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Session 2793

An Experience In Educating Engineering Educators

Graciela Munoz Padilla, Francisco J. Gonzalez Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Abstract

The importance of a solid training in education for professional engineering teachers has been increasing very rapidly in Mexico during the present decade, due in part to the rapid technological changes imposed by our epoch, in part to the globalization of education and the professional activities, and in part to economic treaties (like NAFTA) with other countries of the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. One key and nearly virginal area of knowledge for engineering educators in Mexico has been “education” itself. While keeping pace in responding to the technical interests normally found in courses taught at the continuing education level, the Faculty of Engineering of Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi set forth to face the needs of its own staff, through a program created by its Department of Continuing Education, for a better and more satisfying profession in education, which has led to many gratifying results.

I. Introduction

Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi is a typical public Mexican university, possibly representing Latin American public universities in general. Though even if it includes in its title the statement of “autonomous”, it strongly depends for its operation from federal funds which, sometimes, are determined by political and national goals.

The main campus of the university lies in San Luis Potosi, capital city of a state by the same name. The city, located nearly midway between Mexico City and Monterrey, the second largest industrial city in the country, has about one million inhabitants with 10 universities and colleges and three large technical schools. Its main educational institution - in terms of enrollment, budget and tradition - is our Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, with a history dating back more than a century and enjoying an important national academic recognition.

This university comprises in this main campus - out of its total of four - 14 faculties (offering 46 different careers), ranging from medicine and engineering, through psychology and communication sciences. Plus 6 research institutes, ranging from the internationally accredited Optical Communications Institute and the Physics Institute, to the Research Institute on Humanities.

The institution has a student population of more than 26,000 at the bachelor’s level and over 500 at a postgraduate level. It has a payroll of more than 2,500 professors and researchers and 2,000 clerical employees.

The School of Engineering offers 12 different careers, spanning from Mechanical and Civil engineering, through Computer Sciences and Surveying. The enrollment is of over 2,500 and the

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Padilla, G. M., & Gonzalez, F. J. (2000, June), An Experience In Educating Engineering Educators Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8372