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Session 3657

Industrial-Related Projects in the Upper-Level Industrial Engineering Curriculum at Mercer University

Joan Burtner, Shelia Barnett, Ramachandran Radharamanan and Scott Schultz

School of Engineering, Mercer University, Macon, GA 31207

Abstract Industrial-related projects are spread throughout the industrial engineering curriculum at Mercer University. Beginning with the introduction to industrial engineering course, and continuing through to the senior design course sequence, students enrolled in Mercer's industrial engineering program are exposed to a variety of courses that emphasize real world content. The four authors are responsible for teaching courses in the industrial engineering specialization. This paper presents an overview of the authors' efforts to include real world content in several upper-level industrial engineering courses. The activities include hands-on manufacturing, company interviews, the Ford/Firestone case study, work space design projects, and the use of commercially-available software tools. The paper concludes with a description of several successful industry-inspired senior design projects.

I. Introduction It is essential to educate undergraduate engineering students both in theory and practice so that they are well prepared to meet the challenges in the job market especially in the manufacturing industries of the 21st century. With a goal to link industry more tightly to the engineering school, an undergraduate engineering program may identify two objectives: to improve U. S. technological competitiveness by creating a substantive, people-based technology transfer relationship between industry and engineering colleges; and to improve the industrial relevance of the undergraduate engineering experience without compromising the teaching of fundamental science and mathematics. These objectives can be achieved through curricula developed by a team of professors who have a strong industrial background, demonstrated teaching ability, significant management experience, good undergraduate and graduate academic records, and expertise in technology transfer, thereby bringing corporate know-how to the classroom 10. To the extent that faculty develop industry-inspired or industry-sponsored projects as an integral part of the industrial engineering curriculum, the program's graduates are better qualified to meet the needs of future employers. The transformation of the undergraduate engineering curriculum may include an increased emphasis on cost, communications and continuous learning. Modifying faculty promotion guidelines to honor collaboration in teaching and research, as well as collaborating with industry would facilitate the transformation. Ideally, industry would be a full partner in the educational process 6.

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Burtner, J. (2003, June), Industrial Related Projects In The Upper Level Industrial Engineering Curriculum At Mercer University Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--11386