EDUCATION Engineering Extension Centers . . . • m • « •
Help working engineers keep current Allow them to advance their educations Relieve crowded campuses Give teachers insight to the educational needs of industry Keep teachers informed of new industrial developments
Outmoded laws, traditionalism, and ignorance of changing needs work against extension services. Colleges, industry, government, and professions! organizations can help set them up.
Engineers Fight Obsolescence Extension courses offer a d v a n t a g e s t o w o r k i n g e n g i neers, both undergraduate and g r a d u a t e κ
ILEPING abreast of n e w scientific de
velopments is a major problem of work ing engineers. Even a recent grad uate's knowledge soon becomes obso lete if he doesn't continue to learn. As a solution t o this problem of "en gineering obsolescence," Nelson D. Griswold advocates that major engi neering colleges establish extension branches where they a r e most needed. Griswold, D o w Chemical's assistant general m a n a g e r of engineering and utilities, told t h e 11th annual CollegeIndustry Conference in Houston, Tex., that the individual is responsible for his own continuing training. But, he adds, it is up t o industry, government, and colleges to supply t h e opportunity. Extended services, such as night schools a n d off-campus courses, are rapidly increasing. A report of the American Society for Engineering Edu cation shows t h a t a high proportion of masters degrees in engineering are given to employed engineers w h o go to school only on a part-time basis. The report also finds, however, that most state legislatures are more con cerned with extension service for un dergraduate t h a n postgraduate work. Griswold lists outmoded laws, tradi tionalism, and inadequate knowledge of changing needs as reasons why many states have n o t established extension programs. H e advises educators a n d legislators to re-evaluate state laws. 84
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As an example of traditionalism, Gris wold points to one standard which limits the credit hours earned by ex tension or correspondence courses to one fourth the total required for a d e gree. The feeling here, he explains, is that students going to school on a fulltime basis benefit by association with other students a n d by exchanging ideas with them. Griswold maintains, how ever, that these same benefits can be gained by association within industry itself. • Serves M a n y P u r p o s e s . Permit ting working engineers t o continue their education i s not the only advan tage of extensicHi centers, says Griswold. They can also h e l p to relieve crowded classes on t h e main campus. Teachers benefit because they have a first-hand look at the needs and educational prob lems of industry. A n d students take back to campus classes knowledge of new industrial developments. Extension centers can help at the undergraduate level, Griswold points out. The 50'. ir of all students who leave college before graduating would have a chance t o continue their educa tion. Technicians and pngineering aids could also be developed. Although the responsibility for creat ing or expanding extension services must be shared by colleges, industry, and government, each must accept specific obligations, Griswold cautions.
COMMENT . . . Business and industry aid is the newest and most rapidly growing source of financial assistance to edu cation. In the past five years con tributions to education from all sources have increased 150%. Those, however, from corporations . . . have grown during the same period by more than 250% and . exceeded $150 million in 1957. These, in turn, have helped spur . . . gifts from other sources. Significant as business and indus try financial assistance to education is, another factor is vital. I refer to the participation of the . . . busi nessman himself. Businessmen . . . can bring . . . valuable talents to this work. As you all know* running any school system is pretty big business itself. Successful businessmen are trained . . . in sound financial manage ment . . . Usually they can bring to school-board work great knowledge of their community, its people, needs and resources. A special contribution which in dustry can make was pointed out by Dr. Margaret Mead in the No vember issue of the Harvard Busi ness Review. "Industry," she writes, "has the peculiar advantage of understand ing the major evil from which our whole educational system is suffer ing—obsolescence. Modern ideas of obsolescence have come out of stud ies of industrial processes, and in dustrialists have made these ideas so much a part of their thinking that making allowance for the costs of obsolescence and supporting con tinuing research are a normal part of their professional behavior Γ This is a sound observation, but this special talent cannot be made to work unless educators . . . seek it out . . . or unless businessmen learn to apply . . . their professional behavior to problems other than their own business. JOHN E. HULL, president Manufacturing Chemists' Asso ciation, before t h e National School Boards Association, San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 26, 1959.
Colleges must administer a n d constantly examine these programs. And they must set aside pettv jealousv which holds hack education. Industry must shoulder a n equitable share of the costs and allocate grants and subsidies in t h e best way possible, siivs Griswold. Industry must also let colleges know what its educational needs a r e . T o government, especially state governments, fall t h e tasks of wiselv dis-
modern products g| demand modern chemicals
bursing their o w n funds a n d of placing educational centers where they are needed. Careful Attention must be given to legislation affecting extension programs. Griswold a l s o puts a s h a r e of t h e responsibility w i t h professional organizations. They must keep an open and questioning a t t i t u d e toward all problems relating t o engineering education, h e says, and insist offer definite recommendations for solving these problems.
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Frank Kremblas, Ohio State University, drops back to look f o r a receiver. H e has quarterbacked the strong Ohio State t e a m of the past: two seasons, with one trip to t h e Rose Bowl. Kremblas. a senior in chemical engineering, is a worthy addition to C&EN's 1958 Football Honor Roll (C&EN, D e c . 8 , 1958, p a g e 7 6 ) . Other candidates added to t h e 1958 roll: D o u g Cline of dlcmson College, junior in chemical engineering, played fullback on t h e Clemson team that m a d e it tough for top-rated LSU in t h e Sugar Bowl this year. Jerry Ingram, chemistry student of F u r m a n University, m a d e first-string guard as a sophomore. R i c h a r d Olson, Knox College, a chemistry major a n d lineman, co-cap trained the Knox team. S. Anthony Suravitch, junior in chemical engineering, University of D e l a w a r e , siarted a t fullback in every g a m e last season. Another Delaware m a n , H o w a r d Mover, is also a junior in chemical engineering. Robert Cairns, William Evans, William Gallagher, D a v e Nelander, a n d John Papp, aire chemistry-footballers from the College of Wooster.
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