Advisory Committee Meeting for MET/EGT Programs

MINUTES

York Technical College

Founders Federal Credit Union Conference Room

November 15, 2001 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Officers Present: Dr. Marc Tarplee, Mohammad Hossain, Mike Huntley, Keith Costly, Steve Padget, Dwight Mize, Bruce Hickman

Mr. Hossain welcomed all members to the meeting. After a brief introduction, he turned the floor over to Dr. Tarplee who elaborated on the functions and duties of the advisory committee and explained what the college expects from such a committee. The first order of business was to select a committee chair, since the term for the previous chair had expired. Mr. Hossain proposed the committee members to volunteer a chairperson and Mr. Hickman volunteered to act as the chairman of the advisory committee for the current academic year.

Mr. Hickman asked everyone to introduce themselves with a brief description of their occupations and major duties. The floor was open for discussion, Mr. Hossain stressed that ABET visit for MET and EGT is due in Spring 2003. At the present time, only EGT Curriculum is accredited, however, it is Mr. Hossain's goal to get the MET program ready as well for accreditation. Mr. Hossain requested all members to come up with ways to meet ABET criteria for assessment of program outcomes and objectives. Dr. Tarplee asked the group about their input on what they expect from our MET/EGT entry-level employees. Mr. Mike Huntley made a few praiseworthy comments about our graduates. Also, he stressed that students must be prepared for the real world. They must learn and retain as much as humanly possible. Students must have the knowledge of basic tools, and fundamentals. Everyone agreed that the biggest problems most entry-level technicians have are communication skills and lack of team spirit. Mr. Huntley mentioned that about 75 percent of the new employees could not work as a team.

Mr. Huntley offered to provide students with various group projects as the final year project and emphasized on the real work activities. He also asked all faculty members to teach students how to become a professional. Mr. Dwight Mize encouraged students to become life-long learners and develop multiple abilities. Mr. Mize offered to help with the cooperative work experience and internship with his organization.

Mr. Bruce Hickman suggested that YTC offer fluid power courses. He also felt that students should learn to take ownership of the projects and should be accountable for the final outcome. Mr. Keith Costly asked to introduce design standards into the curriculum. Mr. Steve Padgett wanted students to be familiar with the ISO standards, minitabs, data acquisition and design of experiments (DOE) for troubleshooting. Mr. Huntley pointed out that public speaking, good presentation, and writing skills are critical on the job. Mr. Padget inquired about where the MET/EGT graduates end up after graduation. Dr. Tarplee answered by saying that the graduates of these programs are employed by all major types of industries, construction, consulting and manufacturing companies. Mr. Mize brought an interesting issue to the attention of the floor that the state of Georgia has the lowest age graduates from the technology programs of any state. He recommended that students learn engineering cost-estimation before they graduate from the programs.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mohammad Hossain Department Manager MET/EGT Programs