FACILITIES

For purpose of criterion 7, ABET 2008-2009 criteria requires programs to demonstrate that institutional support, financial resources, and constructive leadership are adequate to assure the quality and continuity of the program.  Resources must be sufficient to attract, retain, and provide for the continued professional development of a well-qualified faculty.  Resources also must be sufficient to acquire, maintain, and operate facilities and equipment appropriate for the program. In addition, support personnel and institutional services must be adequate to meet program needs.

·         AE Facilities

Since the establishment of the AE program at KAU it had been supported by many laboratories and resources.  The Aerodynamics laboratories and Structure laboratory represent the main facilities that served these two major branches in aeronautical sciences.  Other equipments such as Gyroscope unit and Flight demonstration unit were used for relevant courses.

Over the last decade there has been a significant move towards expanding and extending AE facilities to serve the market needs for graduates with skills that match their expectation and to conform to regulatory requirements including ABET accreditation.  A Ludwig-tube type supersonic wind tunnel had been designed, and manufactured, using mostly in-house capabilities.  The tunnel has been operational since 1996.  Improvement of the tunnel continued until recently, last year, a high speed PIV system was installed.  A new water tunnel had been fully assembled by the students and the assisting engineers (supervised by the staff) to gain facility build up experience.  The water tunnel is expected to be operational before end of the year 2008.  This new facility represents an extension to the low-speed laboratory where our largest wind tunnel is located.  An upgrading plan for instrumentation and equipments is underway for the aerodynamics and structure laboratories.  Purchased items had been utilized by our students during their laboratory sessions or for their projects.  A new combustion ad propulsion laboratory had been purchased and delivered to the department.  Construction work of a new building for the new power and propulsion laboratory, supported by the university, is underway and it is expected to be inaugurated by the end of the 2008-09 year.  The building is designed to contain combustion and high pressure facilities with considerable safety measures.  Both undergraduate and graduate facilities will be incorporated.  Undergraduate facilities will include student-purchased combustion lab, a shock tube lab, and a propulsion test stand.  Establishment of a Composite Lab and a Flight Guidance and Control lab is underway.  These laboratories will utilize existing equipments and will be hosted inside existing facilities.  Separate space is allocated for these labs within the new campus of the Faculty of Engineering.

It should be stressed out that existing AE program facilities are adequate to support the educational objectives and outcomes of the program.  However, the progressive updating of our facilities and the establishments of new facilities is to enhance our students’ skills that meet employers’ expectation and to cater for the growing demand for graduate study.

Staff members’ offices are located within in the Faculty of Engineering building within close proximity of the chairman's office.  Each office is centrally air-conditioned, connected to the World Wide Web and the University LAN.  There are no teaching assistants working beside our staff.  Each staff member is responsible for lecturing, providing tutorial, and preparing and supervising experimental sessions.  There are two assisting engineers who provide help in running experimental work.

The AE department uses the Faculty of Engineering assigned classrooms for teaching purposes, while experimental work is carried out within our different labs.  Students and staff have access to the central libraries of both KAU and Faculty of Engineering that have a comprehensive set of text books, references, journals and periodicals, and subscription to several electronic data bases.  The department administrative work is served by only one clerical staff.