January/February 2007 ENews

Several months ago Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor-at-large at Fortune Magazine, wrote an article about the impact of imagination on the U.S. Economy. In his article Colvin cites others who see a shift from the disciplines of logic and linear thinking to the intuitive, nonlinear processes of creativity and imagination. 

I got to thinking back to when I was a boy growing up on a farm and how common it was for us to keep things running or make some new gadget out of junk.  Many of us kids just assumed this was the natural state of things, we had Tinker Toys and Erector Sets and as we grew up, the junk piles out in the groves.  If we had an idea to make something we could usually find a piece of junk to toy around with.  OK, so maybe it didn’t always work; but we learned something each time, and for the most part, stayed out of trouble.  One thing I know, creativity and imagination weren’t lacking back then, at least not in my environment.  (We were a bit weak in logic and linear thinking at times.  I recall my buddy Zeke and me making a flame thrower out of an old gas lantern but that’s another story.)

Kids today have different resources to play and work with.  Most of them are growing up with computer access at home and school and they have Lego Blocks in addition to Erector Sets to help them with practical visualization.   Radio controlled toys are cheap and plentiful and lend themselves to tinkering and modification. 

Let’s add rapid prototyping technology to this mix.  For example, it looks to be a snap to use a 3D scanner and printer to duplicate a Lego part.  With 3D cad that same part can be modified to make exactly what is desired and then inserted into the project.  Kids want to add a motor that they have on hand?  Make a compatible motor mount.  If it breaks, design and fabricate a better one.  Once done they can go online and share their ideas with others.  There’s ample opportunity for creativity, imagination, logic and linear thinking.   Some of the MNCEME partners have rapid prototyping equipment and are developing cooperative projects with secondary schools to make this happen.

A point to be made is that it has always been a combination of creativity, imagination, logic and linear thinking that drives a dynamic and relevant learning environment and ultimately a successful economy; there is no either or about it. 

As an industry partner it is our job to provide examples and resources to make sure this process continues.  I think we are seeing this happen.  Our last MNCEME Advisory board meeting had our best attendance.  I’m hoping that many of you were able to take advantage of this opportunity to do some informal networking in addition to your participation in the breakout sessions. 

Thanks for all your effort!!

http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/05/magazines/fortune/imaginationeconomy.fortune/index.htm

So, How Are We Doing?
Wilder Research Reviews MNCEME’s First Year
by Carol Jones

In October 2005, the Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (MNCEME) was established as one of four new flagship Centers of Excellence in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. The goals for the Centers are to develop best-in-class programs, ensure a highly-qualified and diverse workforce to strengthen Minnesota’s economy, and be recognized regionally and nationally. In January 2006, shortly after the Centers were established, Wilder Research began a systematic evaluation of each Center’s activities, outcomes and economic impact. The following is a brief summary of the key activities and accomplishments in MNCEME’s first year and the challenges it and other Centers face going forward.

Centers for Excellence General Accomplishments
All four Centers of Excellence displayed significant accomplishments during the first year. Wilder Research noted these commonalities. First and foremost, each Center established itself and created visibility. In addition, each Center fostered significant cooperation and partnership between institutions and industry, collaborated with a variety of partners, improved pathways for students, procured additional resources, and modernized various laboratories and equipment.

Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence
Wilder Research noted the following distinctive features, activities and accomplishments achieved by MNCEME in the first year.

Overview of Features

• The Anoka STEP program, a technical high school on the college campus
• Project Lead the Way Coordinator to promote and support the program in high schools and train college faculty to train K-12 teachers to teach the curriculum
• Curriculum Coordinator to work with academic partners on more seamless transitions among programs
• Marketing Director to help brand the Center and develop promotional and recruitment materials

Overview of Activities, Accomplishments, Plans

• Awarded certification in advanced automation education at Alexandria Technical College, one of only four colleges in the world
• Developed marketing and public relations programs, including Hennepin Technical College’s traveling “road show” introducing high school students to manufacturing and engineering technology
• Increased enrollments at some partner schools, including Itasca Community College, which has seen a 100% increase in applications for engineering
• Achieved modernization of equipment and laboratories, including purchase of a new “robotic arm” at Hennepin Technical College for students in automation and machine technology programs
• Established a website: http://mnceme.org/
• Organized and hosted a regional STEM Forum at Minnesota State University, Mankato for several hundred students
• Hosted a regional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Forum at Minnesota State University, Mankato providing about 280 high school students with career awareness and tours of college facilities
• Convened multiple meetings with academic and K-12 partners to discuss ways to facilitate granting of college credit for advanced technical work in high school
• Convened a discussion of public relations staff at each of the academic partners
• Published an article about the Center in an industry trade journal
• Increased emphasis on applied research activities; grants for this have been received by faculty in transportation and renewable resources, among others

Ongoing Plans and Activities

• Work under way to publish a Journal of Applied Engineering & Manufacturing for sharing research and best practices nationally and internationally
• Formation of three sub-committees of the industry advisory committee: Pipeline, Customized Training, and Research and Development
• Recruitment of women engineers and establishing a support system for them
• Industry participation in the development of a new Automation Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Work with industry to connect faculty in all the partner campuses with applied research projects
• Center marketing and promotion activities

.
MNCEME’s marketing accomplishments were found to be especially noteworthy.

“MnCEME has shown a distinctive degree of accomplishment in its work on marketing and promotion of the Center. They were the first to hire a staff person for this purpose, and also convened all the marketing directors of all the participating colleges to discuss strategies. Many of its stakeholders who were interviewed cited the success achieved by MnCEME in “establishing a presence” and promoting the Center and what it can offer to students and businesses.”

Centers for Excellence Future Challenges
All Centers face similar challenges going forward. Wilder Research noted these commonalities: finding or generating continuing funding or revenue sources; coordinating, or finding common ground among the schools or other partners; achieving or maintaining a clear and consistent focus; securing involvement or commitment from partners; experiencing cuts to the initial budget after the Center had developed a work plan and begun to implement it; demonstrating expected levels of results within the short time frame allowed in the initial legislation; and trying to innovate while operating within the rules and structures of a large bureaucratic system.

Ensuring Long-term Success
Wilder Research also noted consistently expressed themes important to Centers in achieving long-term success. They include the need to maintain a clear and consistent vision and focus, collaborate and build coalition, share ownership, partner with industry and nurture the partnerships through communication.

Review the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Centers of Excellence program evaluation Year 1 (2005-06) progress report Executive Summary or MnSCU Centers for Excellence Final Report.

Center for Excellence Lays Plans for the New Year
Kuma Takamura, Ph. D., Executive Director

Wilder Research has just published an evaluation report for the four Centers of Excellence. In its executive summary, Wilder reports the following factors were commonly identified as important to achieving each Center’s success:

• Maintaining a clear and consistent vision and focus
• Collaboration, coalition-building, and shared ownership (quality of partnership)
• Communicating with partners and/or relationship-building (development of partnership)
• Resource issues, including longer support in the initial grant, as well as the Centers’ own work to secure additional external resources for sustainability
• Marketing and promoting the Centers
• Maintaining the energy, support, and/or involvement of Center partners (academic, Industry, and K-12), and of state-level “champions” within the MnSCU system and in state government

(Wilder Research: MNSCU Center of Excellence Program Evaluation, Year 1 (2005-2006) progress report, Jan. 2007.)

These factors are not independent, rather, they are inter-related. For example, communication and collaboration go hand-in-hand. With that in mind, the Center will focus on direct methods of communication.  January’s Curriculum Summit proved that one-to-one conversation produces results, prompting one faculty member to comment that ‘we accomplished more in an hour and a half than we have in the last 10 years!’

Collaboration is pivotal to the success of the Center. In theory the Center is ‘virtual,’ however in reality each educational partner institution is the Center. We have come a long way thanks to the collaborative efforts of our marketing directors both at MNCEME and in our partner institutions. We have visually integrated the Center into our educational partners’ publications, advertisements, and signage.

However, the true spirit of collaboration goes beyond graphic representation. We want to know everything that happens at each institution—events, new programs, K-12 initiatives, awarded grants, etc. The Center will utilize this information to promote both Center and institution programs and activities. This information is also extremely important for the Center’s annual report, which we are preparing now.

When I met with executive directors from all four Centers for Excellence last month funding and sustainability were uppermost on everyone’s mind. While we do not have a silver bullet yet, two strong possibilities are: (1) winning a large federal ATE grant, and (2) strengthening industrial connections. In 2007, the Center will start serious dialogue and discussion on Center funding plans and addressing funding issues aggressively.

Finally, I will do my best to lead the Center with clear vision and focus. At the beginning of the New Year, I wanted to share some of my thoughts in relationship to Wilder’s list of factors for Center success.  Thank you for your continuing support and Happy New Year!

Dr. Rajiv Kapadia, MSU professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology, discusses course outcomes with Dr. Bob Zbikowski, Hibbing Community College Physics instructor.




Center Curriculum Summit Hosts Partner Colleges
In January, the Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (MNCEME) hosted eight partner community and technical colleges at a Curriculum Summit held on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato, lead university for the Center. "The intent of the Summit was to open dialogue and a gateway to new relationships between colleagues at MNCEME partner institutions," commented Cathy Gjerde, MNCEME Curriculum Coordinator.

Collectively, Center for Excellence institutions represent the largest and most diverse coordinated network of programs across the entire spectrum of engineering, engineering technology, and technical programs within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and are acknowledged state leaders in manufacturing, manufacturing engineering technology, and engineering. Partner colleges in attendance included Alexandria Technical College, Anoka Technical College, Hennepin Technical College, Normandale Community College, South Central College and the Northeast Higher Education District represented by Itasca Community College, Hibbing Community College and Mesabi Range Community and Technical College.

In a day long series of sessions, faculty discussed a variety of program areas and course outcomes that held potential to provide seamless transfer options for students. "We wanted to provide an opportunity, through the review of courses and outcomes, to really understand institutional differences. Having that understanding allows MNCEME partners to go forward to look for commonalities," explained Gjerde.

Areas of common interest for faculty included Automotive Engineering Technology, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, and Electrical Engineering Technology. Faculty discussed development of these focus areas in order to strengthen or establish articulation agreements with Minnesota State Mankato. Dr. Keith Mattson, Industrial Technology Coordinator and instructor for Mesabi Range saw the summit as a venue to provide "solutions, innovations, and a chance to build partnerships."

Faculty valued the time to begin building those relationships. "I liked the opportunity to sit down, face-to-face with faculty from other schools, away from classroom demands, so we could focus on the task at hand," said Dr. William Hudson, Chair of Minnesota State Mankato's Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology Department.

Jeff Fischer, Computer Integrated Machining instructor for South Central College agreed. "We got more done in an hour and half of direct conversation than we have gotten done in the last 10 years!"

Faculty will continue partner conversations as they develop articulation agreements that will benefit students.

Anoka Technical College Issues White Paper on K-14 Applied Learner Symposium
The information and views presented at the symposium were both enlightening and optimistic.
Certainly, the Symposium served as a wake-up call...Read the text in full