Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association

E C E D H A

About ECEDHA

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association is composed of heads or chairs of departments offering accredited programs in electrical and/or computer engineering.

Purpose

The purposes of ECEDHA, as expressed in the ECEDHA constitution, are threefold:

Membership

ECEDHA membership is open to the official leaders (whether called head, chair, or some other title) of U.S. university departments offering ABET-accredited electrical and/or computer engineering (or similarly named) programs. Of about 300 departments offering such programs, almost 90 percent are currently represented in ECEDHA.

Associate membership in ECEDHA is open to the leaders of similar departments that are either located outside the U.S., or whose programs are not currently accredited.

Affiliate membership in ECEDHA is granted by the ECEDHA Board of Directors to industrial and governmental organizations with a strong interest in electrical and computer engineering education.

Those who qualify for any grade of membership but who are not currently members are encouraged to apply for membership. Inquiries should be sent to information@ecedha.org.

A list of ECEDHA members is not available. However, the ECEDHA on-line Directory of Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments gives names and contact information of department heads, most of whom are ECEDHA members.


2006-07 ECEDHA Organization and Governance


Mark J. T. Smith
2007-08 ECEDHA President
Purdue

ECEDHA is run, in accordance with the ECEDHA constitution, by three elected officers who are ECEDHA members and must also be IEEE members. Current officers (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008):

Past officers

The President conducts a business meeting annually during the ECEDHA Annual Meeting. All ECEDHA members are encouraged to attend.

ECEDHA administration is carried out by the International Engineering Consortium (IEC):


ECEDHA Board

ECEDHA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of


ECEDHA Committees

The Board appoints ECEDHA committees from time to time. The Nominating Committee is required by the ECEDHA constitution. The following committees are currently in operation:


History of ECEDHA

The first organization of EE department heads met in Philadelphia, PA, on June 20, 1963. Forty-seven campuses were represented. The organization was originally called AEEDH, standing for Association of Electrical Engineering Department Heads, and later EEDHA. Most AEEDH meetings were held at ASEE Annual Meetings and, starting in 1971, at the annual Frontiers in Education conference. The organization published annual directories, offered advice regarding accreditation issues, held regional and national meetings, and generally facilitated interaction and information exchange among department heads. In 1985 the organization held its first stand-alone meeting apart from ASEE or FIE, and in 1986 changed its name to NEEDHA, standing for National Electrical Engineering Department Heads Association. Since 1985 it has met annually. In 2001 the name was changed to ECEDHA, partly to recognize the importance of computer engineering, and partly to encourage participation from departments outside the United States.

In 1992 an extensive history of NEEDHA was written by Keith R. Carver. Supplies of this document have been exhausted, and there are no plans to print more. The World Wide Web edition of this history has been available since January 25, 1997.

The transfer of ECEDHA leadership from one President to the next is symbolized by the passing of the ECEDHA gavel, a ceremony which normally takes place at the annual meeting.


  Sherra Kerns
presents the
NEEDHA gavel
to Paul Penfield,
March 26, 1996.

Related page: A Different View of the ECEDHA Board
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