research. Alternatively, faculty members can register with Compute Canada and give students permission to access state-of-the-art machine learning servers.
Departmental Response:
Agreed. There is a significant overlap between graduate programs and research. The ECE Department fully supports all efforts to increase network and computing facilities in support of research, which will positively impact its graduate programs.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean wholeheartedly agrees that enhancing network and computing facilities is essential in advancing the Department's research capabilities and initiatives and the overall quality of the graduate programs.
Other graduate programs at the College would benefit from such an investment, such as Physics and Space Science, Math and Computer Science, and Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.
Vice-Principal of Research’s Response:
For the past year, the Office of Research has been developing a strategy to provide access to high-performance computing facilities for researchers at RMC to support their efforts in leveraging the access to state-of-the-art computing facilities for a positive impact on their research programs.
Recommendation 7:
Software Engineering Courses. While not listed as a formal recommendation in section 5 of their report, the review committee recommends that ECE reconsider its decision to remove software engineering courses on page 6 of their report. The committee mentions that software engineering courses are becoming a trend in most universities, and many graduate students in different disciplines are now interested in taking courses in these areas.
Departmental Response:
While the ECE Department has a proud history of software engineering research and teaching, it no longer does as faculty interests have shifted toward cyber security. While software engineering courses have been retired from the list of ECE course offerings in the graduate calendar, faculty members interested in the field can propose new courses. The Department of ECE has further decided to replace its "Software Engineering" field of study with a "Cyber Security" field to reflect better the reality of its course offerings and research efforts.
Dean of Graduate Studies’ Response:
The Dean appreciates the thoughtful approach the Department has taken to align its course offerings and research efforts with the current faculty's interests and expertise. I fully support the decision to replace the Software Engineering field of study with a Cyber Security field in the graduate calendar. This transition reflects the evolving landscape of technology and ensures that our programs remain relevant and cutting-edge.
Implementation Plan
| Recommendation | Proposed Follow-up | Responsibility for Leading Follow-up | Timeline for Addressing Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Student Security Clearances | Establish a working group with the Director of Operations to streamline security requirements for students. |
Commandant Principal |
First meeting by December 2024. |
| 2. Encouraging Applications by Female Students | Establish a committee to encourage applications to graduate studies by equity-seeking group members, including women. | DGS | First meeting by December 2024. |
| 3. ECE Distinguished Lecture Series | Implement a series of regular lectures by distinguished speakers who are researching electrical and computer engineering. | Dept. Head | Ongoing. Dr. Hussein Ammar will organize the Series beginning in the 2024 Fall semester. |
| 4. Library Database Workshop | Implement a workshop on using library resources in course EE502, Applied Research in Electrical and Computer Engineering. | Dept. Head | Ongoing. The workshop will be organized during EE502 in the 2024 Fall semester. |
| 5. Courseware Development Facility | Establish a working group to advocate for the unique information technology courseware development requirements of the Department of ECE. |
RMC J6 Dept. Head IT Working Group |
First meeting by December 2024. |
|
6. High-Performance Computing |
Establish links between High-Performance Computing Center and RMC (including interested faculty members in the Department of ECE). | Vice-Principal Research | Implement regular meetings by December 2024. |
| 7. Retain Software Engineering Courses | While the ECE Dept. has already decided to retire obsolete software engineering courses from the ECE graduate course offerings list in the Graduate Calendar and establish the "Cyber Security" field of study, course offerings are reviewed annually based on faculty and student interests. | Dept. Head |
Complete. The Faculty Council approved the changes in April 2024. Course offerings will be updated annually as part of the ongoing monitoring of IQAP. |
Conclusion:
The ERC Report provided positive feedback on the outcomes of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate programs. It confirmed that the RMC is delivering programs consistent with other comparable institutions in Ontario. However, the ERC identified some areas for improvement, and RMC has already taken steps to address some of the issues raised. RMC will continue to work toward program enhancement and improve student success in the Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate programs.
The Dean of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Vice-Principal of Academics, the Vice-Principal of Research, and the Program Chair, is responsible for monitoring the Implementation Plan.