Hot Spots: "Excellence as a Core Value"

March 16, 2009

As part of our general "reconstruction" of the Department's Web Site, I would like to exploit an opportunity to communicate with our Nuclear Engineering community of students, faculty, and staff. I will do my best to post monthly columns on this site (called "Hot Spots" for a modicum of dramatic effect), in order to share reflections on our academic community, our profession, and our mission challenges. In time, perhaps we will transition to accommodate some feedback or "blogging," but for now will proceed with the more traditional "editorial commentary."

Over the last year, the College of Engineering has been engaged in a strategic planning process which has resulted, most recently, in publication of a College of Engineering 10-Year Strategic Research Plan. Prior to this, however, the Steering Committee spent some time revisiting and reflecting on our common "values," in part as a means for establishing a strong foundation for the strategic initiatives that the Dean has chartered us to develop for the College.

Being the "biggest" Department of Nuclear Engineering in the country is simply not enough--we must also strive to be the "best!"

In the next few months, I would like to reflect on several of these "values" in this column, attempting to focus them on issues more relevant to our Department. For starters, I would like to begin with "Excellence". It is my belief that no matter what role we play in our academic community (student, faculty, or staff), a commitment to uncompromised standards of excellence in everything we do is the ultimate key to our success as individuals, as a Department, as well as a University. It is essential for us to internalize this value if we are to seek national prominence at any level. Being the "biggest" Department of Nuclear Engineering in the country is simply not enough- we must also strive to be the "best!"

In Texas A&M's Vision 2020, "excellence" was regarded as one of the University's core values. To quote from that study: "We will seek excellence in everything we do. We will define excellence by a broad universe of national and global standards, and by objective standards of achievement and/or contribution. We will measure ourselves by those standards and we will reach out to colleagues in academia, government, and industry to understand how we can learn, benefit, and contribute."

This past summer, the COE Strategic Planning Committee reiterated the importance of "excellence" in its final published set of values for the College. Excellence in all endeavors and personnel is attained in large measure:

• By committing to discovery, dissemination, and discernment of knowledge through rigorous application of scientific method;
• By sharing our passion for engineering through an inspiring and engaging program of teaching;
• By pursuing the highest standards of quality in business practices and support functions.

Within the Department of Nuclear Engineering, I would appeal to you to personally commit yourselves to the highest standards of excellence. For the nuclear engineering profession, high standards exist in our pursuit of knowledge through an unquestionably challenging and multi-faceted curriculum of courses and portfolio of research efforts, as well as in the application of knowledge in problem-solving that spans health/medical physics, power technology, and national security missions. However, total "excellence" must also be achieved in the operational environment in which we operate and conduct our professional activities. The very nature of nuclear energy and nuclear materials creates an imperative for the highest standards of safety and security, without which our profession would fail to gain the levels of public confidence required to ensure sustainability of the "nuclear energy alternative". Akin to some professions, but unlike many, we cannot afford to make mistakes! So, I urge you to internalize this value in your everyday activities and undertakings here in the Nuclear Engineering Department.

As one example of an easy, very practical way to help "raise the bar" in the Department, I encourage all students to diligently participate in the teaching evaluations of course instruction that regularly attend the final days of classes during the semester. As faculty, we work very hard to prepare and deliver course material that will not only challenge you, but will provide you with information, insight, and problem-solving skills critical for your eventual professional career. You are our most important "customers," so your input provides extremely important feedback that we can use to improve the academic program. Please participate in these evaluations conscientiously and honestly. The University has made it easy to complete these evaluations online. By providing this critical feedback, you can help the Department make continuous improvements, and so attain ever higher levels of academic excellence.

Have a wonderful Spring Break, and come back with a determination to complete the semester with a renewed commitment to "Excellence!"