I have been retired from higher ed for 11 months but still am on some
related e-mail lists. Some faculty are wrestling with an accreditation
requirement for engineering and engineering technology programs that
states; (Any major college or university with engineering and/or
engineering technology degree programs will have to meet this requirement
for accreditation purposes)
"An engineering technology program must demonstrate that graduates have a
respect for diversity and a knowledge of contemporary professional,
societal and global issues."
Accreditation reviewers will not necessarily be looking for a course, but
just for evidence that these topic areas are covered, and then that
programs assess the students to ensure they have the respect and knowledge
of these topics. It is not enough to show that "you taught it" - now you
have to show that the students 'got it".
One faculty member offered this interesting observation:
"One of our grads visited last week and reported that his company
is in phase 2 of 3 in final outsourcing the manufacturing and
engineering of the product they produce to China. On a visit to
China, the new plant was progressing nicely and all was well.
Then they saw that the parts their company was making were also
already being produced by a small machine shop across the
street. I KNOW that part is ours!!! They asked to visit the shop area
and found prints they designed and full copies signed by the US
engineers in the party. Apparently patent, copyright and
intellectual property ownership is as meaningless on the pacific rim
as the rights of music or video rights are on bootleg CD's or DVD's.
So this is how they make "it" so much cheaper than we do??? "
So listers, when one of your purchases comes from China, how can you be
sure it was made in the US branch factory in China or was it made across
the alley in the local Chinese machine shop??? This is not to pick on
China. I am sure this goes on in a lot of places.
Tim
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