W. Henry Tucker Tri-State College Angolo, Indiana 46703
Industrial-Academic Cooperation in the Seventies
A symposium, "Industrial-Academic Cooperation in the Seventies,"' hrought out a number of interesting ideas about developing relevance between the university and the employers of chemists and chemical engineers. This summary paper is an attempt to glean a number of significant ideas presented there from the papers that are not to he published. This is a decade in which this interface between education and utilization must he pierced by many novel relationships. Visiting Committees Universities would find it timely to consider the use of visiting committees for the purpose of redirecting their efforts to become more relevant to society's needs. M.I.T. has certainly done this. A significant paper ( I ) by Vincent A. Fulmer, Vice President and Secretary of M.I.T., discussed M.I.T.'s experience over 40 gears with visiting committees as a means for the members of the Corporation (Board of Trustees) to remain responsible in their direction of the Institute's many programs. The 28 committees include not onlv the technical denartmeots but administrative ones, as well. In a more specifically focused paper (Z), Drs. R. N. Maddox and J. B. West discussed the visiting committee as operated within the Department of Chemical Engineering at Oklahoma State University. One secret of its success is "the selection of five chemical engineers holding resoonsible industrial oositions involving suoervision of ch&cal engineering work." The academic hepartment can choose members from the types of organizations that .. normally employ their graduates. Unlike the M.I.T. structure, which gives the Board an auditing function over the departments, a departmental visiting committee is set up to give the departmental faculty direction as to more detailed matters in the cirriculum, etc. This committee is also more likely to fail in its objectives than one such as M.I.T. that is essentially requiring a Department Chairman to report the activities of his department to a top-level committee (chaired by a Member of the Board). A departmental committee (of mid-management professionals) must be given assignments not only of a specific nature hut also in the area of their competence to keep the meetings from being just talk fests. The Oklahoma State committee involved students as well as facultv and was an imoortant element in the transition from a-four-year to a f i ~ e - ~ e Professional ar Degree program. Hercules Young Visiting Professors Program Dr. D. J. Torrans. of Hercules 13). descrihed a Dromam designed to break the vicious cycle of a young P ~ teachD er with no oooortunitv for industrial experience teaching future engine& and-teachers in this Bame mold. ~ h & teacher is placed in a consulting relationship with an operating plant. His computer thesis experience (e.g.) is pitted against plant situations in which large quantities of 'ACS, Boston, Massachusetts,April 12,1972. 250
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poor-precision data must he handled with meaning. The presence of this teacher (e.g., six two-day visits per year for a maximum of two years) has a beneficial effect on the staff a t the plant as well. The process engineering head generally provides the needed liaison effort. Finding a plant with a minimum emphasis on secrecy is usually the key problem. Dr. J. Ray Bowen of the University of Wisconsin (4) described his experience at the Hercules Plant a t Louisianna, Missouri, as an example of academic acceptance of the program. As a regular employee, he is an active participant in staff meetings and in relationShips with other employees. In his extra time he can he exposed to job functions from construction through production. Back on campus, this teacher becomes a vital link between the company and the educational job. Another consulting arrangement for engineering teachers was descrihed by Dr. J. B. West (5). A "week-amonth" program is in effect at the School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University.' DuPont's Mature Engineering Teacher Program Dr. J. W. Fieynard of the duPont Company gave a general summary (6) of the many ways in which his company is involved in "interfacing opportunities." Their extensive summer employment program for students, for example, is heing supplemented by an industrial research experience for those senior students who show promise in hecoming future teachers and who thus should have industrial research experience. Dr. Reynard descrihed the dozen years of experience with the "year-in-industry" program. While some young engineering teachers are now being included in the program, this experience with the company's Engineering Department has essentially involved upper level professors and engineering administrators. (duPont cooperates with the ASEE President-Fellow Program for young teachers.) The one-year assignment involves a fulfillment of the teacher's specific objectives. Short range problems are his responsihlity to solve. He also reported on "The Industry-University Partnerships in Engineering Design Education," with duPont cooperating at the University of Delaware, V.P.I., and the University of Louisville. A paper devoted entirely to this topic by Professor L. E. Lahti of the University of Toledo is published separately (7). Research Studentship Dr. Rodney T. W. Hall, Esso Research Center, England, prepared an interesting paper (8) showing the spectrum of industrial-academic activities in force in the United Kingdom. Esso England's unique effort in its funding of PhD research could provide an important mechanism for redirecting university research efforts in the U.S. In their "research studentship" program with the universities, some 50 PhD-bound students (mostly chemistry and chemical engineering) are spending a minimum of 10% of their three-year research program a t Esso's facilities. An "Industrial Research Companion" (a company scientist) is assigned to each student. Along with the major professor,
one then has an effective team for exploring technological areas that would be of mutual interest to all parties. The contact with the company provides the university with important background information to enrich the specialized research. While the company views this program as educationally oriented with no demands for short-range technical results, they still find that major professors.do become consultants and cooperation in some technical fields continues beyond the "research studentship." The Governmental-University Interface Governmental cooperation with the universities was well exemplified by Drs. Elliot S. Pierce and John C. Cera of the Atomic Energy Commission in their paper (9). Facu!ty and student programs were considered. While time limited the discussion to example programs a t Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington, a summary was given of the 1) Six principle contractors far AEC Laboratory Cooperative Program 2) Fiveuniversity branch facilities at AEC sites 3) Twelve major AEC laboratories at university sites
Another paper (10) described a design problem operated jointly by NASA, Cornell University, and R.P.I. Graduate Program in Professional Practice in Chemical Engineering Professor F. Derbenwick, Manhattan College, gave a progress report (11) on the operation of a master's degree program with a design emphasis. A key feature of the program is the high degree of cooperation among several companies in getting the program thought through and launched and providing summer experiences for the students. The Practice School Tulane University and M.I.T. are the repositories for experience with the Practice School, undergraduate and graduate chemical engineering, respectively. For these academic programs to he operated in industry over the years, a sense of mission has seemed to be required. Other universities have seemed not to want the financial strain of such a program. Furthermore, faculty who will devote themselves professionally to this broader activity are harder to find. Professor Dale U. vonRosenherg reported on the Tulane University program (12). Professor Samuel M. Fleminn described the M.I.T. program (13). Most significant was his experience in 1ndia at the Birla Institute of Technology in the planning of a Practice School there. While conditions in the U.S. seem not to be conducive to starting new programs, educational leaden in other countries would he advised to consider this educational technique to bring together the industrial
component in intimate cooperation witb academic personnel. No other program has had the success in making the B.S. or M.S. engineer as immediately useful on the job. Other professional areas in addition to engineering are to be explored in the Indian experiment. Cooperative Education Cooperative education, long an important educational scheme in engineering, has recently branched out into other areas. Dr. Karl Weiss (14) described his program at Northeastern in chemistry. While the undergraduate program is described, the plans for PhD co-op programs are of current interest. Professor James W. Wilson (15), witb the unique title of Research Professor of Cooperative Education, looks at cooperative education from an overall standpoint. Conclusion Industrial-academic relationshios can he as numerous as are the pairs of individuals ready to communicate reeardine their mutual interests in the educational Drocess. The e i d of the seventies will not tolerate ivory tower education for relevance between classroom and the productive enterprises is in order. Some creative approaches have been discussed. Literature Cited (1) Fulmer, Vincent A,. "Forty Years af Visiting Committee Experience at M.I.T." lMsssschusettsInstitute ofTplhnology: Cambridge. Mas~aehuseftsU2139). (21 Meddox. R. N., and W e t . J. B.."The Yhiting Committee and the Undewsdvsto Curriculum" (Sehml of Chemical Engineering: Oklahoma State University; Srillruater. oklshoma 71074). 131 Torranr. D. J.. "Youne Visitine Pmfersors Pmmsm" " .IReaearch Centor: Hercules. 98991. tssorn Prozrem" (De~arlmentof Chemical and west. J. Chrmir.1 Technology (LO be puhliahedj. Reynard, J . W., "Industrial-Academic Cooseration in the 70's" (Pcraonnel Divi&m: E. I. duPont de Nemours & CompanG Wilmington, Delsrvare 198881. Lahti. k l i e E.. "Experience of the American Oil-University of Toiodo Design Psnnershio." Chrmieol Technoloev lto he oublishedl. - ~ & ~ t rinythe U. K, ~ i t hswial H ~ IR, O ~ ~ & T .w., . - ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ i t ~cwpcrs& Referenee foPetroleum Rpaearch IEsso Pefmleum Comoanv. Ltd.:Esso Research Cantre: Abingdon. Berk8hirel. Pierce, Elliot S. and Cera, John C.. "AEC Fseilitips, Universitie and Colleges: Sfmng and Nowi Experience" (Division of Nuclear Education and Training: Atomic Energy Commission: Washingon. D. C. 205151. Moore. J. W., Wehs. R. L.. and Yerarunis, S.. "Unmsnnsd ErplurationolMars: A NASA-University Experiment in Engineering Education." Chernicol Te~hnolagy. P. 675, November 1972. Dorhenwick, F., "An Academidndustrisl Venture in Graduate Chemical Engineering at Manhattan College" (Depanment of Chemical Engineering: ManhatfanCollege; Manhattan Collog~Pa~kuay:Bronr. New York 104711. WnRosenberg, Dale U.. "The Chemicsl Engineering &actice oivlsion af Tulan. University" (Department 01 Chemical Engineering: Tulane University; New 01leans. LouisianaiOll81. Fleming. Samuel M., "The Practice Schml-A Review of Current Operations at M.I.T. and s Stan-Up in India" (Department of Chemical Engineering: Messachusetb Institute of Technology: Building 12: Cambridge, Masaehusetts 02139). Weirs, Karl, "Tho Work-Study Approach to Chemical Education at the Undergraduate and Graduate Lev&" JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION (to be published). wi1aon. J a m n W. -Rdouance and Cooperative Education for tho Chemistry St". dent"1Nonheastern University; Baaton, Massachwetfs02L151.
Volume 50, Number 4 . April 1973
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