Departmental Survival through Collaborative Industrial Partnership

In this paper/discussion the author\u27s identify how the Industrial and Engineering technology curriculum and program strengthened at Morehead State University. The author\u27s initially review a brief history of the Industrial and Engineering Technology program and how the department survived from closing down to become one of the most successful departments at the university. The author\u27s also describe how the objectives were set and how department worked with the local industrial partners and advisors to set up and help with the curriculum to meet the industrial demands. The objectives were set based on the local educational and industrial demands for the employment, research and educational collaboration with in the university service region, and the Commonwealth. The paper would then conclude that successful industry-education collaboration is characterized by feelings of mutual ownership and commitment among the faculty, students, department advisors, and the local industries. The evidence of the accomplishments between the department and the industry will be discussed using a model of the relationship and analysis of cooperative education and employee evaluation of the students