Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology
Institution: 
North Central State College
Approval Status: 
In Review
Comment Period: 
Fri, 12/08/2017 - 11:00am to Fri, 12/22/2017 - 11:00am
Files: 
PDF icon North Central State College Applied Baccalaureate RFI.pdf
PDF icon NCSC_Bachelors Degree Application Cover Letter.pdf
PDF icon Appendix A.pdf
PDF icon Appendix B.pdf
PDF icon Appendix C.pdf
PDF icon Appendix D.pdf
PDF icon Appendix E.pdf
PDF icon Appendix F.pdf
PDF icon Appendix G.pdf
PDF icon Appendix H.pdf
PDF icon Appendix I.pdf

Comments

Submitted by Joe Gies (not verified) on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 11:49am
Comment: 
As a member of the Shelby Improvement Corporation, I fully support NC State in offering a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. I fell that this will help to keep our local graduates in the area and offer local employers an avenue to improve their employees.

Submitted by Cameron Haring (not verified) on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 4:20pm
Comment: 
As an individual involved in areas economic development groups and as a manager at an industrial firm, I believe an expanded degree program offering Mechanical Engineering will provide a link to upwardly mobile employment for our youth and help develop the talent pool for our significant industrial base which would be a win for all parties. Additionally, the campus has a lot happening in the areas of robotics and advanced manufacturing training going all the way down from high school to early elementary school children in the case of Pioneer and our Stellar Robotics teams. The new degree program would be able to tap into those groups with existing mechanical aptitude and interests and have many qualified applicants.

Submitted by Pam Stimpert (not verified) on Sat, 12/16/2017 - 7:42am
Comment: 
As a member of the community and a grandparent whose grandson was a recipient of the dual diploma/Associate Degree, I strongly recommend this program. At 19, my grandson, who received his Associates for engineering technology degree and who has chosen to delay his 4 year degree at this time, is working in the field making 47,000+ plus per year with opportunity for promotion. It gave him opportunities that he would not have had. .....it is an excellent program and would offer members of our community and beyond a further opportunity for higher education at a financially reasonable investment.

Submitted by Karen Seman (not verified) on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 4:21pm
Comment: 
North Central Ohio has a rich history in manufacturing and the sector continues to play a vital role in the Richland County economy. Having an institution of higher education offer a full degree as a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology would be a tremendous asset to our citizens and our manufacturing employers. I am certain that students and graduates of robust program would be valued, find living wage employment opportunities nearby and add to wealth to many households within our communities. I strongly support the efforts of NCSC. Respectfully submitted by Karen Seman, Director of Workforce Development with the Richland Community Development Group

Submitted by Karen Seman (not verified) on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 4:50pm
Comment: 
North Central Ohio has a rich history in manufacturing and the sector continues to play a vital role in the Richland County economy. Having an institution of higher education offer a full degree as a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology would be a tremendous asset to our citizens and our manufacturing employers. I am certain that students and graduates of robust program would be valued, find living wage employment opportunities nearby and add to wealth to many households within our communities. I strongly support the efforts of NCSC. Respectfully submitted by Karen Seman, Director of Workforce Development with the Richland Community Development Group

Submitted by Marissa Miller (not verified) on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 8:04pm
Comment: 
As a member of and employer in the Shelby community, I am very excited and fully in support of a Bachelors degree path in Mechanical Engineering Technology at North Central State College. Programs like this will help our best and brightest stay in the area while supporting innovation and local economic development efforts. I know the people of Shelby and Richland County will stand behind these graduates as valued members of our community. As the daughter of an engineer it does my heart good to know that an excellent engineering program could come to our neck of the woods - I think the writer James Michener said something like this: "scientists dream of great things, engineers DO them."

Submitted by Patricia Carlisle (not verified) on Thu, 12/14/2017 - 4:25pm
Comment: 
One of the best things to ever happen in Shelby, OH was North Central State College moving to the Kehoe Center. The next great thing to happen will be NCSC being approved to offer an Applied Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. There is so much data that supports technical education as the most effective way to develop an area's workforce for jobs of the future. Workforce development is a huge driver of economic growth for an area. RAMTEC locating at the Kehoe Center is a perfect example of why NCSC is really ready to move forward with offering applied bachelor's degrees. Mechanical Engineering is an excellent fit for NCSC.

Submitted by Pam Stimpert (not verified) on Sat, 12/16/2017 - 7:52am
Comment: 
As a Career Coach Coordinator for SPARC, I highly recommend this program. It gives individuals in our community an excellent opportunity to learn and earn within our community not only benefiting those who would participate in the program, but also the residual economic impact to the community and the State. It offers our area students a variety of programs that fall under the State mandate in HB 3313.6020. There is a need for more engineering students, as it is one of the career possibilities that continue to grow. NCSC has successfully provided opportunities at the Associate's level, and I, am sure, would do well with a Bachelor's program.

Submitted by The University ... (not verified) on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 4:44pm
Comment: 
The University of Akron (UA) does not support this proposal. This degree would be a duplication of UA’s B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology. NCSC is in the NEO Regional Compact along with UA as defined by the Chancellor, and adding redundancy seems to be counter-intuitive. NCSC is located less than 50 miles from UA’s Wayne College. Logically it would be more efficient and cost-effective to expand the scope of an existing program in the State rather than launching a new one. With only 12% of the Fall 2013 entering cohort (as defined by the Three-Year Success Measures January 2017 report on the ODHE website) earning a two-year degree at NCSC by the end of the third year, it is unclear how many students will be able to persist to complete a bachelor's degree.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 9:17am
Comment: 
While perhaps "unclear how many students would be able to persist at NCSC;" logically, we can be certain that it will be more than the number that will commute from NCSC's service area to UA or Wayne College and persist. UA does not have a "redundant" offering for the local community, nor has UA demonstrated interest/progress in expanding its offering to include local access in Richland County. Employers with relationships with NCSC, in the local community, have asked NCSC to offer this degree at NCSC. The only thing counter-intuitive about the matter is that UA's support, or lack thereof, would have any bearing on the outcome.

Submitted by David Gentile (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 12:44pm
Comment: 
I would just like to point out about the above comment concerning the location of the University of Akron to NCSC and the programs they offer. If This was proposed at a location that was across town from UA then I would also be against this proposal, but that is not the case. The proximity of NCSC to UA is not a few miles, it is at least an hour drive. This is only a one way distance, this would have a service area that extends in all directions that it would serve and can affect student much much farther way than the hour drive. This commute could be a deciding factor if obtaining a higher level of education is feasible. The institution of higher education is not a relevant factor in my support of this proposal, the location of such and the program in question are. A side note that the statistic mentioned before concerning NCSC's 2013 entering cohort earning a two year degree at NCSC by year three is actually better than UA's 9%.

Submitted by Scott King (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 1:44pm
Comment: 
Local industry knows and has regular interaction with NCSC staff and leadership. We applaud NCSC's desire to meet the needs we have asked them to. UA's support is not necessary, from Industry's perspective. Scott King, The Gorman-Rupp Company and Executive Committee Member & Past President, Regional Manufacturing Coalition

Submitted by Cameron Haring (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 4:13pm
Comment: 
I would counter this by noting that our students don't view the world through the lens of the Team Neo network and as such 50 miles is not practical for a few hours of class. Mansfield is more centrally located to communities within 25 miles of it's I-71 and Rte 30 E/W intersection. NC State performs outreach activities to these students and has feeder programs in place that UA does not have locally. I have never seen a UA advertisement or recruiting effort in the Richland County area, but in fairness I may not scouring the area for them. There are however many outward efforts by NC State. Capturing student interest through grass roots programs, local speaking engagements, and a generally strong presence with a high return on tuition will result in a successful program.

Submitted by Jack Hershey (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:24am
Comment: 
The data cited by The University of Akron is taken from an ODHE report that was specifically produced in an attempt to provide a more accurate measure of success for two-year campuses as compared to the more traditional graduation measurements that have been focused exclusively on institutions whose business model is built around primarily serving full-time students.  The conclusion of the ODHE report was to say that the REAL three-year success rate of North Central State College is 39%.  To cite only the 12% graduation rate from that report is either purposefully or inadvertently misleading.   While 94% of the freshman class at the University of Akron does enroll as full time students according to ODHE data, only 27% of North Central State College students are able to attend full time for a wide variety of personal reasons.  We would be happy to provide numerous examples of students who took longer than three years to complete their degree because they were raising a family, working to support a family, or caring for a beloved family member.  Regardless of their journey, when these part-time students do eventually graduate, they are nothing but success stories. Their achievements should be celebrated.  We hope our colleagues at The University of Akron would agree.

Submitted by Craig Redmond (not verified) on Tue, 12/19/2017 - 5:07pm
Comment: 
I support the efforts to initiate a BSMET program at the NCSC campus. This type of program would give local students and full-time employees a local and affordable option for a bachelor's degree in an Engineering field. When I solicited input from coworkers in Mansfield, there were multiple who expressed that they would have strongly considered this option had it been available to them in the past. I think that adding this degree program would be a logical next step for NCSC in supporting the Manufacturing community in this area.

Submitted by Craig Redmond (not verified) on Tue, 12/19/2017 - 5:09pm
Comment: 
I believe adding a BSMET program at NCSC would be a good step for the college, the community, the local employers, and the students who would no longer have to move or commute to receive a bachelor's degree in an engineering field. I expect the program would be much more affordable and also to be more attainable for full-time employees as NSCS has catered to non-traditional students in the past.

Submitted by Martin Neidlinger (not verified) on Tue, 12/19/2017 - 9:30pm
Comment: 
I wholeheartedly support this program. As the HR Manager of Therm-O-Disc, we want local individuals at our company that have this kind of background and to have an organization within the area that offers this kind of degree is invaluable.

Submitted by Ron Smith (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 6:32am
Comment: 
I am writing to support the Applied BS Mechanical Engineering degree at NC State. As a graduate of the school, life long member of the community and as manager in industry, I believe that this will help local business with qualified technical manager whom would like to stay local and not take their abilities to larger communities. Ron Smith General Manager AK Steel, Mansfield Ohio

Submitted by Scott King (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 8:37am
Comment: 
Our local community, both citizens and employers, is in strong need of this program. NCSC is well-suited to provide the program and has the local involvement with employers and potential students to promote it and foster its success. For all of the reasons highlighted in the letter from Gorman-Rupp in Appendix F of the application, we request that it be approved. Respectfully submitted by Scott King, Vice President, The Gorman-Rupp Company and Executive Committee Member & Past President, Regional Manufacturing Coalition

Submitted by Ellen Gerich (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 8:39am
Comment: 
Our community would support a program like this. Look at OSU-Mansfield and the growth and positive impact it's programs have had on our community. NC State has the same potential.

Submitted by Steve Cummins (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:33am
Comment: 
 The companies in our area are constantly in need of this expertise and there are currently no equivalent programs within an hour’s drive of Mansfield. One our managers said it best:   “Places like Akron, Miami, OSU, Cincy, and to a lesser extent Toledo, are cost prohibitive unless you are at a  certain economic level and that's a shame. There's bound to be a lot of great talent and interested people  who would jump at the idea of a Bachelors from NCSC.  This would be an awesome source of good work  and benefit the people that come through here, in a way that will affect their growth for years.” 

Submitted by Barbara Lindsay (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 11:12am
Comment: 
As a local business owner in need of skilled employees especially in the area of hands on mechanical knowledge I fully support this program.

Submitted by Jotika Shetty (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 11:24am
Comment: 
The ability of our regional Technical College to offer a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology increases the opportunity and ability of students in Richland County to receive an affordable degree that translates to increased earnings. This will be important to workforce development, keeping talented individuals in the area and retaining and expanding manufacturing businesses . As the Director at Richland County Regional Planning Commission I support the the efforts of NCSC.

Submitted by David Gentile (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 11:41am
Comment: 
I would like to show my support for this proposed program. Having the option to complete a 4 year degree in Mansfield in an engineering related field would be an asset to the community. To my knowledge there are currently no STEM related 4 year degrees from any or the institutions of higher education in the Mansfield metropolitan area. This would increase the availability and possibility of area residents obtaining this education and also the jobs this education would qualify them for. This can reach further than just the Mansfield are and also attract students from surrounding counties as this could be an economical choice for them as it would allow them to remain close to home but still obtain a 4 year degree.

Submitted by Jason McCoy (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 12:03pm
Comment: 
As a Shelby resident and an employee of a local company who uses NCSC to further educate our workforce, I fully support this program and agree that the value this will bring to the Richland County area is tremendous.

Submitted by Lee Tasseff (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 3:52pm
Comment: 
In an environment that had plenty of mechanical engineers (or engineers of all disciplines) being graduated and the working world in abundant supply of them, I might tend to agree with the opinion of the University of Akron. However, given the need to educate and produce more engineers in this country, I support North Central State College's (NCSC) initiative to offer a four year BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology. The four year schools do not have an exclusive monopoly in this market. Schools like NCSC can help educate more future students of engineering. Also, competition for students would also make each school better in the long run. Competition in the marketplace (in this case the marketplace of higher education) will challenge each to create the best curriculum and seek/retain the best instructors as well to help keep the cost of education from escalating higher at a faster rate than it already is. As a parent of two college students, both those scenarios look pretty appealing.

Submitted by Jessica Gribben (not verified) on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 4:38pm
Comment: 
As a realtor in our local community as well as a member of Richland Young Professionals and serving on several economic development entities within the community, I would like to extend my strong support for this program. I see bachelors degree level engineers brought in by local companies on a regular basis from outside the area as there is not a talent pool developed in the area. We hear from employers that they are in need of talent specifically in this field. To have a Bachelors degree available at our local college level would allow upward mobility for area residents, as well as a workforce that is meeting the needs of local employers.This program could be a great economic impact for north central Ohio. Please consider adding this to the already strong course offerings at North Central State College.

Submitted by Steve Cummins (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 8:01am
Comment: 
As a growing local employer in the mechanical engineering field we strongly support these efforts. One of our senior managers summed it up this way: "I'm all for getting a four-year tech degree in the hands of people here in town. I think a huge cause for people to not go through with something like that is cost, especially if you grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in this area. Places like Akron, Miami, OSU, Cincy, and to a lesser extent Toledo, are cost prohibitive unless you are at a certain economic level and that's a shame. There's bound to be a lot of great talent and interested people who would jump at the idea of a Bachelors from NC. And to think if we had just a constant opening for things like CAD modeler (Engineering and Manufacturing) and we could just get a new crop of people in every semester perhaps. This would be an awesome source of good work and benefit the people that come through here in a way that will affect their growth for years."

Submitted by Brian Schmidt (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 9:00am
Comment: 
NC State is well-poised to offer the expanded degree program to the communities it serves. As an employer who currently employs a graduate of the current 2-year program; I see great value in the expansion of the program and talk with many other area business owners who have needs and opportunities for 4-year graduates. I strongly support the expansion of the program

Submitted by C. Todd Jones (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 1:11pm
Comment: 
Chancellor Carey: I am writing in response to the Department’s request for public comment related to the Ohio Department of Higher Education establishing a program under which community colleges, state community colleges, and technical colleges may apply to offer applied bachelor’s degrees. As stated in House Bill 49, community colleges can apply to the Ohio Department of Higher Education to offer applied science bachelor’s degrees. One of the requirements of the law is that a degree can only be approved if there is an “absence of a bachelor's degree program that meets the workforce need addressed by the proposed program that is offered by a state university or private college or university.” To that end, AICUO has serious concerns about the following degrees that are currently offered by nonprofit institutions in Ohio: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology Cedarville University: offers a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and has for over twenty years. Cedarville’s program graduates fully credentialed mechanical engineers in the same region as the proposed program. It is clear that students in Ohio already have multiple post-secondary program options that “meet the workforce need” of these proposed programs. Again, since Ohio Revised Code Section 3333.051 clearly states a bachelor’s degree proposed field cannot already be offered, it is very apparent that these programs should be denied approval. Many of the aforementioned institutions have provided their individual comments to your office on the proposed degrees as well. However, please be aware that given the short, near-Christmas timetable, this is not a complete reflection of every non-profit institution’s offerings in Ohio. We encourage the Department to reopen the public comment for more appropriate and well-rounded feedback to ensure that this process is not rushed through with unnecessary haste utilizing truncated feedback. Given the duplicative nature of the proposed degrees, AICUO firmly believes the law should be followed and these degrees should be rejected. Sincerely, C. Todd Jones President & General Counsel AICUO

Submitted by C. Todd Jones (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 1:11pm
Comment: 
Chancellor Carey: I am writing in response to the Department’s request for public comment related to the Ohio Department of Higher Education establishing a program under which community colleges, state community colleges, and technical colleges may apply to offer applied bachelor’s degrees. As stated in House Bill 49, community colleges can apply to the Ohio Department of Higher Education to offer applied science bachelor’s degrees. One of the requirements of the law is that a degree can only be approved if there is an “absence of a bachelor's degree program that meets the workforce need addressed by the proposed program that is offered by a state university or private college or university.” To that end, AICUO has serious concerns about the following degrees that are currently offered by nonprofit institutions in Ohio: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology Cedarville University: offers a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and has for over twenty years. Cedarville’s program graduates fully credentialed mechanical engineers in the same region as the proposed program. It is clear that students in Ohio already have multiple post-secondary program options that “meet the workforce need” of these proposed programs. Again, since Ohio Revised Code Section 3333.051 clearly states a bachelor’s degree proposed field cannot already be offered, it is very apparent that these programs should be denied approval. Many of the aforementioned institutions have provided their individual comments to your office on the proposed degrees as well. However, please be aware that given the short, near-Christmas timetable, this is not a complete reflection of every non-profit institution’s offerings in Ohio. We encourage the Department to reopen the public comment for more appropriate and well-rounded feedback to ensure that this process is not rushed through with unnecessary haste utilizing truncated feedback. Given the duplicative nature of the proposed degrees, AICUO firmly believes the law should be followed and these degrees should be rejected. Sincerely, C. Todd Jones President & General Counsel AICUO

Submitted by Jack Hershey (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:25am
Comment: 
The AICUO seems to be misinterpreting the law as passed by the Ohio General Assembly.  The law does NOT say that a degree cannot be approved simply because there is an existing bachelor’s degree program in existence somewhere else in the state.  Instead, the language says that the Chancellor may approve a program if the local workforce need is not met, including if it is not being met by another university offering a similar program.  This is an interpretation that has been agreed to by Ohio Department of Higher Education’s legal counsel. This law has always been about meeting the workforce needs of Ohio employers. As clearly evidenced by the support of local employers contained within the degree proposal and through public comments, they believe that their workforce needs are not being met.  

Submitted by Inter-Universit... (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 1:17pm
Comment: 
Several other existing ABET or ATMAE accredited university programs already exist at Univ of Akron, Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Kent State, Miami Univ, Ohio Univ, Univ of Toledo, Univ of Cincinnati, Youngstown State, Kent State and Univ of Dayton -- where graduates are eligible for professional licensure. North Central's proposed program does not include all the necessary courses for professional licensure eligibility. The lack of the term "applied" in the program title may mislead students about accreditability and licensure eligibility. IUC recommends that, overall, there needs to be clear communication to students who enroll in applied bachelor degree programs on career limitations, particularly whether the graduate qualifies for licensure upon graduation. There are questions about the proposal's list of targeted occupational positions, some of which do not require a bachelor's degree. There is also a question of workforce demand from the listed area employers, some of which show flat or declining job postings. IUC recommends that NCSC should instead look to its regional compact partners for collaborative opportunities, such as guaranteed transfer pathways. A 2+2 program is already established between North Central and Miami Univ.

Submitted by Ohio University... (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 2:13pm
Comment: 
Ohio University respectfully requests the Chancellor not approve this new program. A traditional technology degree program, it would not seem to be in direct competition with any of OHIO’s engineering programs such as our Engineering Technology and Management program, because their coursework does not lead to professional licensure due to the lack of calculus-based physics and subsequent courses. However, the potential exists for considerable confusion among the public about what this proposed degree actually provides, due in part to the lack of the term “applied” in the proposed degree name. Students who don’t understand the limitations inherent in the vocational nature of the degree they are pursuing (e.g., the inability to obtain licensure) may be disappointed to find their career potential is not equivalent to that of a graduate of a four-year baccalaureate program. Furthermore, the more-advanced coursework provided by the established programs at the state’s four-year institutions provides a deeper-level disciplinary understanding that helps graduates keep up with the rapid pace of technological change—a pace that will more quickly render an applied degree obsolete. <br> NCSC’s proposal provides insufficient detail about the resources required and available to build this applied program. Without considerable up-front investments, it is doubtful whether NCSC can develop the quality and quantity of faculty and infrastructure needed to gain accreditation, much less maintain it. When the state already has excellent established and fully accredited programs with capacity (in this case, one within an hour’s drive at the University of Akron, and others at Kent State and Youngstown), we believe it makes sense to invest in them. Diverting state resources from existing programs to try to build (and then try to maintain) duplicates, even less-advanced versions, will not bring the best return on taxpayers’ money. It also conflicts with the ODHE’s ongoing initiative to reduce the number of duplicative programs. <br> There are still many opportunities for creating new articulation pathways that could further enable community colleges to position themselves as the starting point toward a four-year bachelor’s degree of the kinds they are proposing. While not a lot of information has been provided to evaluate the proposed programs, we already see opportunities for articulation that have not been fully explored. The ODHE’s recent mandate to develop regional compacts could catalyze such discussions. For our part, OHIO already has 21 articulation agreements with community colleges statewide that include a provision enabling students who successfully complete their two-year programs to participate in our OHIO Guarantee, at the tuition schedule in effect when they started at the community college. In addition, there are any number of areas in which community colleges could be developing new two-year programs that equip students to compete successfully in Ohio’s job market. Cybersecurity and data analytics are two examples: growing fields where basic skill development is critical. Some community colleges are developing these programs, but as the demand is large and growing, there is plenty of room for more two-year programs in these fields. When higher-education institutions engage with each other as partners rather than competitors, they can collaborate in ways that leverage the unique strengths of each and yield more creative solutions to the challenge of increasing access and affordability.

Submitted by Wright State Un... (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 3:04pm
Comment: 
The occupations for the proposed Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology are stated as “Mechanical Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, and Validation Engineer.” Although designed to articulate with an AAS degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, the lack of the term “Applied” in the Bachelor Degree and the targeted engineering occupations may lead to confusion among students about the ABET accreditability of such an applied degree and their ability to obtain licensure. Lacking a detailed curriculum, it is unclear the degree to which this may duplicate Wright State’s bachelor degree program in Mechanical Engineering which is available at both the Dayton and Lake Campuses.

Submitted by Mayor Steven L.... (not verified) on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 5:12pm
Comment: 
As the Mayor of Shelby I enthusiastically support adding a BSMET Program at NCSC. Rarely do municipalities of our size enjoy the privilege of having an institution of higher learning situated within their city limits. It should be noted that Pioneer Career and Technology Center is located just minutes away from the NCSC campus. Positive collaboration in our City among all three entities has been key to providing young students many educational options to productive futures here in North Central Ohio and beyond.

Submitted by Jodie A. Perry (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 8:44am
Comment: 
The North Central Ohio area has a maintained a long and proud tie to manufacturing. Currently it remains one of our largest sectors of employment with nearly 10,000 people employed in just Richland County alone. We all know that the unskilled line positions are a thing of the past as today's manufacturers require highly skilled and trained employees. We strongly support the efforts of North Central State College in offering this Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology in our community. We are absolutely committed to helping NCSC find the right students, and then help those students find jobs in our community upon graduation. We strong urge the Chancellor to support this proposal. Sincerely, Jodie A. Perry, IOM, CCEO-AP - President & CEO, Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Richland Community Development Group

Submitted by Jodie A. Perry (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 8:44am
Comment: 
The North Central Ohio area has a maintained a long and proud tie to manufacturing. Currently it remains one of our largest sectors of employment with nearly 10,000 people employed in just Richland County alone. We all know that the unskilled line positions are a thing of the past as today's manufacturers require highly skilled and trained employees. We strongly support the efforts of North Central State College in offering this Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology in our community. We are absolutely committed to helping NCSC find the right students, and then help those students find jobs in our community upon graduation. We strong urge the Chancellor to support this proposal. Sincerely, Jodie A. Perry, IOM, CCEO-AP - President & CEO, Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Richland Community Development Group

Submitted by Jodie Perry (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 8:50am
Comment: 
The North Central Ohio area has a maintained a long and proud tie to manufacturing. Currently it remains one of our largest sectors of employment with nearly 10,000 people employed in just Richland County alone. We all know that the unskilled line positions are a thing of the past as today's manufacturers require highly skilled and trained employees. We strongly support the efforts of North Central State College in offering this Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology in our community. We are absolutely committed to helping NCSC find the right students, and then help those students find jobs in our community upon graduation. We strong urge the Chancellor to support this proposal. Sincerely, Jodie A. Perry, IOM, CCEO-AP - President & CEO, Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Richland Community Development Group

Submitted by David E. Baumann (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 9:02am
Comment: 
I am very supportive of this proposal, it is long overdue. The Richland County area has a significant manufacturing base and is need of Mechanical Engineers.

Submitted by Mandy Munro-Stasiuk (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 9:02am
Comment: 
Kent State University does not support the North Central State College proposed Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology. We believe that this degree will duplicate Kent State’s BS degree in Applied Engineering with a concentration in Mechanical Engineering Technology. We are in the process of being approved for a standalone BS degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology in fall 2018, for which we will seek ABET accreditation. We do not currently feel that North Central State College will be able to get ABET accreditation based on the number of its faculty and faculty qualifications.

Submitted by Jean Halpin (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 9:11am
Comment: 
As the president of the largest employer in Richland County, I support NCSC request to add this proposed bachlor program. As we are focused on economic growth in our region, manufacturing is stil a strong need and opportunity. The challenge we here is the ability to recruit local talent with the skill set for these advanced technology requirements. I support this program to help train individuals in an area of need and the opportunity to keep jobs local.

Submitted by Maura Teynor (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 9:17am
Comment: 
I support North Central State College in its pursuit to offer its students a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. Historically, Richland County's economic driver has been manufacturing. Locally educated mechanical engineers are vital to our future economic health and growth. Recruiting engineers to this community has been difficult. Richland County, like many other rural areas, is suffering from Brain-Drain. North Central State College also allows students an affordable education and therefore they do not have to worry about excessive student loan debt once they graduate.

Submitted by Maura Teynor (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 9:33am
Comment: 
I support North Central State College in its pursuit to offer a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. Manufacturing has been the economic driver in Richland County for more than 130 years. It is vital that we have locally educated mechanical engineers. It is difficult to recruit engineers to a rural county like ours. In addition, NCSC offers an affordable education so students are not burdened with excessive student loan debt.

Submitted by Greg Nickoli (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:01am
Comment: 
I fully support the North Central State College (NCSC) effort to offer a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. This degree is much needed in Richland County and the surrounding areas. Manufacturing has and continues to be a major economic driver for our area and this degree is vital to our continued economic well-being and growth. Regional efforts to attract and retain qualified individuals to fill the many local employment openings will be greatly enhanced by this effort and NCSC's affordable tuition rates make this degree a viable option for the residents of North Central Ohio.

Submitted by Greg Nickoli (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:06am
Comment: 
As the Superintendent of Pioneer Career and Technology Center, the region's Joint Vocations School District, I fully support the North Central State College (NCSC) effort to offer a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. This degree is much needed in Richland County and the surrounding areas. Manufacturing has and continues to be a major economic driver for our area and this degree is vital to our continued economic well-being and growth. Regional efforts to attract and retain qualified individuals to fill the many local employment openings will be greatly enhanced by this effort and NCSC's affordable tuition rates make this degree a viable option for the residents of North Central Ohio.

Submitted by Greg Nickoli (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:10am
Comment: 
As the Superintendent of Pioneer Career and Technology Center, the region's Joint Vocations School District, I fully support the North Central State College (NCSC) effort to offer a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. This degree is much needed in Richland County and the surrounding areas. Manufacturing has and continues to be a major economic driver for our area and this degree is vital to our continued economic well-being and growth. Regional efforts to attract and retain qualified individuals to fill the many local employment openings will be greatly enhanced by this effort and NCSC's affordable tuition rates make this degree a viable option for the residents of North Central Ohio.

Submitted by Martin Abraham, YSU (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:50am
Comment: 
Youngstown State University is opposed to this proposal to add another Bachelor degree for Mechanical Engineering Technology. There are already many such programs offered throughout the State, including many within the northeast region (in which NCSC resides) per Department of Higher Ed designation. Moreover, there is no indication that NCSC intends to seek ABET accreditation for their program, which would place their graduates at a competitive disadvantage as they seek employment throughout the state. As we seek greater efficiency in our use of state resources, it seems counterproductive to develop new programs when capacity already exists within the region. YSU would be pleased to work with NCSC to ensure that their graduates can be properly served through our MET program, and would support similar efforts by other universities within the region. In addition to these general concerns, YSU has carefully reviewed the proposal and has the following specific questions: NCSC Proposal Item 1.2.1: a. They refer to Appendix A which lists employee positions supporting their proposal that there is a need for these graduates. Several of the positions that they highlight in fact will need a civil engineering/engineering technology or a construction engineering/engineering technology degree. Some may only require a trade degree, such as, mechanic. NCSC Proposal Item 1.2.2: a. The proposal mentions that they found 200 unique job positions in the beginning of 2017. I question the term ‘unique’, does this mean that they will need extensive experience and higher degree? b. NCSC discusses the need to start this new BSA degree because of the 70+ miles that students have to travel to further their education. However, in section 3.3.1 they discuss that there is already an education pathway with Franklin and Miami University; and in 1.2.2 state that the majority of their AAS graduates already move directly into a bachelor degree program. If the majority are already transitioning to a BSA program, the students are being served already without adding an additional program. Also, interesting to note that Miami University is 187 miles from NCSC. Based on this is 70+ really a problem? NCSC Proposal Item 1.2.3: a. First part of paragraph discusses distance from Akron is 70+ and Toledo is 90 miles away. Again from 1.3.3 Miami U is 187 miles away, YSU is approximately 110 miles away, which is closer than Miami. b. By what I can gather from Appendix C, there are not many engineers employed in the region that NCSC serves. NCSC Proposal Item 2.2.1: a. Appendix D lists many employers/companies, some of which they cite as having support from. However, in the Appendix the graphics show that the majority of the companies listed are showing a decline or flat rate of employment postings, however, this Appendix lists ‘Posting Intensity’ and ‘Unique Postings Trend’, I am not sure what ‘Unique Postings’ is, maybe that they selected ME or MET as ‘unique’. In fact one of the companies that they listed as supporting them, Gorman Rupp has had a decline. NCSC Proposal Item 2.2.2: a. NCSC mentions that, “… more than 330 students were placed in internships …, with 25 of those internships in engineering.” 25 of 330 internships is only 8%, not very high percentage. b. The last paragraph in this item discusses that they have a range of 70 to 100 apprentices per year and that these students are in a technical discipline, apprentices are different than an AAS or BSAS degree programs. c. They further state that these apprentice students take part in the engineering technology classes. So this means that there are some shared ‘core’ courses; maybe math, basic statics course, etc. This does not justify the need for another BSA program in MET. NCSC Proposal Item 2.2.3: a. Discussion again mentions apprentice programs not transitioning smoothly to BSA programs throughout the state. That is because apprentice programs have a different focus from AAS and BSAS degrees. Apprentices do not have the core foundation courses to enter a BSA program. NCSC Proposal Item 3.3.1: a. Discussed above, that they are have pathways with Franklin and Miami Universities, why add another?

Submitted by North Central S... (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:50am
Comment: 
North Central State College offers the following information in strong support of its proposal to provide a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology. In general response to university postings: • The NC State proposal to provide a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology was developed in direct response to the legislature’s and executive branch’s desires to provide quality, affordable, transferrable, higher education which is accessible to all students, and which is responsive to the needs of the local region and its employers. • The law does not say that a degree cannot be approved simply because there is an existing bachelor’s degree program in existence somewhere else in the state. Instead the language says that the Chancellor may approve a program if the local workforce need is not met, including if it is not being met by another university offering a similar program. There is no duplicative program in the region, and the overwhelming letters of support and the public response on the ODHE website is strong evidence of that. • Employers in the area are in more need of applied technology degrees with hands-on experience, and graduates who are able to support production sooner rather than later. • The college has not posted its curriculum yet, and the curriculum will include calculus based materials • It is incorrect to indicate that community colleges may have issues with accreditation and licensure eligibility, and that graduates with applied engineering technology degrees cannot pursue their licensure. The state of Ohio indicates that the educational requirements for professional engineers include 4-year ETAC/ABET technology degree (which can be pursued after the institution graduates its first cohort), and graduates can pursue their licensure after completing 8 years of experience. We currently have credentialed faculty and intend to hire additional ones. In specific response to the University of Akron posting: • NC State petitioned the chancellor to switch from the northeast region to the central region as its location and multiple university and business collaborations are more pertinent. He has approved that request. • As published on its website, the Wayne Campus of the University of Akron does not provide completion of the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology, so the effective mileage is 66.6 miles to the main campus in downtown Akron, not 50 miles to the Wayne Campus. • A comparison of tuition costs also favors NC State, even using Wayne Campus for two years of instruction: o First 2-years at NC State: $156.60/credit hour o First 2-years at Wayne/UA: $278.03/credit hour o Years 3 and 4 at NC State: $250.00/credit hour (Est.) o Years 3 and 4 at UA: $413.34/credit hour • This bachelor’s degree proposal is aligned to meet numerous local needs. Not needs in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, or Akron – needs right here in north central Ohio. Currently, the average age of students in the Associate of Mechanical Engineering technology is 26 years old, and the students are currently employed. Traveling for so many hours per week to complete their degree would be a barrier to their access and success. • NC State’s College NOW program continues to graduate over twenty participants each spring with an Associate Degree in Applied Engineering Technology earned while they finish their junior and senior years of high school. This program will allow graduates to continue their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree locally. College NOW participants are very well prepared for the transition into the new BS-MET program. o C-NOW graduation rates have exceeded 90% since the program was implemented. o These graduates are getting good jobs, transferring to pursue advanced degrees, or both. o Students will know the facilities and could continue to commute and/or work while completing their studies toward a Bachelor’s Degree. • The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology is being developed in conjunction with local business owners, managers, and leaders to meet their employment needs. The overwhelming letters of support, and the public response on the ODHE website is strong evidence of that. • The data cited by The University of Akron is taken from an ODHE report that was specifically produced in an attempt to provide a more accurate measure of success for two-year campuses as compared to the more traditional graduation measurements that have been focused exclusively on institutions whose business model is built around primarily serving full-time students. The conclusion of the ODHE report was to say that the REAL three-year success rate of North Central State Community College is 39%. To cite only the 12% graduation rate from that report is either purposefully or inadvertently misleading. While 94% of the freshman class at the University of Akron does enroll as full time students according to ODHE data, only 27% of North Central State students are able to attend full time for a wide variety of personal reasons. We would be happy to provide numerous examples of students who took longer than three years to complete their degree because they were raising a family, working to support a family, or caring for a beloved family member. Regardless of their journey, when these part-time students do eventually graduate, they are nothing but success stories. Their achievements should be celebrated, especially in fulfillment of the state goal of having 65% of adults have some level of higher education by 2025. We, institutions of higher education, all have the same mission of raising educational attainment in our great state; to help people get better jobs, improve their standard of living and their quality of life, in a highly technical and competitive world. Let us work together to make it happen.

Submitted by Barrett Thomas (not verified) on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:51am
Comment: 
As the economic development director for Richland County, I support this proposal. Manufacturing is by far the strongest sector of our local economy by GRP with over a $1B in annual output (BEA); being able to support these companies with local talent as some of their long-term workforce retires is essential. Additionally, when we compete for attracting new businesses to the area, talent is an increasingly important factor in making a location decision. We have great sites, but having a local 4-year mechanical engineering technology program will make us more competitive nationally.

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