Old School Ties

This article focuses on when practicing engineers return to the university, theory gets a reality check. The idea of schools and businesses working together to approach problem solving is well over 100 years old and has roots in the industrial revolution and the reconstruction of the South following the devastation of the Civil War. Partnership with industry illustrates the importance to future engineers of learning to cross pollinate their experience because the days of clear separation in engineering-mechanical from electrical, for example-are gone. Systems demand diverse technology. Automobile emissions control, for example, requires a working knowledge of chemistry, and mechanical engineers need to cooperate with professionals from other disciplines on a regular basis. Business partnerships with education try to ensure that this commingling of theory and practical values is part of basic preparation rather than a skill that must be learned in the workplace. Business also contributes to advanced curriculum, helping to continuously develop and improve the experience at school by giving students technically meaningful projects that industry actually needs.