Curriculum Integration Through The Virtual Enterprise

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

Engineering - Other (59) The environment and expectations facing graduating engineers have changed dramatically in the past decade. Graduate engineers are expected to contribute immediately in competitive environments with system engineering skills, information technology skills, and soft skills in addition to traditional engineering fundamentals. The ability of engineering education to produce graduates meeting these market demands will dictate its prominence and viability in the increasingly competitive technical education market, as well as directly impact our long term influence as a nation. This proof-of-concept project is addressing the growing and preeminent need for engineering capability in two areas: Systems Engineering and Information Technology (SE/IT). The project is focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of part of an engineering curriculum integrated through a virtual enterprise. The virtual enterprise is a full scale manufacturing supply chain, integrated using information technology, and producing actual product. Departmental laboratories are organized as business departments. The virtual enterprise is supported by the institution with required hardware funded and purchased. The project uses this virtual enterprise as a practical and consistent means of developing systems engineering, information technology, and soft skills in engineering students. The primary outcome of the proposed project will be two modules: one in manufacturing processes and one in manufacturing execution systems. Benefits to this approach include the broadening of engineering education to appeal to a larger population, including minorities that are severely underrepresented in engineering.