Board 160: Resources and Partnerships for Community College Engineering and Technology Programs

Karen Wosczyna-Birch; Wendy Robicheau

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Conference: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Tampa, Florida
Publication Date: June 15, 2019
Start Date: June 15, 2019
End Date: June 19, 2019
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 3
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--32281
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/32281
Download Count: 443

Paper Authors

biography

Karen Wosczyna-Birch Connecticut College of Technology/Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

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Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch is the Executive Director and Principal Investigator of the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, an National Science Foundation Center of Excellence. She is the State Director for the College of Technology, a seamless pathway in technology and engineering from all 12 public community colleges to 8 public and private universities. Dr. Wosczyna-Birch has expertise with both the recruitment and persistence of under represented populations, especially women, to pursue careers in engineering and technological disciplines. She has presented at numerous conferences throughout the United States and was an invited speaker at the international Gender Summit in Belgium in 2016.

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biography

Wendy Robicheau Connecticut College of Technology-Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

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Wendy has been Project Manager with the College of Technology – Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing since 2012. In that time she has developed a passion for making middle and high school students, faculty and counselors aware of the educational and career pathways that are possible in STEM and manufacturing through various outreach programs. She enjoys organizing outreach initiatives such as student symposiums, counselor workshops, and any other opportunities to spread the word about career pathways in STEM.

Wendy has published and presented papers for the IEEE Integrated STEM Conference as well as other national conferences through her work with the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program. She has also participated in Women in STEM initiatives such as the CWEALF Girls and STEM Expos as well as their Roundtable Discussion on the Retention and Success of Women in STEM and enjoys participating in this important movement.

Currently, Wendy is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Student Development in Higher Education at Central Connecticut State University with the goal of creating initiatives that expand students’ knowledge of educational and career pathways in STEM. Her focus is on students from populations that are typically underrepresented in STEM fields, including females.

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Abstract

The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM), a National Science Foundation Center of Excellence, was created in 2004 with funding from the National Science Foundation’s DUE - Advanced Technological Education Program to educate manufacturing technicians with necessary skills required by industry. The Connecticut community colleges under the RCNGM continuously partner with other community colleges, universities, and industry in New England and at the national and international levels to provide support and expertise to students and educators in engineering and technology programs.

The RCNGM is overseen by a the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities' (CSCU) College of Technology (COT), a consortium of all twelve public community colleges in the State, eight public and private universities; technical and comprehensive high schools; and representatives from industry. Eight of the community colleges have new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers (AMTC) that were recently expanded through a US Department of Labor grant. The COT began in 1995 through state legislation to create seamless pathways in engineering and technology from certificates and A.S. degrees to B.S. degrees. The pathways have multiple points of entry and exit for job placement and stackable credentials for degree completion, including national certifications that have increased enrollments and created program stability. The COT is led by the Site Coordinators Council that meets monthly and consists of faculty and deans from all member institutions and representatives from industry and government. The Council identifies and reviews new programs based on industry needs. This model led to the NSF funding in 2004 to create the RCNGM and the award of New England Board of Higher Education’s 2012 State Merit Award.

One focus of the RCNGM is program and curriculum development in order to produce a skilled workforce in response to industry needs. The RCNGM has conducted a biannual survey of manufacturing workforce needs in Connecticut, which educators use to identify curricular needs and to support funding proposals for programs. One community college was able to use the survey to create new programs including an additive manufacturing certificate to be offered in its new manufacturing building that includes a metal 3D printer. The RCNGM also partners with other NSF grants and entities such as Manufacturing USA Institutes, specifically with three of the institutes working to create collaborations among government, academia, and industry. In 2018, the COT and RCNGM were able to develop and implement an expedited process for replicating existing technology programs among all twelve state community colleges. A new Manufacturing Technology Instructor Position was also created in response to the need for experienced technicians as instructors in community colleges manufacturing classrooms and laboratories.

The RCNGM also produced DVDs profiling students who completed RCNGM programs and work in manufacturing companies. The Manufacture Your Future 2.0 and the You Belong: Women in Manufacturing DVDs are distributed nationally to high school and community college educators, counselors, and administrators to increase knowledge of career opportunities in manufacturing.

Citation
Format

Wosczyna-Birch, K., & Robicheau, W. (2019, June), Board 160: Resources and Partnerships for Community College Engineering and Technology Programs Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--32281

TY - CPAPER
AB - The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM), a National Science Foundation Center of Excellence, was created in 2004 with funding from the National Science Foundation’s DUE - Advanced Technological Education Program to educate manufacturing technicians with necessary skills required by industry. The Connecticut community colleges under the RCNGM continuously partner with other community colleges, universities, and industry in New England and at the national and international levels to provide support and expertise to students and educators in engineering and technology programs.

The RCNGM is overseen by a the Connecticut State Colleges &amp; Universities&#39; (CSCU) College of Technology (COT), a consortium of all twelve public community colleges in the State, eight public and private universities; technical and comprehensive high schools; and representatives from industry. Eight of the community colleges have new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers (AMTC) that were recently expanded through a US Department of Labor grant. The COT began in 1995 through state legislation to create seamless pathways in engineering and technology from certificates and A.S. degrees to B.S. degrees. The pathways have multiple points of entry and exit for job placement and stackable credentials for degree completion, including national certifications that have increased enrollments and created program stability. The COT is led by the Site Coordinators Council that meets monthly and consists of faculty and deans from all member institutions and representatives from industry and government. The Council identifies and reviews new programs based on industry needs. This model led to the NSF funding in 2004 to create the RCNGM and the award of New England Board of Higher Education’s 2012 State Merit Award.

One focus of the RCNGM is program and curriculum development in order to produce a skilled workforce in response to industry needs. The RCNGM has conducted a biannual survey of manufacturing workforce needs in Connecticut, which educators use to identify curricular needs and to support funding proposals for programs. One community college was able to use the survey to create new programs including an additive manufacturing certificate to be offered in its new manufacturing building that includes a metal 3D printer. The RCNGM also partners with other NSF grants and entities such as Manufacturing USA Institutes, specifically with three of the institutes working to create collaborations among government, academia, and industry. In 2018, the COT and RCNGM were able to develop and implement an expedited process for replicating existing technology programs among all twelve state community colleges. A new Manufacturing Technology Instructor Position was also created in response to the need for experienced technicians as instructors in community colleges manufacturing classrooms and laboratories.

The RCNGM also produced DVDs profiling students who completed RCNGM programs and work in manufacturing companies. The Manufacture Your Future 2.0 and the You Belong: Women in Manufacturing DVDs are distributed nationally to high school and community college educators, counselors, and administrators to increase knowledge of career opportunities in manufacturing.

AU - Karen Wosczyna-Birch
AU - Wendy Robicheau
CY - Tampa, Florida
DA - 2019/06/15
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 160: Resources and Partnerships for Community College Engineering and Technology Programs
UR - https://peer.asee.org/32281
DO - 10.18260/1-2--32281
ER -