ABSTRACT: 2014 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title: Teaming Industry and Education
Name and Institution: Jennifer I. Brand
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Collaborators: College of Engineering, University of Nebraska
Background, Challenge or Opportunity:
Higher education is at a turning point. The public is asking serious questions about the value of a
rigorous education when technical training is a much cheaper and shorter route to a job. Two of
academia’s key stakeholders, students and industry, would be well-served by meaningful industrial
interactions introduced earlier in the curriculum.
Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this project is to enrich the current engineering curriculum and
build closer alliances with the companies for which our graduates will be working. This should be
structured for the mutual direct benefit to the students (undergraduates and graduates), the academic
institutions, the participating corporations, and the engineering profession.
Methods/Approach:
New mechanisms are being explored for targeted and meaningful direct industrial participation in the
classroom and instructional laboratory, supplementing the current instructional methods in teaching
engineering fundamentals, critical thinking and problem solving skills and other elements of high-quality
engineering education. The activities proposed go beyond the annual visits from legacy advisory boards
or other, higher-level interactions. Using varied sources, ranging from interviews with engineers in
industry and professional society leaders, to the popular press, to pedagogical and historical literature,
as well as exploring current practices of existing industrial-academic collaboration models, new
mechanisms are being evaluated for feasibility of implementation. Examples of specific hands-on
activities considered for industrial participants include serving on the grading review panels for
significant term projects for classes such senior design; serving as additional special members of
graduate committees; contributing industry specific ideas for realistic classroom problems and
laboratory experiments throughout the curriculum, and, as appropriate, contributing tangible, and
perhaps tax-deductible, support for the implementation of instructional enhancements. Also considered
are the practicality, within the current academic structure, of updating faculty skills and perspectives via
direct participation in summer or sabbatical employment, or by performing industrially relevant
research of a more academic nature.
Outcomes and Evaluation: As in most educational projects, the outcomes will be more apparent in the
long run than in the short term, and thus more difficult to measure. Expected outcomes for students
include enriched education with greater student engagement and more realistic career expectations.
Measurable short-term outcomes for education would include increased retention rate after the first
two years, as well as any enhanced industrial support to education or research. For industry, the direct
interactions would allow them greater in-depth knowledge of the students, which could benefit
participating companies in selecting summer, part-time, and permanent employees who best fit the
corporate needs. The transition times from school to industry and effort for in-house training could also
be reduced with better prepared and selected students. Successful businesses are capable of evaluating
outcomes of programs via cost/benefit and other accounting methods. Better understanding of realworld metrics could also benefit academics.
Teaming Industry and Education
Purpose
Prof. Jennifer I. Brand, College of Engineering
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
T. I. E. is designed to enrich engineering education
and to build closer alliances with the companies
who will hire our graduates. The goal is to be
mutually beneficial to the students, the academic
institutions, the participating corporations, and the
engineering profession.
T. I. E. Industrial Fellows Strategy Map
Background
Higher education is at a crossroads. The value of
engineering education is being questioned since
technical training is a cheaper, easier, and shorter
route to a first job. Future enrollment, student
retention, and graduation rates are uncertain, even
as projected demand for engineering graduates is
rising.
Opportunity
Engineering students, industry, and academia would
be well-served by meaningful industrial interactions
introduced earlier in the curriculum. Students would
be more motivated by learning about real, practical,
and current applications and by being introduced to
corporate cultures with their coursework. Industrial
Fellows would be trained in mentoring and
educating, as well as being introduced to the
capabilities and the facilities of the faculty and the
campus. Working closely with students will be a
Next Steps
better basis for hiring decisions than a resume and
an interview. Properly designed and supported
Linked industrial and class activities throughout the • Goal: One or two pilot courses by Spring 2015
• With industrial partners, finalize goals, expectations,
undergraduate career could reverse recent
and operational interfaces.
enrollment declines, boost retention rates, and
• Finalize structure and needed resources for T.I.E. unit.
increase industrial support of education and R&D.
• Recruit and select Industrial Fellows (IF) and match
with courses and faculty.
Methods/Approach
• Coordinate with social research units on longitudinal
tracking, additional metrics, and metric analysis with
The first Industrial Fellows program will emphasize
goal of obtaining funded research grant for the studies
direct classroom participation. The semester-long
and scholarly publications.
fellowships will begin with a week on campus early
• Develop materials and train both IFs and their faculty.
in the semester, where the Fellows would teach,
assign an industrially relevant term project, and set • Identify and obtain resources for logistics for oncampus IF activities.
up mechanisms for further interactions with the
students and faculty throughout the semester. They • Coordinate on-campus activities with Innovation
Campus, Offices of Research and Economic
would return to evaluate and assess the student
Development, Office of Academic Affairs, and other
work at the end of the term as well as to give
units.
feedback and discuss any follow-on activities.
Results of this modest, but well-researched plan will
be the foundation for more adventurous programs.
Presented at the 2014 ELATE® Leaders Forum March 15, 2014
Outcomes and Evaluation
Simple metrics are in the table below. T.I.E. will
partner with a social research group experienced
in studying STEM education innovations and
outcomes for more in-depth and longitudinal
studies. Industrial outcomes, from greater
knowledge of the students and curriculum,
should promote selecting summer, part-time, and
permanent employees who best fit the corporate
needs. The transition times from school to
industry and the effort for in-house training could
also be reduced with better prepared and
selected students, and with further academic
collaboration. Partnering businesses may have
other long or short-term metrics. For academics,
building the long-term industrial relationships
may enhance both industrial support of
education and research collaborations.
Outcome
Most Direct Benefits
Students
Industry
More motivated learning
X
Higher graduation rates
X
X
Easier transition to work
X
X
“Better fit” hiring
X
X
(X)
X
Increased enrollments
X
Mentoring and training skills
X
Other faculty-industry interactions
X
Higher retention rates
X
Academia
X
X
X
X
Many thanks to all those who have collaborated,
advised, and encouraged me in this work and
continue to do so. The list includes many engineers
from industry; the UNL College of Engineering,
especially Dean Timothy Wei, Associate Deans
David Jones and Lily Wang, Prof. Jerry Hudgins,
Chair of Electrical Engineering, and the faculty
whose courses are candidates for pilots; Dr. Prem
S. Paul, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic
Development Dr. Ronnie Green, Vice Chancellor,
Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources;
Daniel Duncan, Executive Director, Nebraska
Innovation Campus, and Ryan Anderson, Director,
Corp. & Foundation Relations.