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From Grant to Graduates: The Development of a Regionally Unique Siemens Level-3 Mechatronics Engineering Technology Program

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Division (ETD) Technical Session 11

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology Division (ETD)

Page Count

9

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43753

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43753

Download Count

203

Paper Authors

biography

Matthew S. Anderson Austin Peay State University

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Professor Matthew S. Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Technology department at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. Professor Anderson's academic interests are in the field of Mechatronics, and he has completed up through Level 3 SMSCP training with Siemens. He has been a full-time faculty member at Austin Peay State University since 2016 and is currently working towards obtaining tenure while serving as the Mechatronics concentration coordinator in the Engineering Technology department. Additionally, he is currently completing the final year of an EdD in Educational Leadership. Other research interests include Industry 4.0, regional workforce development, and gender disparities in the engineering fields.

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Alyssa Young Austin Peay State University

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Abstract

As the result of a Department of Defense (DoD) grant in 2017, training and laboratory equipment were procured, and a curriculum was created to develop a new four-year Mechatronics Engineering Technology (ET) degree program. Specifically funded by the DoD entity formally known as the Office of Economic Adjustment, the new baccalaureate degree program provided a means for military-affiliated students to obtain a technical education at the four-year level in preparation for employment in regional industrial facilities. Under the grant, the degree program was to follow the Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program (SMSCP) that offered student certification via an examination provided by Siemens in a tiered-level system, with Level 3 being reserved for the baccalaureate degree programs. The authors' home institution's ET department was chosen to host this SMSCP Level 3 degree program, with the program being regionally unique as the only Level 3 ET-based program. The pathway to the development of this program, as experienced by the lead faculty member and an early enrolled student employee, has been detailed in this composition. By weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the development and scheduling of the SMSCP-specific courses, the integration of these courses into the existing ET core courses shared by other concentrations, limited faculty availability, training equipment availability, and other aspects of degree development, an indication of the success of the program has been established. Further, through a successful transfer agreement with a surrounding two-year community college and other transfer pathways, the Mechatronics ET baccalaureate degree plan has had 10 graduates by the Spring of 2022, with three graduates taking and passing the pilot SMSCP Level 3 examination in the summer of 2022. An additional 11 students graduated in the Fall 2022 semester, and a location-specific faculty member will be hired in the spring of 2023.

Anderson, M. S., & Young, A. (2023, June), From Grant to Graduates: The Development of a Regionally Unique Siemens Level-3 Mechatronics Engineering Technology Program Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43753

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