Per an announcement for the Office of the Provost on January 18, the School of Systems and Enterprises (SSE) will become a department in the Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences (SES). Starting in the 2024-20235 academic year, the programs, students, and faculty currently organized as SSE will become a department in SES. To learn more about this change, The Stute spoke to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Qu to learn more.
SSE is a modestly new school here on campus. Initially, the school began as a department within SES before splitting apart from SES about 15 years ago. At that point, a growing population of students qualified for SSE programs (engineering management, industrial and systems engineering, etc.). Additionally, as Stevens grew as a research institution, much funding for systems research became available. To allow for SSE to grow and function more independently, the department split away from SES.
Although the school saw much success in the early years, there have been signs of decline over the past few years. One driver of the merger was from an admissions and organizational standpoint. Students in SSE took SES courses and received the same degrees as most SES students, and the SSE curriculum often mirrored what SES programs required. Additionally, prospective students often needed help navigating to SSE or understanding the difference between it and SES. While graduate attendance and research remained steadily active, the integration into SES will “enable the systems engineering programs to draw upon the financial and administrative resources of SES and will provide opportunities for faculty and students to build connections, mentorship and collaborations across SES departments and disciplines,” according to Qu. Additionally, as a school, SSE funds all the administrative staff, faculty, and other functional programs needed to label it an independent school. SSE can focus more on students and research with access to the SES resources.
The logistics of the merger, while announced in just the past few weeks, have been in the works for several months to over a year. Originating from the administration of SES and SSE as well as Qu’s office and other school-wide offices, with the help of administrators, faculty, and students, the merger results from much collaboration. After the schools agreed on the merger, they presented it to the Board of Trustees late last year. The administration told SSE alums following the board’s approval before the university-wide announcement at the beginning of the Spring 2024 semester.
One aspect of the integration The Stute looked into is the impact on members of SSE, whether it be the weight of their influence in the more prominent university or their simple day-to-day activities. Qu explained that outside of SSE, the change will be minimal, except for minor branding and the Office of Admissions changes. There will also be little noticeable change for students enrolled in SSE programs. For courses, faculty, and student resources, the departmental organization will match that of the school.
One area that will see some more significant changes is SSE’s research institutions. These institutions, like the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), currently have many facets, including some outside SSE. These research institutions will fall under the SSE department or exist separately within SES.
For the most part, Dean Jean Zu of SES and Interim Dean Anthony Barrese led the integration. Barrese and Zu have been working on the integration to ensure that all students and faculty of SSE, SES, and university students feel comfortable and understand the merger.
The integration of SSE into SES signals a strategic move to streamline operations and enhance resources. The merger aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring continued academic excellence. While Qu expects minor changes in branding and administrative processes, SSE’s core mission and academic offerings remain intact, promising a bright future for both schools.
