Top industries impacting Ohio and East Central Indiana's economies are: (1) agriculture; (2) manufacturing; (3) IT; and (4) service. Without continuation of agriculture and manufacturing receipts, our people and communities will be unable to afford to critical services throughout our region (Aiman-Smith & Green, 2002, Deryn, 1989, Ditcher,…

The integrity of a structural system depends on the strength of materials, shape of the individual member and the elements used to hold the members together. In most undergraduate civil engineering curricula, a structural steel and/or reinforced concrete design course is required. Usually, the main focus of these courses is on member selection…

Students often have difficulty grasping the principles of dimensional tolerances and frequently fail to recognize that dimensioning practice has a significant impact on the tolerance of part features. This observation may be attributed to several factors, not the least of which are changes in prior student education and life experiences and…

Because rapid growth of nanotechnology is expected to lead to intentional and non-intentional releases, future engineers will need to minimize negative environmental and health impacts of nanomaterials. We developed two upper-level undergraduate courses centered on life-cycle assessment of nanomaterials. The first part of the course sequence…

The aim of this report is to encourage enhanced richness and relevance of the undergraduate engineering education experience, and thus produce better-prepared and more globally competitive graduates, by providing practical guidance for incorporating real world experience in US engineering programs. The report, a collaborative effort of the…

Linearization is a standard part of modeling and control design theory for a class of nonlinear dynamical systems taught in basic undergraduate courses. Although linearization is a straight-line methodology, it is not applied correctly by many students since they often forget to keep the operating point in mind. This paper explains the topic and…

This paper presents a retention-oriented approach to the educational value stream within the STEM undergraduate area. Faced with several strategic challenges and opportunities, a Flex Advantage Plan was developed to enhance the undergraduate engineering technology programs and better utilize the curricular flexibilities inherent in the current…

Experience at Westchester Community College has indicated that a significant percentage of students enrolled in the Engineering Technologies program, and almost all of those enrolled in the Engineering Science program, transferred to four-year institutions. Course work in higher level mathematics, as well as inorganic chemistry and modern physics,…

This paper outlines the work in progress undertaken by the School of Engineering Technology faculty to identify, assess, and develop a course to address the depth and breadth of drafting/plan preparation and plan reading skills required by the various engineering technology programs offered at Youngstown State University. The methodology used to…

Describes the work of a curriculum committee established to create a "transfer curriculum" for engineering technology students transferring from two-year to four-year programs. The resulting program (which allows flexibility while providing some guidance for engineering technology programs), transfer problems, issues, and public response…

Reviews purpose, characteristics, and project results of the Science and Engineering Technology (SET) curriculum project, characterized by an interdisciplinary course of study with a skill focus in electronic instrumentation, leading to an associate degree or to transfer into a baccaulaureate curriculum in science, engineering, or technology. (CS)

The University of North Carolina's Electrical Engineering Department developed and delivered a course for undergraduate engineering students. The course integrated technical, social, and ethical perspectives on problems and issues faced in the world of practicing engineers. It achieved this integration by making use of professors in engineering,…

The University of Wisconsin College of Engineering's Sociotechnical Systems Design (STSD) Program, which was developed to provide social science students with systems concepts and basic technological skills necessary for attacking these problems, is considered. The need for such professionals, current educational responses, the organization of the…

Compares two engineering education reports which urge the following needs and emphases: attract and retain minorities, retain students already in engineering school, and allow students to enter the engineering program at various levels. Criticizes the Office of Technology Assessment's report and supplies prescriptions for the future. (MVL)

Reports on the trend toward the leveling off of the production of baccalaureate-level graduates in engineering during the 1985-86 academic year and the rise in doctoral degrees. Provides a state-by-state, institutional breakdown of engineering degrees and engineering technology degrees. (TW)