| The purpose of the research was to identify the varying relationships between the manufacturing engineering technology program at Houston Community College and the local manufacturing industry over a 10-year period (September 1988--August 1998) and to identify the effects of these relationships on the program's viability. These relationships were characterized by the existence of an industrial advisory board, the size and representation of its memberships, and the frequency of its meetings. Data were gathered from three different groups: (a) 38 members participating in a national manufacturing conference, (b) 12 local industrial representatives, and (c) 20 members of the industrial advisory board. Data were also collected through existing documents: 14 sets of advisory board meeting minutes and institutional records over the same 10-year period.;Findings indicated that, in this instance, affiliations with local manufacturing industries help to improve the program in the following ways: (a) increasing student enrollments, (b) identifying needs and expectations of the local manufacturing industry, (c) supporting training programs, (d) providing job placement, (e) directing curriculum development, (f) providing professional development to faculty members, (g) keeping the administrators abreast of new technology, and (h) supporting cooperative programs. |
