Conference Session

Leadership and Strategic Planning

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Cardella, Purdue University; Robert Davis, Purdue University; Shripad Revankar, Purdue University; Loring Nies, Purdue University; Carolyn Percifield, Purdue University; Leah Jamieson, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

AC 2010-1455: A MULTI-FACETED STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FORINNOVATIONMonica Cardella, Purdue UniversityRobert Davis, Purdue UniversityShripad Revankar, Purdue UniversityLoring Nies, Purdue UniversityCarolyn Percifield, Purdue UniversityLeah Jamieson, Purdue University Page 15.58.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 A Multi-Faceted Strategic Planning Process for InnovationStrategic planning has become an important component of how academic programs set goals andpriorities.We present an approach to strategic planning that is characterized by inclusion ofinternal and external stakeholders and is unique in the combination of process tools utilized.1

Conference Session

New Methods and Tools

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Reimer, Lawrence Technological University; Margaret Pierce, Lawrence Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

served as the Chairperson for the Midwest Cooperative Education and Internship Association Conference, held in Detroit Michigan in October 2008. She is also a member of the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA). Page 15.487.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Engineering Entrepreneurial Internship Programs: Planning, Operating and GrowingAbstractThis paper documents the creation of the Entrepreneurial Internship Program (EIP) at LawrenceTechnological University. The Office of Career Services and the College of Engineering inconjunction with the Kern Family Foundation have

Conference Session

Frontiers in Engineering Economy

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John White, University of Arkansas; Kenneth Case, Oklahoma State University; David Pratt, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy

two 6-year terms on the National Science Board. Recipient of numerous awards, his primary professional interests are in economic analysis, facilities planning, and logistics.Kenneth Case, Oklahoma State University Kenneth E. Case, PhD, PE, is Regents Professor Emeritus of Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University. Named Outstanding Engineer in Oklahoma in 1987, he has served as Senior Examiner and on the Panel of Judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Past-President and Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Past-President and Fellow of the American Society for Quality, and member of the National Academy of Engineering, he is the

Conference Session

Leadership and Strategic Planning

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kirsten Hochstedt, Pennsylvania State University; Elizabeth Kisenwether, Pennsylvania State University; Sarah Zappe, Pennsylvania State University; Angela Shartrand, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

Engineering Entrepreneurship Minor. She was awarded the 2005 Price Foundation Innovative Entrepreneurship Educators Award – Stanford University REE Conference (Roundtable for Entrepreneurship Education) and 2006 ASEE Kauffman Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator Award. In January 2010, Liz stepped down as Director of the E-SHIP Minor to help define expansion plans for undergraduate entrepreneurship education across Penn State. Liz is co-Director of the Lion Launch Pad, a new student-centric on-campus business incubator. The Lion Launch Pad supports entrepreneurial teams from across Penn State, with the goal establish viable innovation companies.Angela Shartrand, National Collegiate

Conference Session

Leadership and Strategic Planning

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Keynton, University of Louisville; James Fiet, University of Louisville; Pankaj Patel, Ball State University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

entrepreneurs who were responsible forlaunching approximately 50 ventures, and restrospective evaluation of business plans. Thesestudies showed that successful ventures were due to more than just entrepreneurial alertness, asasserted by the majority of earlier studies on entrepreneurship [1-7]. The goal of the searchmodel is to improve the odds of aspiring entrepreneurs to discover and exploit valuable ventureideas by systematically searching in areas where they already have prior, specific knowledge.The assessment of the model will be accomplished in part by a novel, theoretically-basedapproach for evaluating the wealth creating potential of business plans resulting from theprogram. This approach has been used by researchers to successfully classify

Conference Session

Leadership and Strategic Planning

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia Fry, Baylor University; Gregory Leman, Baylor University; William Jordan, Baylor University; Brian Garner, Baylor University; Brian Thomas, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

and learnfrom each other as well as from practitioners in the field of engineering entrepreneurshipeducation. They are seeking to develop the 20 universities into a true network that can becomeone of the leaders in engineering entrepreneurship education. Page 15.241.3Baylor University was invited to become part of the third cohort of universities in the KEENnetwork. In 2007 we received a small planning grant. We used this to further develop both ourshort- and long-term plans. We received a larger implementation grant in 2008. This paperdescribes what we are doing as a result of receiving this grant.Baylor University’s KEEN Innovators

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julie Linsey, Texas A&M University; Christina White, Columbia University; Kathy Schmidt, University of Texas, Austin; Kristin Wood, University of Texas, Austin; Daniel Jensen, United States Air Force Academy

AC 2010-1036: WORKSHOP ON DESIGNING ACTIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIESAND ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT PLANSJulie Linsey, Texas A&M UniversityChristina White, Columbia UniversityKathy Schmidt, University of Texas, AustinKristin Wood, University of Texas, AustinDaniel Jensen, United States Air Force Academy Page 15.1385.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Results from the Designing Active Learning Activities and Associated Assessment Plans WorkshopAbstractAlthough the pedagogical advantages of active learning are apparent from the literature, the useof these techniques is not yet pervasive in the engineering curricula. This is due, in part

Conference Session

Design Education II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Chen, Bradley University; Ye Li, Bradley University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

AC 2010-1780: INCORPORATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTO A HANDS-ONFACILITY PLANNING COURSEJoseph Chen, Bradley University Joseph C. Chen, Ph.D., PE is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering & Technology at Bradley University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Industrial and System Engineering at Auburn University in 1990 and 1994, respectively. His teaching interests include: Lean manufacturing system design, automated manufacturing processes, facility design, Taguchi design in quality, etc. His research interests include: RFID application, manufacturing system control, cellular manufacturing system design

Conference Session

Materials Selection & Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Mellodge, University of Hartford; Diane Folz, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Materials

Research Project: Planning and AssessmentAbstractThis paper describes the planning and assessment of a summer transitional program as part of amulti-year undergraduate research project. The summer program is a focused, project-basedlearning experience for undergraduate students in engineering at two universities withsignificantly different demographics – one, a top-tier research university and the other, a smallerprivate university focusing on undergraduate education. The two universities are workingclosely with an industry partner who is providing materials and expertise and who mayeventually incorporate into their manufacturing process the technology being developed in thisproject. The students are juniors and seniors involved in independent

Conference Session

Improving Student Entrepreneurial Skills

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Ferguson, Ohio Northern University; Michele Govekar, Ohio Northern University; Amanda Stype, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

AC 2010-1665: QUALTIY AND CONSISTENCY IN IDEA PITCH, RESEARCHPROPOSAL AND BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION JUDGINGDaniel Ferguson, Ohio Northern University Daniel Ferguson is Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Ohio Northern University. Prior to coming to Ohio Northern University he was Associate Director of the Inter-professional Studies Program at Illinois Institute of Technology and Co-PI on multiple National Science Foundation grants relating to assessment processes and interventions aimed at improving learning objective attainment. Prior to his University assignments he was the Founder and CEO of the The EDI Group, Ltd., an independent professional services company specializing in B2B

Conference Session

Educational Research & Methods Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Ryan; Nhut Ho; Shelley Bartenstein

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

Development of an Assessment Plan for a New Sequence of Design CoursesAbstractA new sequence of mechanical design courses was developed at California State University,Northridge to improve the integration of design concepts into the mechanical engineeringcurriculum. The new courses were created using the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate(CDIO) framework as the context for engineering education. Key goals of the new sequence areto increase student performance and retention, particularly in the first two years of the program.Courses in the new sequence were part of a significant mechanical engineering program change,and are being offered for the first time in the Fall 2009 semester. A key

Conference Session

Assessment & Continuous Improvement in ET: Part II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bimal Nepal, Texas A&M University; Jaby Mohammed, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi; Jihad Albayyari, Indiana-Purdue University; Paul Lin, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2010-212: PROGRAM ASSESSMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTPLAN FOR MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TECHNOLOGYBimal Nepal, Texas A&M UniversityJaby Mohammed, The Petroleum Institute, Abu DhabiJihad Albayyari, Indiana-Purdue UniversityPaul Lin, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne Page 15.991.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010Program Assessment and Continuous Improvement Plan for Master of Science in TechnologyIntroductionUndergraduate programs in Engineering and Engineering Technology are required to have anassessment and continuous improvement plan in place for obtaining accreditation from theAccreditation Board for Engineering and

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mohamad Ahmadian, Eastern New Mexico University; Tom Brown, Eastern New Mexico University

Skills through Development of a Conceptual Business PlanAbstractAs part of the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant the scholarship recipients at Eastern New Mexico University are required toregister for a one-credit project course. The course encourages students to hone theircommunication skills and gain knowledge in functioning effectively on a multidisciplinary team.This article presents a conceptual business plan to assist students in understanding thecomponents of effective teamwork and the importance of good communication skills. Studentsare provided with a weekly task. The first task includes choosing a company name, andproviding descriptions for: the business, product

Conference Session

Historical Perspectives for Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Atsushi Akera, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

AC 2010-724: ENGINEERING 'MANPOWER' SHORTAGES, REGIONALECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THE 1960 CALIFORNIA MASTER PLANFOR HIGHER EDUCATION: HISTORICAL LESSONS ON ENGINEERINGWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTAtsushi Akera, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Director, First Year Studies & Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies. Page 15.474.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Engineering ‘Manpower’ Shortages, Regional Economic Development, and the 1960 California Master Plan for Higher Education: Historical Lessons on Engineering Workforce

Conference Session

Assessment & Continuous Improvement in ECET: Part II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jane LeClair, Excelsior College; Li-Fang Shih, Excelsior College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2010-2261: IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEMATIC OUTCOMESASSESSMENT PLAN TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT IN A NON-TRADITIONAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERINGTECHNOLOGY PROGRAMJane LeClair, Excelsior College Dr. Jane LeClair is currently the Dean of the school of Business and Technology at Excelsior College in Albany, New York. Dr. LeClair’s career in the nuclear industry spanned two decades in various management positions, most recently working for Constellation Energy. She has been involved in many aspects of the industry, including CONTE, MANTG, and ANS ETWD chair. She continues to collaborate with the nuclear industry on various projects.Li-Fang Shih, Excelsior College Dr. Li-Fang Shih

Conference Session

Electrical & Computer Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Wilson, Western Kentucky University; Michael McIntyre, Western Kentucky University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, the objective of the capstone sequence in theElectrical Engineering Program is primarily focused on the design and execution of appliedresearch or industrial sponsored projects. Over time, the faculty have assessed that the studentsstruggle with elements of project execution such as planning and meeting intermediate deadlines.In order to improve the student learning, the faculty has revitalized the design sequence byincorporating project management techniques often found in the industrial setting.The new additions to the sequence include a score card rating system and the inclusion of projectmanagement techniques and strategies. Student teams present the current state of their workduring design reviews to faculty. A score card rating has been

Conference Session

Two-Year College Potpourri

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Farzin Heidari, Texas A&M University, Kingsville

Tagged Divisions

Two Year College Division

technologycoursework. Student success depends on their ability to demonstrate mastery through allcoursework required in degree plan. Table 1 delineates earned credit hours for each course in Page 15.1090.2this degree plan (Northwestern Michigan College, 2009 degree plan). The degree plan consistsof 64 total credit hours to include 18 credit hours of drafting and design, 6 credit hours of manualmachining, 6 credit hours of CNC and CAM, and 12 hours of other related technical courses.The remaining 22 credit hours are allotted to general education coursework (Table 1). Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S

Conference Session

New Methods and Tools

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Duncan Moore, University of Rochester

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

ofEngineering.The core of the TEAM program consists of three entrepreneurially focused business coursesdeveloped and offered by the Simon Graduate School of Business, three graduate levelengineering courses offered by the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, andeither an additional technical or entrepreneurship elective. A required practicum accompanied bya written business plan and oral presentation ensures students have practical experience, whilegraduate level technical courses of the student's choosing serve to extend the student’s scienceand engineering background.Technical Entrepreneurship and Management students have the unique option to choose anexisting patented technology from the University’s Offices of Technology Transfer (OTT

Conference Session

SE Curriculum and Projects

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Gary, Arizona State University; Harry Koehnemann, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Software Engineering Constituent Committee

. IntroductionMentoring software engineering capstone projects is a challenging yet rewarding task for anymotivated faculty member. On the one hand, there is no better place in which to see the fruits ofone’s labor than when working alongside student teams as they “put it all together” and producea real software product. Observing that moment where the students show they have integratedand internalized what the faculty taught them for several years offset concern that some “maynever get it.” On the other hand, it is challenging for many reasons. One challenge is strictly atime management issue. Capstone project mentoring often involves meta-project management bythe instructor-as-facilitator. Ensuring teams are planning, estimating, and tracking detailed workcan

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Baumann, Central Connecticut State University; Nidal Al-Masoud, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Management Methodologies Support a Senior Project Research Course and Its AssessmentAbstractMotivated by required program learning outcomes and recommendations from a continuousimprovement plan focus group, Central Connecticut State University has uniquely organized itsmechanical engineering senior project design research class to include significant review ofDesign of Experiments (DOE) and Project Management (PM) methodologies. Both studies havebeen linked to computational software tools for students to use in their capstone experience. Theultimate goal of the class is a project design proposal in which researched backgroundinformation forms the introduction to a managed project plan which can include designedexperimentation within the

Conference Session

CE Capstone: Innovations in Learning & Assessment

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael McGinnis, University of Texas, Tyler; Ronald Welch, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

the true client during the development of those actual engineered plans. Theavailability of actual engineered plans provides closure for the students as to what thedesign should look like for a structure about to be really built, especially one they havebecome intimately familiar with. In some cases the students provide a free option for theclient who is looking for different options that were not considered before. This year theproject is an outdoor theater that is on the drawing board but has not been fleshed outbeyond the initial thoughts of a need for one. The students will be developing plans formultiple sites that provide different challenges. The final result is a design presentation ofeach option and a recommendation from an

Conference Session

Design Projects in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bethany Fralick, Purdue University; Jed Lyons, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, responding or controlled. F I can plan a procedure including all of the steps necessary to perform the experiment. G I feel confident that my experimental design report will be thorough. H I feel the task description did not contain enough information to design an experiment. I I like the open-ended nature of this assignment. J I am frustrated with the lack of direction of this assignment.The post-survey contained 21 Likert scale questions: the 10 questions from the pre-survey and anadditional 11 Likert scale questions. The post-survey questions can be seen in Table 2. Thelettered questions were those asked in both the pre- and post-survey while the numberedquestions were asked only in the post-survey. The

Conference Session

Construction Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Enno Koehn, Lamar University; Venkat Kadupukotta, Lamar University; Sandeep Tirunagari, Lamar University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

contract basis. Here, anowner who wishes to build signs an agreement with a contractor, taking specific requirementsunder consideration. Generally, a permit, house plan, structural design, and a contractor arerequired for construction. The legal permit states that, the owner is the legal heir of the property,and the plan of the buildings is approved by the local municipality.Construction is continuously facing new demands and pressures. The impact of globalization, theadvance of technology and cultural changes are just a few of the issues that are affecting theindustry. Hence, construction around the world, both in developed and developing countries, isfacing challenges created by these and numerous other issues. The identification of the issues

Conference Session

Engineering Management Program Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anoop Desai, Georgia Southern University; Jean-Claude Thomassian, State University of New York, Maritime College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

preparestechnical professionals to deal with topics such as cost management, world-class manufacturing,workplace safety and ergonomics, leadership, and quality control. A curriculum developmenteffort was recently undertaken at a university in the southeast United States for development ofjust such a graduate program in Engineering Management. This paper describes the need for theprogram, its salient features as well as introduces the reader to how basic six sigma principles inapplied to curriculum development for the said program.A degree in Engineering Management is primarily designed for working engineers,technologists, scientists and professionals who are in leadership/management positions or whoare planning to advance their careers into the management

Conference Session

Best Zone Paper Competition

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Hunter, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dwayne Henclewood, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Mshadoni Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology; Laurie Garrow, Georgia Institute of Technology; Angshuman Guin, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Council of Sections

the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2007), he was a Mathematics and Science teacher at St. George’s College H.S., Kingston, Jamaica.Mshadoni Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology Ms. Mshadoni Smith is a Ph.D. student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has ten years of experience in Civil Engineering, seven in planning, design, management and operations of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) with Federal Highway Administration.Laurie Garrow, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Laurie Garrow is an Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the faculty, she worked for four years as a

Conference Session

Computer Education Innovations I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cynthia Fry, Baylor University; Donald Gaitros, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

disciplines. They seek a rigorousprogram in Computer Science that also allows them the flexibility to study across disciplineswhile still being prepared for either graduate school or successful careers.Program OrganizationThe Computer Science Fellows (CSF) Program is a degree plan within the Department ofComputer Science. Its organization is comprised of the Director, the Fellows ReviewCommittee, and an Honors College Advocate. In addition, as each Fellow develops their juniorreading list, they will request a Computer Science faculty member to serve as their FellowsResearch Advisor.The Director of the Computer Science Fellows program is appointed by the Chair of ComputerScience and approved by the Dean of the School of Engineering & Computer

Conference Session

Engineering Management Program Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Timmer, University of Texas, Pan American; Miguel Gonzalez, University of Texas, Pan American; Connie Borror, Arizona State Universtiy; Douglas Montgomery, Arizona State University; Carmen Pena, University of Texas, Pan American

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

AC 2010-881: TEACHING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT USING THE MOUSEFACTORYDouglas Timmer, University of Texas, Pan AmericanMiguel Gonzalez, University of Texas, Pan AmericanConnie Borror, Arizona State UniverstiyDouglas Montgomery, Arizona State UniversityCarmen Pena, University of Texas, Pan American Page 15.1185.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Teaching Process Improvement using the Mouse FactoryIntroductionThe American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM)1 defines engineering managementas “the art and science of planning, organizing, allocating resources, and directing andcontrolling activities which have a technical component.” Quality-related

Conference Session

Industry based new Innovative and Nontraditional Curriculum in Industrial Technology and Industrial Engineering Technology

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Louis Reifschneider, Illinois State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

students tolead the project teams while significant goals are achieved. Page 15.134.2Background and MotivationThe program in which the author teaches is an engineering technology program with the missionof preparing management-oriented engineering technologists. The program contains courses influid power, materials, processing, automation, computer-aided design, quality assessment,engineering economics, and management techniques. There is, as well, a capstone class focusedupon teams designing and implementing a manufacturing plan that results in a functioning leanproduction cell. Production rate and product quality are a significant part of the

Conference Session

Construction Classroom Development

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara Chowdhury

Tagged Divisions

Construction

engineeringtechniques to the planning, design and construction of a project in order to controlthe time and cost to complete the project and the quality of the construction.The Bachelor's Degree program in Construction Management offered by AlabamaA&M University, Normal, Alabama is designed to provide a foundation inconstruction management, construction engineering and legal issues relating tothe construction management field. The program’s multidisciplinary approachcombines essential components of construction techniques with concepts ofbusiness management and behavioral science to develop technically qualifiedindividuals for responsible management roles in the design, construction, andoperation of major construction projects. In addition, Alabama A&M

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Firas Hassan, Ohio Northern University; Srinivasa Vemuru, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, embedded developers are designing their applications using a hybrid approach wherethe configurable components of the design are implemented in software, and the time criticalcomponents are implemented in hardware. Most of the universities, on the other hand, are stillteaching these two design approaches separately. A typical electrical and computer engineering(ECE) program includes a class on embedded software design using microcontrollers and a classon hardware design using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). This paper explains ateaching plan to introduce this hybrid design approach at the undergraduate level. The plan wasapplied successfully in an elective class at the University of Akron. A similar approach is used ina required course for