TIDE FRESHMAN PROGRAM

TIDE, which stands for Teamwork, curriculum Integration, and Design in Engineering, is a new freshman-engineering program first offered in the fall of 1999. Students participating in TIDE work side-by-side with other students, teaching assistants, and faculty to learn five core subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, English, and engineering.

Students attend classes in up to four core subjects with the same group (or cohort) of 20 students. This grouping helps students make friends quickly with other engineering students, producing a small school atmosphere. Also, the faculty members teaching the core subjects to each student cohort meet weekly to integrate course topics, helping students realize the connections between the core subjects.

One of the most popular aspects of TIDE is the engineering design projects. Students work with teammates to brainstorm solutions, write engineering reports, and present their results for "real-world" design problems. Such teamwork enables students to select the correct career path early and promotes a professional focus.

The TIDE classrooms are different than traditional classrooms. Students sit in four-person teams around small tables equipped with a computer at each end. Lectures are interspersed with short team exercises, frequently involving the computer. Students learn to help each other master the concepts and skills necessary to advance in the engineering curriculum.

The TIDE program is based on earlier freshman curricula developed by the Foundation Coalition. The University of Alabama is one of seven schools funded by the National Science Foundation to promote innovation in engineering education. Faculty at The University of Alabama continue to work with their Foundation Coalition partners to develop innovations for the sophomore, junior, and senior years of engineering education.

The TIDE program is designed for all engineering majors and computer science majors. Students eligible for MATH 112 (Precalculus Algebra), MATH 115 (Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometery), or MATH 125 (Calculus I), as determined by the University math placement exam, may participate in TIDE. Please see your engineering adviser for a list of the TIDE courses appropriate for your major. For more information on the TIDE Freshman Program, visit our Web site at TIDE.eng.ua.edu.

First-Year TIDE Curriculum for Calculus-Ready Freshman Students
First Semester	Hours
CH 131 General Chemistry for Engineering Students I (N)	4
EN 101 English Composition I (FC)	3
GES 131 Foundations of Engineering I	3
MATH 131 Calculus I for the Integrated Curriculum	4
Humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) elective	3
	--
	17
Second Semester
CH 132 General Chemistry for Engineering Students II (N) or           humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) elective	4 or 3
EN 102 English Composition II (FC)	3
GES 132 Foundations of Engineering II	2
MATH 132 Calculus II for the Integrated Curriculum	4
PH 131 Integrated Physics I	4
	--
	17 or 16
First-Year TIDE Curriculum for PreCalculus-Ready Freshman Students
First Semester	Hours
CH 131 General Chemistry for Engineering Students I (N)	4
EN 101 English Composition I (FC)	3
GES 123 Introduction to Engineering	3
MATH 115 Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry	3
	--
	13
Second Semester
CH 132 General Chemistry for Engineering Students II (N) or           humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) elective	4 or 3
EN 102 English Composition II (FC)	3
Humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) elective	3
Humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) elective	3
MATH 131 Calculus I for the Integrated Curriculum	4
	--
	17 or 16

The following course substitutions may be necessary:

• If students have credit for EN 101 and EN 102, they may be enrolled in any humanities (HU) or social and behavioral sciences (SB) course for which they are eligible.
• Students completing MATH 131 will be permitted to substitute MATH 131 for MATH 125 wherever MATH 125 is a prerequisite. In particular, MATH 126 may be taken immediately after passing MATH 131. Students completing both MATH 131 and MATH 132 will be eligible to take MATH 126. Upon completion of MATH 126, students will be permitted to substitute MATH 131 for MATH 125 and MATH 132 for MATH 227. After completion of MATH 126, students may take any of the math courses that currently follow the 12-hour calculus sequence.
• GES 123 will substitute for GES 131.
• MATH 231 will substitute for MATH 126; and MATH 232 will substitute for MATH 238.
• Students completing both PH 131 and PH 132 will be permitted to substitute those courses for PH 105 and PH 106. No substitution will be permitted when PH 131 is completed without PH 132.
• Students completing both CH 131 and CH 132 will be permitted to substitute those courses for CH 101 and CH 102. No substitution will be permitted when CH 131 is completed without CH 132.

The TIDE curriculum is subject to change. Engineering students in the TIDE freshman program should see their advisers for clarification.