Support Services

Support Activities

The two colleges, business and engineering, have enjoyed a long history of significant industry involvement and participation in their academic programs. The MMM degree program has built upon these relationships. For example, the business school inaugurated an Advanced Manufacturing Forum in 1983 so that managers could share experiences and ideas about implementing advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and advanced manufacturing practices (AMP). The forum is held at Penn State's University Park Campus two times each year and is attended by representatives from U.S.-based companies. Over 600 managers from over 100 companies have attended these meetings, with a large percentage of managers or company representatives returning to subsequent meetings. (http://www.smeal.psu.edu/cmtoc/forums.html)

A similar tradition exists in the college of engineering. Over the past five years, for example, nearly 100 different industrial, manufacturing-related projects have been funded in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering alone. These subject areas of research included: CAD/CAM, productivity/methods, group technology, ergonomics, production systems, quality, and materials processing. In addition to cooperation and support within the University, a coalition of universities has been formed to provide visibility, leadership, and support for joint, integrated business/engineering programs such as the MMM degree program. The National Coalition for Manufacturing Leadership (NCML) was organized by eleven university/industry partners in 1994. The coalition includes McGill, MIT, Michigan, Cal Poly, and Penn State to name a few. At the urging of industry and with aid and guidance from a variety of manufacturing companies, these universities have initiated unique graduate programs focused on manufacturing and integrating business and engineering. While entrance requirements and program length differs for all of these programs, some of these programs offer more than a menu of courses from business and engineering, they offer new courses, which have been developed and taught jointly by faculty members from both disciplines. All of the programs are partnerships between universities and their industrial sponsors/advisers.

Support Facilities

Manufacturing Laboratories

One of the distinctive features of Penn State's College of Engineering is its commitment to hands-on manufacturing instruction and laboratories. The commitment and reliance on laboratory activities as a key component in the overall learning process is typified by the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department's facilities. In that department, over 20,000 square feet of high bay laboratory space in the Factory for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) in the new Leonhard Building is dedicated to the following activities: C IM, Work Measurement, Artificial Intelligence Processes, Powdering Metals, CAD, Casting, Microcomputer Operation, Modeling, Electronic Assembly, Precision Measurement, Statistical Quality Control/ Measurement, Machining Research, Joining, and Machining . Such facilities are rare among U.S. engineering colleges. Access to these resources is one of the strengths of the program, and each student has the opportunity for first-hand experience in manufacturing processing.

The Learning Factory

The Learning Factory provides both a design studio and a manufacturing shop. The design studio includes ten Pentium computer workstations plus supporting instrumentation such as plotters and printers. The workstations are loaded with a variety of software including: CAD, ProEngineer, MasterCam, Microsoft Office Pro, and Microsoft Project. The manufacturing shop includes machine tools (CNC, mills, lathes, etc.), rapid prototyping machines, welders, and break presses.

Center for Academic Computing and Computer Laboratories

The Center for Academic Computing (CAC) maintains several servers for handling services such as electronic mail, the phone directory system, dial-in access, and information services. In addition to a World Wide Web server, the CAC maintains a Gopher server and an FTP server from which faculty, staff, and students can obtain software and information. Students who own personal computers with a modem may access the University's computers, the Internet, and World Wide Web from home.

Although many different word processing, graphics, and spreadsheet packages are in use, the most popular in the program is Microsoft Office. The students use computers in many of their core courses. Programming, computer exercises, simulations, and application packages are integrated into the curriculum to provide hands-on experience. In addition, students learn computer graphic skills to support their oral and written presentations.

Computer Labs and Scanning Resources

Computer labs http://clc.its.psu.edu/Labs/ equipped with microcomputers and workstations are provided for general student use, teaching, research, and instruction. A comprehensive suite of software is provided for a wide variety of tasks. Labs are connected to the local Penn State network and the Internet. Scanners are also available for text and graphics scanning. Personal computer laboratories are available in many locations across campus.

Microcomputer Order Center

The Microcomputer Order Center (MOC) provides academic discounts on computer systems, peripherals, and hundreds of software packages from vendors such as Apple, IBM, and Microsoft.

University Libraries

The Pattee Library , which houses the business administration collection, offers superb facilities for study and research. A recognized leader in library automation, Penn State has replaced its traditional card catalog with an internally developed computerized Library Information Access System (LIAS). New searching features of LIAS have been developed that facilitate and enhance the identification of materials in the libraries' collections. Students can access LIAS from terminals on or off campus via direct-dial service. Computerized access to journal article citations is available through numerous CD-ROM workstations located throughout the Libraries. Other services offered to library users include computerized literature searches in a variety of databases such as the Dow Jones News Retrieval Service and a resource-sharing network through Interlibrary Loan that allows students to obtain information not in the University's collections. Additional library services include assigned study carrels, photo duplication services and equipment, and assistance for disabled users.

The Engineering Library offers a comprehensive collection of journals and other reference materials covering engineering, manufacturing, and operations research. The libraries in the College of Engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Agricultural Sciences, and the Eberly College of Science are also open to MMM degree students.

Research, Instruction, Information and Technology (RIIT) Group

In designing media support for presentations in the MMM degree program's communications course and other core courses, the RIIT group is a very useful resource. The RIIT group produces color overhead transparencies, color paper prints, 2 x 2 Ektachrome and PolaChrome slides, framed certificates, name tags, and name tents. The College of Engineering's copy center offers many services complimentary and supplementary to the RIIT group. (The fees charged by both units are comparable. Most of these fees are covered by a surcharge paid at the beginning of each semester by students.) Also, design software and graphics are available at the College of Engineering's Learning Center.