Articulation of Curriculum Across Universities, Community Colleges, and Adult and Career Centers to Meet the Emerging Industry Requirements in Clean and Alternative Energy

Margaret Anna Traband; Daniel Burklo; Nadeane D. Howard; Marcia A King-Blandford

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Stimulating Broader Industrial Participation in Undergraduate Programs
Tagged Division: College Industry Partnerships
Page Count: 23
Page Numbers: 25.208.1 - 25.208.23
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--20968
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/20968
Download Count: 506

Paper Authors

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Margaret Anna Traband University of Toledo

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Margaret Anna Traband, M.B.A., is the Grant Director for the National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant entitled An Innovative Model for a New Advanced Energy Workforce. Traband earned a bachelor's of arts from Bowling Green State University and her master's of business administration in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization from the University of Toledo. Previously, Traband worked as the Program Manager for the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio (UCEAO), a statewide organization comprised of the fourteen research institutions along with two government laboratories whose mission is to advance clean and alternative energy in the state of Ohio. Traband has completed the National Business Incubation Association, Incubator Management Certification. She utilized these skills while working at the University of Toledo Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator.

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Daniel Burklo Northwest State Community College

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Daniel Burklo is the Dean of Engineering Technologies at Northwest State Community College in Archbold, Ohio. Burklo earned a bachelor's of science degree in mechanical engineering technology from Purdue University and a master's of science in engineering from the University of Toledo. Burklo's master’s research examined renewable energy, and his work served as the foundation for one of the first associate degree programs in alternative energy approved by the Ohio Board of Regents. Burklo was invited by the University of Toledo to contribute his expertise in program and curriculum development and alternative energy as part of their National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation Grant. The grant’s purpose in part was to establish statewide standards for renewable energy courses and programs at the associate degree level that prepare and produce a highly skilled workforce in alternative energy. Burklo is the Chairperson for the Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering Technology Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) Faculty Panel and is a member of the Career-TAG in Engineering Technologies for the Ohio Board of Regents. Burklo worked as an engineer in the automotive industry for 14 years prior to joining Northwest State.

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Nadeane D. Howard University of Toledo

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Nadeane D. Howard is a private consultant working primarily in the higher education environment. Prior to establishing a consulting practice in 2010, Howard served the state of Ohio in senior positions within the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD). Among her responsibilities at ODOD, Howard was Director of the Energy Division, managing $137 million in federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding, as well as $3 million in annual programming dollars. Prior to her work in energy, Howard was Assistant Director of ODOD’s Economic Development Division, which directed all statewide business retention, expansion, and attraction projects. Howard’s professional background also includes work in technology-based economic development as Vice President of the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) in Toledo, Ohio. At the RGP, she structured Northwest Ohio’s Entrepreneurial Signature Program, creating an organization known as Rocket Ventures, which received $15 million in state funding as well as roughly $7.5 million in private funding to provide a supportive business services environment and pre-seed capital to grow young technology-based businesses in the region. Howard holds a J.D. with a focus in environmental law and alternative dispute resolution and a B.S.B.A. with emphasis in marketing and international business. She resides in the Columbus, Ohio, area with her family.

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Marcia A King-Blandford University of Toledo

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Marcia A. King-Blandford, Associate Professor, serves as the Vice Provost for Academic Operations at The University of Toledo. In this capacity, she is responsible for transfer and articulation at the University and represents the University on the Ohio Board of Regents Transfer and Articulation Advisory Council. Additional responsibilities include monitoring and coordination of the undergraduate curriculum, compliance with state guidelines and directives, and operational functions, which support the undergraduate curriculum at the University. Most recently, her responsibilities included serving as part of the Steering Committee for the university's re-accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.

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Abstract

Articulation of Curriculum across Universities, Community Colleges and Adult and Career Centers to meet the Emerging Industry Requirements in Clean and Alternative EnergyAbstractIn August of 2009 a medium sized research university in the mid-west was awarded a National ScienceFoundation Partnership for Innovation Grant to provide support to develop courses, certificationprograms, stackable certificates, and associate degree programs throughout the state in advancedrenewable energy (solar energy, wind energy, and advanced nuclear energy). The purpose of the projectis to increase the number of individuals who have the skills to enter the growing renewable energyindustry thus making the state a more attractive place for these industries. Another project goal is toprovide a pathway for students who complete certificates and courses at the state’s community andtechnical colleges to transfer credit into university baccalaureate programs and to increase the number ofindividuals in the state with college degrees.As the project unfolded it was discovered that courses and programs with identical titles butquite different content were being developed by different institutions in the state. This resultedin the project organizers approaching the Board of Regents to help develop transfer assuranceguidelines (TAGS) for advanced renewable energy. These TAGS guarantee students transfer ofcourses between state-supported higher education institutions in the state. The State’s RevisedCode calls for the Board of Regents to establish criteria, policies and procedures that enablestudents to transfer credit bearing courses without unnecessary duplication or institutionalbarriers.The project then involved collaboration with the Articulation and Transfer Office of the Board ofRegents to create statewide agreements for renewable energy programs including courses inwind, solar, and nuclear. Our first step in this process was distributing a survey to highereducation institutions. A total of 157 questionnaires were distributed to determine who isoffering certificates, courses, and programs in renewable, solar, wind, and advanced nuclearenergy. The survey confirmed a high level of activity and interest in solar, wind, and renewableenergy offerings throughout the state. The Board of Regents then convened meetings bringtogether faculty content experts from public two-year and four-year institutions as well as adultcareer centers for working group sessions to review program requirements and course content.The groups are aligning the learning objectives of curriculum with third party industry standardssuch as NAPCEP and AWEA, while alignment with ABET criteria. TAGs were established inalternative and renewable energy programs including coursework in an Introduction toAlternative Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy and related course. The project shows howadult learning centers, community colleges, and universities can work together under a statewidesystem to develop consistent courses and programs in an area of immense industry interest toprovide opportunities for students and build a statewide technical workforce.This paper will present results of the statewide survey and course alignment process as well asdiscuss the issues and challenges in articulating. The paper will also discuss how industriesprovided input during the alignment of objectives.

Citation
Format

Traband, M. A., & Burklo, D., & Howard, N. D., & King-Blandford, M. A. (2012, June), Articulation of Curriculum Across Universities, Community Colleges, and Adult and Career Centers to Meet the Emerging Industry Requirements in Clean and Alternative Energy Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--20968

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -            Articulation of Curriculum across Universities, Community           Colleges and Adult and Career Centers to meet the Emerging             Industry Requirements in Clean and Alternative EnergyAbstractIn August of 2009 a medium sized research university in the mid-west was awarded a National ScienceFoundation Partnership for Innovation Grant to provide support to develop courses, certificationprograms, stackable certificates, and associate degree programs throughout the state in advancedrenewable energy (solar energy, wind energy, and advanced nuclear energy). The purpose of the projectis to increase the number of individuals who have the skills to enter the growing renewable energyindustry thus making the state a more attractive place for these industries. Another project goal is toprovide a pathway for students who complete certificates and courses at the state’s community andtechnical colleges to transfer credit into university baccalaureate programs and to increase the number ofindividuals in the state with college degrees.As the project unfolded it was discovered that courses and programs with identical titles butquite different content were being developed by different institutions in the state. This resultedin the project organizers approaching the Board of Regents to help develop transfer assuranceguidelines (TAGS) for advanced renewable energy. These TAGS guarantee students transfer ofcourses between state-supported higher education institutions in the state. The State’s RevisedCode calls for the Board of Regents to establish criteria, policies and procedures that enablestudents to transfer credit bearing courses without unnecessary duplication or institutionalbarriers.The project then involved collaboration with the Articulation and Transfer Office of the Board ofRegents to create statewide agreements for renewable energy programs including courses inwind, solar, and nuclear. Our first step in this process was distributing a survey to highereducation institutions. A total of 157 questionnaires were distributed to determine who isoffering certificates, courses, and programs in renewable, solar, wind, and advanced nuclearenergy. The survey confirmed a high level of activity and interest in solar, wind, and renewableenergy offerings throughout the state. The Board of Regents then convened meetings bringtogether faculty content experts from public two-year and four-year institutions as well as adultcareer centers for working group sessions to review program requirements and course content.The groups are aligning the learning objectives of curriculum with third party industry standardssuch as NAPCEP and AWEA, while alignment with ABET criteria. TAGs were established inalternative and renewable energy programs including coursework in an Introduction toAlternative Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy and related course. The project shows howadult learning centers, community colleges, and universities can work together under a statewidesystem to develop consistent courses and programs in an area of immense industry interest toprovide opportunities for students and build a statewide technical workforce.This paper will present results of the statewide survey and course alignment process as well asdiscuss the issues and challenges in articulating. The paper will also discuss how industriesprovided input during the alignment of objectives.
AU  - Margaret Anna Traband
AU  - Daniel Burklo
AU  - Nadeane D. Howard
AU  - Marcia A King-Blandford
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Articulation of Curriculum Across Universities, Community Colleges, and Adult and Career Centers to Meet the Emerging Industry Requirements in Clean and Alternative Energy
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/20968
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--20968
ER  -