Finding the Path to Successful International Partnerships

Joseph A. Untener

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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: New Directions for ET
Tagged Division: Engineering Technology
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--32842
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/32842
Download Count: 482

Paper Authors

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Joseph A. Untener P.E. University of Dayton

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Joe is a professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of Dayton. After earning degrees from General Motors Institute and Purdue University, he gained industrial experience and then committed to Engineering Technology education. He co-authors Applied Fluid Mechanics (Pearson) and Applied Strength of Materials (CRC) with Robert L. Mott.

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Abstract

Finding the Path to Successful International Partnerships The increasingly diverse work environment that today’s graduates enter is vastly different from that of a couple of decades ago when many faculty earned degrees. To achieve appropriate outcomes while enrolled in engineering programs, today’s students would be well-served by an opportunity to work on an international team in senior design and to interact beyond the classroom with students who are culturally different from themselves. While the advantages afforded by international exchange programs are generally well understood, many are not successful over the long term and even fall short of offering truly diverse experiences. The Department of Engineering Technology at the University of Dayton is in the thirteenth year of a successful 3+1 program with Shanghai Normal University in China. The program brings together students from a public institution from the other side of the globe, in one of the most urbanized cities in the world, with students in a private Catholic school in the Midwest of the United States. Both groups benefit from this interaction. This paper briefly outlines the program, but then identifies more broadly the essential elements for long term success, and candidly presents problems encountered and chronic issues faced. The paper looks at outcomes, lessons learned, goals achieved, hurdles overcome, and shortcomings that will continue to receive attention. In so doing, it presents the key characteristics that are common to such exchange programs, pitfalls to be avoided, and measures to assess its success. Using this case study as a reference and also pulling from available research, this paper is designed to be a resource for those considering the initiation of an international partnership in a school of engineering. Beyond financial and curricular matters, it outlines aspects of the program that have contributed to success such as providing adequate “on ramping” of students, honest evaluation of student readiness, providing multiple exit points to limit the risk of commitment, securing appropriate administrative support at multiple levels, and involving alumni from both institutions.

Citation
Format

Untener, J. A. (2019, June), Finding the Path to Successful International Partnerships Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--32842

TY - CPAPER
AB - Finding the Path to Successful International Partnerships

The increasingly diverse work environment that today’s graduates enter is vastly different from that of a couple of decades ago when many faculty earned degrees. To achieve appropriate outcomes while enrolled in engineering programs, today’s students would be well-served by an opportunity to work on an international team in senior design and to interact beyond the classroom with students who are culturally different from themselves. While the advantages afforded by international exchange programs are generally well understood, many are not successful over the long term and even fall short of offering truly diverse experiences.
The Department of Engineering Technology at the University of Dayton is in the thirteenth year of a successful 3+1 program with Shanghai Normal University in China. The program brings together students from a public institution from the other side of the globe, in one of the most urbanized cities in the world, with students in a private Catholic school in the Midwest of the United States. Both groups benefit from this interaction. This paper briefly outlines the program, but then identifies more broadly the essential elements for long term success, and candidly presents problems encountered and chronic issues faced. The paper looks at outcomes, lessons learned, goals achieved, hurdles overcome, and shortcomings that will continue to receive attention. In so doing, it presents the key characteristics that are common to such exchange programs, pitfalls to be avoided, and measures to assess its success. Using this case study as a reference and also pulling from available research, this paper is designed to be a resource for those considering the initiation of an international partnership in a school of engineering. Beyond financial and curricular matters, it outlines aspects of the program that have contributed to success such as providing adequate “on ramping” of students, honest evaluation of student readiness, providing multiple exit points to limit the risk of commitment, securing appropriate administrative support at multiple levels, and involving alumni from both institutions.

AU - Joseph A. Untener P.E.
CY - Tampa, Florida
DA - 2019/06/15
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Finding the Path to Successful International Partnerships
UR - https://peer.asee.org/32842
DO - 10.18260/1-2--32842
ER -