Utilizing an Existing College Manufacturing Facility in the Creation of a New Engineering Technology Degree Program

Engineering technologists can help bridge a gap between engineers and technicians/operators in industry. To prepare for careers, engineering technologists benefit from having extensive hands-on experience with common industry standard manufacturing equipment. Recently, a mid-Atlantic R1 institution developed an engineering technology program within the college of engineering to utilize existing related student support services (ex: advising, tutoring, and career exploration) and to provide an opportunity for engineering students and engineering technology students to collaborate outside the classroom. For students to have significant hands-on experience, this new degree program will utilize an existing manufacturing facility housed within the college. This facility combines a manufacturing service center with a student focused maker space. The facility's service center is staffed with full-time manufacturing and fabrication professionals dedicated to producing the designs of students, faculty, and staff from across the institution at cost. The existing maker space provides all students in the institution with access to training and use of equipment available for course, research, and private projects. All equipment, maintenance, and training expenses for the maker space are paid by the college. Additionally, both service center and maker space staff provide design consultation to students and researchers throughout the institution. The facility is currently used to enhance a number of existing courses, clubs, and outreach events within the college. This paper presents how the existing maker space is integrated into the new engineering technology program curriculum; specifically, how engineering technology classes engage students in using common industry standard manufacturing equipment provided by the maker space and what maker space changes were driven by the engineering technology curriculum.