This paper introduces the general education component, a new feature of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering curricula at Iowa State University, and reports on the experiences of students, advising staff, and faculty in its first year of implementation. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering implemented the general education component in both of its curricula for students entering fall 1999. This component replaces the Social Sciences and Humanities component that had been a part of the curricula for decades. The general education component consists of 15 credits, cannot include remedial coursework, must include 6 credits at the 300 or 400 (junior or senior) level, must meet the University's U.S. Diversity and International Perspectives requirements, and cannot include courses in engineering or the mathematical or physical sciences. Each student's selection of general education component courses is to support an educational objective developed by the student, and must be approved by a faculty advisor.
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