Cooperative Education As A Prime Mover And Key Constant In Industry ? University Relationships

The Cooperative Education Experience underpins the educational development of the student, provides an opportunity for the student to become familiar with industry and industry practice, allows industry to become familiar with students and creates a comfortable vehicle for interaction between faculty and industry colleagues. It is the critical crucible where strong individual first-impressions are formed, and more importantly an integrator over time which is the foundation of the association between the industry and the university and the basis for their rapport. When correctly developed and administered by industry and university stakeholders, the coop can be not only the beginning of a longer term relationship between student and industry, but the harbinger of a strong and deep relationship between the company and the university. This paper discusses the development of one such successful relationship and the maturation of a relationship initiated in the cooperative education experience which blossomed into project work at the university, participation on advisory boards, sponsored laboratories, distance learning activities, help retaining faculty and the development of a consortium to support student projects and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) learning outcomes.