Check how high school and college students are earning their spot in Florida’s high-tech fast lane! Visit https://madeinflorida.org/student-profiles
Check how high school and college students are earning their spot in Florida’s high-tech fast lane! Visit https://madeinflorida.org/student-profiles
This year the United States Department of Education (US DOE) has rolled out new Program Integrity Regulations that will impact all public and private colleges across the nation. As we have come to expect, when it comes to important issues like this, Jim Simpson at Florida State College at Jacksonville is on top, if not ahead of this issue. He has developed a comprehensive review of these new rules as well as an implementation guide for Florida institutions.
The extensive rule changes by US DOE were put into play after comprehensive investigations and research that involved both public and private institutions on their current practices in these areas. The full suite of new regulations can be thought of as a “consumer” protection plan for students. Only time will tell if the new regulations significantly change the working landscape of post-secondary educational institutions, more importantly provide students with straightforward information that can help them make good decisions and investments for their futures. In the mean time, there is much ado and much to do, and it is useful for all of us to be aware of upcoming changes in the institutional frameworks at the post-secondary level.
The new rules cover : (1) state authorization (definition of various institutions and distance learning) (2) incentive compensation (3) credit hour definitions (including credit hour alignment to clock hours, and the relationship of credit hours to financial aid eligibility) (4) misrepresentation to students and others about graduate employability, nature of programs, and program costs (5) gainful employment reporting and disclosing (6) high school diploma validity determination (6) agreements between institutions that offer portions of a single program (7) structure and consistency of determining academic progress and (8) definition of full time enrollment to include repeated courses. There are also five rule changes and clarifications regarding Title IV programs/students. The full regulatory language can be found in the Federal Register and is posted at https://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-26531.pdf. A summary of Jim’s comprehensive review of these new rules as well as an implementation guide for Florida institutions can be found at: https://faculty.irsc.edu/oesc/base_5.html, or by emailing Jim Simpson at jsimpson@fscj.edu.
Please enjoy this issue of the FLATE Focus. But first, I’d like to call your attention to summer activities for students and teachers and faculty including our first engineering technology summer institute, as well as our robotics camps for middle and high school (new) students. We are also developing an energy-focused summer camp for teachers, summer sTEm conferences, and beginning our special project with Tknika in Spain. As always try your hand at this month’s puzzle, read the spotlight article on Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne—one of FLATE’s strategic industry partners in south Florida, and learn about Tri-IT an NSF-funded project geared to increase the number of girls and women in IT and STEM.
If you have a special project or event you would like highlighted, please let us know.
Automation may have changed manufacturing operations, but globalization has changed the economics of “doing” manufacturing. Today’s global marketplace is comprised of the next generation of high-tech, high-skilled workforce that can work effectively across multicultural lines. FLATE is aware of this requirement in technical education, and is working with TKNIKA, an Innovation Institute for vocational training established by the Vice Ministry of Education of the Basque government, to help create best education practices for Florida’s A.S. degree programs. The initiative culminated out of a FLATE proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), and is one of eight pilot projects awarded to NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Centers to support high quality international educational experience to community college students.
Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE hopes the initial OISE-supported, FLATE interaction with TKNIKA and its partner colleges in the Basque country will mature into a long term student and faculty partnership between colleges supported by the Basque and Florida governments. As part of the effort, students enrolled in the Engineering Technology (E.T.) A.S. degree program as well as appropriate faculty mentors from any of the ten colleges in the Florida state and community college system will participate in a structured technical education and training experience at a technical college in Spain. Student applicants are expected to be in the 2nd year of their degree program, have the endorsement from an E.T. degree faculty, and provide a summary of their intention to participate in the project.
The project is poised to provide outstanding learning experience for all participants. Faculty and students will be engaged in intense technical education and training experience to acquire direct technical knowledge and practice of skills in the area of renewable energies such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind energy, electronic and mechatronics, industrial design and maintenance of industrial equipment. Training and education for instructors begin in July 2011; for students in May 2012, and will be take place at MH Elgoibar, IEFPS Usurbil GLBHI, Tknika in the Basque region of Spain.
Working directly with faculty and instructors in hands-on exercises students will participate in a 10 day training at each institution for approximately six hours a day. Faculty and students will work on state-of-the-art manufacturing related projects as dictated by TKNIKA—an ISO 9001:2000 certified Innovation Institute for vocational training. These sessions will incorporate a curriculum creation component that requires students to evaluate what they are learning in Spain to what should also be taught in Florida, their expectations for this new material, and how that content can be blended into their courses in Florida. Their training experience will conclude with short presentations on one aspect of their work and studies with the Spanish teams they worked with.
In terms of professional development, mentoring faculty from Florida will be attending instructional workshops. They will meet frequently with students to discuss status of projects and review content that has been presented. At the conclusion of the trip, the entire delegation to Spain will be expected to contribute content and skills assessment for developing tangible tools and solutions to improve ET-related curriculum and instruction materials within the Florida educational system. For information on the Iberian Partnership for Technician Excellence, and the award-winning, two-year A.S. degree in engineering technology contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at 813.259.6578/barger@fl-ate.org, or visit www.madeinflorida.org/engineering-technology-degree. For information on TKNIKA visit https://www.tknika.net/.
A “We-Make-it-All” quality control technician is checking the operation of two identical pressure relief valves, PRV-078 and PRV-321. Each valve is attached to identical fixed volume closed container batch reactors. The valve is supposed to open if the pressure in the container goes above a set value, and close when the pressure drops below that set value. When identical, equal amounts of the same valve test liquid reactants A and B are mixed in each tank, a volatile liquid, molecule C, is created. The reaction is extremely exothermic (gives off a lot of heat). The two valves should behave exactly the same way but they don’t. The technician sends the malfunctioning valve back to manufacturing to be reassembled.
PRV-321 is not working properly. (yes or no) Please submit your answers https://www.fl-ate.org/.
When it comes to defining aviation excellence, Pratt & Whitney (P&W) is considered “best in class” bar none. P&W, was founded in Hartford, Conn., in 1925 by Frederick Rentschler, and is a world class leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, and space propulsion systems. The company’s 36,000 employees supports more than 11,000 customers in 195 countries, and is the key engine provider for the United States space program, powering over 1,600 launches since the inception of the space program. P&W’s large commercial engines power more than 30 percent of the world’s passenger aircraft fleet. Its broad portfolio of businesses includes industrial gas turbines that light cities and power ships, as well as front line fighters like the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F-22 Raptor.
PWR’s reputation has not flown under the radar. In 2009, PWR-West Palm Beach was named “Manufacturer of the Year” by the South Florida Manufacturers Association. It was also a finalist in the Manufacturers Association of Florida competition in 2010. The PWR X-51 First Flight Team was one of four teams that received the P&W 2010 Leadership Award, and the PWR RL10 Derivative Enhanced Software Team was an award recipient in the area of Customer Focus. In March 2011, the X-51A WaveRider Hypersonic Vehicle Team was honored with an Aviation Week Laureate Award in Washington, D.C. PWR was also among seven nominees competing for the prestigious the National Aeronautic Association’s (NAA) Robert J. Collier Trophy.
For more information on PWR contact Christy Leite at 561.796 9125, or Christy.Leite@pwr.utc.com. For information on FLATE, or to develop partnerships with the NSF Center for Excellence in Manufacturing contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at 813.259.6578, or visit www.fl-ate.org/www.madeinflorida.org.
At first glance careers/educational pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and information technology (IT) may not appear as a “go to” destination for women. According to a study conducted by the National Science Foundation in 2010, the number of people engaged in Science and Engineering-related professions has grown from 182,000 in 1950, to 5.5 million in 2007. Despite imminent projections for sustained growth in the S&E workforce, women still remain underrepresented. In that “fewer than 33% of students in computer courses are female, and women comprise only 20% of IT professionals and 13% of engineers.”(Source: National Science Foundation). Given this gender disparity, there has been a nationwide push to encourage women/girls to engage girls in information technology and STEM.
Dr. Linda Austin, program manager for Tri-IT at FSCJ states the goals of the program are to increase girls interest, skills and confidence in IT and STEM, so they pursue high school courses, college programs and careers in IT and STEM disciplines. Through engagement in interactive technology experiences, the program cultivates interest, skills and confidence in information technology and STEM-based college programs and careers. Furthermore, the “Girls Only” concept affords a supportive/collaborative learning environment. It fosters active engagement with teachers, project coordinators, fellow students, and encourages students to explore leadership opportunities, as well as a hands-on experience in IT, mathematics, and science. During the summer, all three regional sites have videoconferences to showcase student projects compiled during a week-long summer academy. Participants submit articles for the quarterly Tri-IT newsletter, projects for the website, and attend STEM day and TECH fest activities held at respective partner colleges.
Curriculum design for the project incorporates the four levels of James E. Banks’ Model of Multicultural Integration that bares close focus on diverse ethnic and cultural group perspectives. Curriculum also incorporates modules from other NSF-funded projects such as Enhancing Science and Technology Education and Exploration Mentoring, the TechBridge projects. In terms of its connection with FLATE, both share a common focus on STEM-based careers and educational pathways. Tri-IT has also adapted material from FL-ATE’s “Design a Luxury Coach” activity. Through this exercise, students learned about the six steps of the manufacturing process and applied them to design a model of a luxury coach. They were also able to visualize manufacturing through the videos and field trips of manufacturers in their local regions, and gained a better understanding of design and manufacturing processes, lean manufacturing, and how to work effectively in a team environment.
Indeed, the program has been highly successful. As of December 2010, two hundred and ninety eight students have been recruited into the program of which 236 are currently active. In 2010, the Tri-IT grant program received the Florida Association of Community Colleges (FACC) Equity Commission Exemplary Practice Award for outreach and access programs. Its lesson plans have also served as a valuable teaching tool in planning high school technology, and after-school and summer programs.
For more information on Tri-IT or the ITEST grants contact Dr. Linda Austin at laustin@fscj.edu /904.256.6981, or visit https://www.t3girls.com/. For information on FLATE’s virtual tours and industry based educational challenges visit www.madeinflorida.org/industry-based-educational-challenges, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.
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2010-11 Advertorial |
The “Made in Florida” manufacturing advertorials in Florida Trend’s NEXT magazine have been an effective vehicle in reaching thousands of high school students throughout Florida. The advertorials promote positive awareness of manufacturing careers and education, and serve as an educational roadmap for students interested in manufacturing as a viable and lucrative career pathway. Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE and a strong voice for manufacturers throughout Florida, says painting a positive picture is only one piece of the awareness and recruitment puzzle. Barger believes parents and the entire community must be made aware of the challenging, state-of-the-art, high-wage, high-skill careers that the manufacturing industry provides.
To assist in this double-edged effort, FLATE partnered with the Manufacturers Association of Florida to expand the “Made in Florida” brand into a coordinated statewide awareness campaign. The initiative encompasses the Made in Florida DVD and online video, live and virtual industry tours, career pathways, Facebook and YouTube content, student interviews, and web-based resources on the Made in Florida webpage at www.madeinflorida.org.
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2011 marks the sixth year FLATE has placed content in NEXT, the career guidance edition of Florida Trend. Since publication of the first manufacturing advertorial in 2006, FLATE has collected data indicating a significant increase in the number of schools that have received lists of potential enrollees from FLATE. Between 2009-10, 60% of the responders filled out the paper reader response cards while 1,132 responders (40%) requested information online via the NEXT website at www.FloridaNEXT.com. Over half of both male and female high school students responding to this same edition of the advertorial requested community/state college information in addition to career materials. Demographic results also suggest a significant interest by female high school students; 72% of female responders expressed an interest in careers and education in advanced manufacturing. Forty five colleges and technical schools in Florida currently receive monthly lists of prospective student leads in their service areas for follow up. (You can view current and past advertorials at www.fl-ate.org/projects/fl-trend.html.)
You have the ability to make a difference. Your sponsorship will help affect positive changes in manufacturing awareness and education for Florida’s current and prospective students. We look forward to working with you!
Who among us can deny a lab-on-wheels is a neat idea? It’s a breakthrough concept that has fired up the curiosity of many students pursuing an engineering technology (ET) degree at Florida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City, FL. The mobile ET lab, the brainchild of Bob Deckon, director of the ET program at FCG, is a state-of-the-art facility that offers hands-on, minds-on education and training, and is probably the first of its kind in the state, or perhaps even the country.
For information on FCG’s mobile engineering technology lab contact Bob Deckon at robert.deckon@fgc.edu/386.754.4442, or visit www.engineeringtechprogram.com/MobileLab. For information FLATE’s statewide engineering technology degree contact Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org/813.259.6578.
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