Department of Automotive Technology News

Department of Automotive
Technology News
Fall/Winter 2011 Edition
Pittsburg State University
Chrysler LLC Donates 2011 Jeep
Wrangler Sport Unlimited
The newest member of the PSU automotive
fleet is a 2011 Jeep 4 door Wrangler Sport
Unlimited donated by Chrysler LLC. The Jeep
was donated in May and received plenty of attention in lab classes this fall semester. Donated vehicles like this Jeep insures PSU automotive students are familiar with the latest
technology of the industry.
PSU-KC Metro Auto Tech
Richard Weathers Seminar
The KC Metro Center is a new home away from home
for the Automotive Technology Department this year.
The KC Metro Center is located in Lenexa, KS. This
last fall was the first semester for the KC BAS
(Bachelors of Applied Science) degree program. We
have had a successful start with 12 students in this
cohort group. This is an Automotive Degree that has
been traditionally offered on the Pittsburg Campus.
The 2012 Dr. Richard Weathers Seminar is scheduled for Friday, March 16th this spring. Mr. Kevin
Tucker, service training specialist for Toyota, will
present a computer communications training course.
With the increase of computer modules on modern
vehicles, this is a timely presentation that will be
complete with theory, troubleshooting strategies and
tips demonstrated on mock-ups and live vehicles.
Signup information will be coming in late January or
early February.
The program runs at a halftime status or 6 credit
hours each semester. This allows students who have
completed an automotive associate degree to be able to
transfer and complete their bachelor degree while they
are living and working full time in the Kansas City
Metro area. Classes meet on Thursday nights and
then the students complete online coursework as well.
The program is available to students that have completed their Automotive Associates Degree. For more
information, please contact Steve Polley at
spolley@pittstate.edu or 620-235-6515 or Dr. Tim Dell
at tdell@pittstate.edu or 620-235-4182.
Fall/Winter 2011
Page 2
Automotive Service Technology Program Earns Master
Reaccreditation
Automotive Technology Chairman Tim
Dell has some solid advice for students
wondering how their career will benefit
from spending a few years in college.
"I tell students who go into our program
that their opportunities are endless
when it comes to where they want to
work and live," Dell said. "This is the
one job where you can literally show up
in any town and there's a need."
Those students are continuing to look
attractive to employers thanks to the
quality of the program they're coming
from. Just a few weeks ago, the Automotive Technology Department at Pittsburg State University was notified that
its two-year automotive service technology program has once again been accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
Accreditation by the organization is
crucial, said Dell, because many automotive companies in the industry won't
support or donate to programs that do
not get the NATEF seal of approval.
Pitt State's program has received
NATEF's highest recognition - master
accreditation - for the past 26 years,
meaning it has shown excellence in all
eight categories: engine repair, automatic transmissions, manual transmissions, suspension and steering, brakes,
electrical and electronic systems, heating and air conditioning, and engine performance.
Perry Cummins, an automotive technology professor at PSU, oversees responsibility for keeping the program
accredited along with professors Trent Lindbloom and Steve Polley. Although accreditation only comes around
every five years, the work of keeping the program on top is continuous.
"I work on the accreditation process constantly," Cummins said. "It's so important. If you attend an automotive
expo, the first question they ask is if you're accredited. It means to employers that students are going through a
program that meets the national standards as opposed to an internal curriculum."
Cummins said the evaluations by NATEF are extremely detailed, making certain programs have everything from
the right tools to the correct processes in place. The organization sends teams to conduct on-site visits, examine
the facilities, evaluate students as they work in the labs, and even speak with alumni. NATEF also requires that
schools pass mid-term reviews of their programs.
"It's a rigorous process. It takes you through the ringer," Cummins said. "But over the years it has grown to become the standard, and now we're seeing shops who will only hire NATEF-certified graduates. Support from industry means everything, so there are a lot of benefits to keeping your accreditation."
Fall/Winter 2011
Page 3
PSU Automotive Faculty Travel to London for 41st World Skills
Competition
Daniel Lehmkuhl and Scott Norman at World Skills
World Skills Competition
The 41st World Skills competition was held in London,
United Kingdom October 5-8, 2011. Daniel Lehmkuhl
from San Luis Obispo, California represented the United
States in the Automotive Technology Competition. Daniel
was selected based on his outstanding performances in
the Skills USA National competition.
Daniel represented his country very well by placing 5th
overall out of 32 countries involved in the competition.
PSU faculty members Ron Downing served as the Technical Expert for the competition and Scott Norman
served as the Official Observer.
2011 Honda CRV vehicles and components
were used on the first five stations and a 2011
BMW Mini Countryman was used on the Suspension station. Ron Downing was assigned
lead judge on the BMW station working with
experts from Korea, Belgium and Portugal.
There were many individuals involved in helping us prepare for the competition, and we
would like to give special thanks to Steve Roberts and American Honda for their generous
donations of software and components, and all
the folks from BMW in Ontario, California for
their support in allowing us to attend one of
their training centers to work on the Mini
Countryman. We would also like to thank Roper
Honda in Joplin, Missouri for allowing us the
use of a new 2011 Honda CRV. Also a big
thank you goes out to Snap on Tools for providing all the tools and tool boxes that were used in
the automotive competition. By doing this it
saved each country thousands of dollars they
would have had to spend to ship their own tools.
Downing and Norman were responsible for most of the
training in preparing Daniel for this World class event.
Daniel was brought in to Pittsburg State several times
for training, and Downing also accompanied Daniel to
Ontario, California for BMW training. New faculty member Mike Elder was also called on for his expertise on
body electrical.
The four day competition consisted of six stations, with
each having a three hour time limit and 30 additional
minutes of preparation and breaks.
The tasks included;
1.Engine Repair ( bench overhaul 2.2 Lt engine )
2.Manual Transaxle ( bench overhaul 6 speed manual )
3.Brake Systems
4.Body Electrical
5.Engine Petrol Tune
Ron Downing Judging at World Skills
Winter/Fall 2011 Edition
Page 4
PSU Automotive Technology Adds Two New Faculty in 2011
Mike Elder
Mr. Michael Elder has taught automotive technology for 31
years at Pittsburg High School (PHS) in Pittsburg, Kansas. For
the past two years, he has also served as an adjunct automotive
technology professor at nearby Pittsburg State University (PSU).
Mike was Technology Department Chair at PHS for fifteen years
and has served on his school district’s Contract Negotiations
Team and Perkins Grant Committee.
In 2010, Mike was named Ashland Corporation’s national Valvoline Vo-Tech Teacher of the Year. Only one teacher in the
United States is chosen annually for this prestigious award. In
recognition of his many accomplishments and outstanding service, the USD 250 Pittsburg Community Schools honored Mike
with the Anna Fintel Outstanding Educator award in 2004.
Throughout his career, Mike has been actively involved in
competitive events, including the SkillsUSA and Ford/AAA Auto
Skills. His students have won the Automotive Technology Competition at the Kansas SkillsUSA Championships eight times in
the past thirteen years; three of those students earned medals at
the national competition.
In the Ford/AAA event, Mike has had sixteen state finalists,
with two teams qualifying for the national finals in Washington,
D.C. PHS’s automotive program was ranked the best in Kansas
and fourth nationally by the Automotive Industry Planning Council in 2004.
Mike has been involved in NATEF’s certification process, both
as an instructor and an evaluation team leader for other programs.
Mike has also been active in K-ACTE, attending the state conference regularly and serving as vice-president and president of the
KIEA affiliate. At the state level, Mike has served on KSDE peer
review committees and the Transportation Career Cluster Committee.
Mike has been married to his wife Denise Elder for 31 years.
They have four children. His future plans include pursuing an
educational specialist degree and teaching further at the collegiate
level.
Randy Jones
Mr. Randy Jones is a 1989 Pittsburg State University Automotive graduate and has an MBA from
Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. He
comes to us after working the past 22 years at two different automotive manufacturers.
Randy spent his first 18 months as a customer service representative for the Oldsmobile division of General Motors in Lansing, Michigan before being promoted to District Service Manager.
Randy switched to the sales side of the business in
1995 becoming a District Sales Manager for Oldsmobile. He was transferred to Wausau, Wisconsin as a
District Sales Manager calling on all divisions of GM.
He later moved to the Indianapolis, Indiana area
where he primarily called on Buick, Pontiac and GMC
dealers. Unfortunately for Randy he became part of
GM’s downsizing efforts in September 2009 as a result
of GM going through bankruptcy.
Randy then moved on to work as a District Sales
Manager for Mazda North American Operations out of
Baton Rouge, Louisiana before taking the job as assistant professor this fall semester.
Randy was brought on board due to his previous
work experience with GM and Mazda. He will primarily be teaching Automotive management courses. He
has been given the task to make some changes to the
current management courses. He will also be responsible for developing some new management courses one
of which will be from the variable side of the business.
Fall/Winter 2011 Edition
Page 5
Case/New Holland Donates Valuable Components
The Diesel/Heavy Equipment lab was the recipient of multiple items from Case/New Holland. CNH donated
several different types of hydraulic pumps, motors, and valves to be used in the AT 654 Advanced Hydraulics
course.
To be able to utilize these items to their best advantage, an engine stand was purchased and modified with a
fabricated mounting system that allows the hydraulic pumps and motors to be brought into the classroom.
When they are used in the lab, the students can rotate the stand to be able to work on each of the items individually in a safe and efficient manner.
In addition to those units, CNH also donated a Fiat Power Train 10.3 L combine engine. This engine will be
used in the AT 621 Advanced Diesel course and will allow the students to experience several of the unique
features of this engine. Many thanks to CNH for making our program ever better for our students.
New Equipment Mounted on Engine Stand
Fiat 10.3L Combine Engine
Phone-a-thon Coming Soon
Soon many of you will be contacted by PSU faculty and staff during
the annual phone-a-thon. We appreciate your support. We cannot make
it without you. We truly appreciate all you have done for our programs.
It certainly makes a difference!
Fall/Winter 2011
Page 6
Program Review, Assessment and Competencies
All academic programs must go through
an internal “program review.” The duration between the reviews is typically once
every five or six years. The Department of
Automotive Technology went through a review in 2009. The institution’s review committee asks programs to provide evidence
that they are teaching the appropriate content, students are learning appropriate
subject matter, proof the program is following a legitimate advisory board’s direction,
and proof that graduates are on track to
succeed upon graduation. For academic
departments, the program review process is
high stakes. Program funding and continuation is tied directly to the program’s
success or failure in this review process.
2009 Advisory Board
For decades the 4-year advisory board has been heavily involved in guiding the 4-year curriculum.
Over the years the board has recommended students excel on ASE exams, in written communication
skills, with oral communication skills, on internships, and in team work.
During the 2009 review the BST/BAS programs worked in consultation with the university director
of assessment, Dr. Bob Wilkinson, along with the BST/BAS advisory board to improve the BST/BAS
programs’ assessment model.
In consultation with Dr. Wilkinson and the BST/BAS advisory board, the 4-year programs developed
a mechanism that would enable students to demonstrate competencies they have achieved over the
course of 4 years of education through submission of a Senior Capstone Portfolio. The portfolio is comprised of 7 different competency areas: (1) management, (2) technical, (3) written, (4) professional employability, (5) safety, (6) oral communication, and (7) team work. The 4-year programs began implementing the new portfolio requirement in Spring 2010 by presenting the portfolio to students in the AT
399 Automotive Professional Development Classes. The programs continued presenting the information to AT 399 as well as AT 100 Automotive Orientation Classes in each of the following semesters.
Advisors also began explaining the portfolio requirements to their advisees during advisement appointments starting in Fall 2010 semester.
The portfolio requires students to achieve a minimum portfolio score in order to pass the AT 699
Senior Seminar Capstone Class and thus graduate the BST or BAS program. Students graduating
2012 will submit their portfolios in a paper format. Students graduating in 2013 and later will submit
their portfolios in an electronic format using a database called “LiveText.” This fall 2011 semester the
program went through a dry run and had students submit a portfolio in AT 699.
The implementation process has been taking place over the past two years. It should be noted that
the advisory board and the program review committee have been thoroughly pleased with the results.
One advisory board member made the statement, “In all my years at Pitt State I have never been more
excited about the Automotive Technology program than now.” The university’s program review committee was equally excited and stated, “This department should be applauded for the work it has done
to assess student’s knowledge and readiness for entering the workforce. It is also hoped that the department serve as an assessment mentor for the other programs within the College.” In addition the
advisory board members have stated that they plan to begin requiring students to publish their overall
portfolio scores as another measure of comparing potential job candidates.
Fall/Winter 2011
Page 7
Collision Repair and Insurance Management Students Tour State Farm
State Farm Insurance recently hosted 22 Collision Repair and Insurance Management (CRIM)
students, along with Assistant Professor John Thompson and David Hogard with Career Services, at their Tulsa claims office complex. Dorothy Wampler, a recruiter for State Farm, who
has worked with PSU for placement of both interns and full time employment, coordinated the
event which started with a tour of the Tulsa Claims Center where they met with several Claims
Managers including an Auto Claims Central Manager, Total Loss Unit Manager, and Injury Assessment Unit Manager, as well as other staff. The students were given an opportunity to visit
with several executives where they had time to ask questions and get a feel for a career with
State Farm. The students were also joined by two Automotive Technology alumni working for
State Farm in the Tulsa area. The group then toured Bill Knight Ford, a multi-million dollar
Collision Repair Shop and member of the State Farm preferred repair shop program, where they
learned about careers in the collision repair industry, viewed some collision repair, and watched
as a refinish technician completed a clear coat paint repair and demonstrated buff/polish techniques. “I really enjoyed the visit; not only the tour of the State Farm Claims Center, but the collision shop as well,” stated Andrew Pike, current CRIM student. PSU enjoys a great relationship
with State Farm and looks forward to future visits and interactions.
Department of Automotive Technology
Pittsburg State University
1701 S. Broadway
Pittsburg, KS 66762-7566
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http://www.pittstate.edu/autotech
Contacts
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Departmen
2012 PSU Automotive & Diesel Calendar
Dr. Tim Dell, Chairman
620 235-4182
tdell@pittstate.edu
Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Kindra O’Connor
620 235-4973
koconnor@pittstate.edu
Automotive/Diesel Technology (4 Year)
Dr. Roger Adams, Professor
620 235-4386 radams@pittstate.edu
Dr. Robert Frisbee, Professor
620 235-4380 rlfrisbe@pittstate.edu
(Automotive Coordinator)
Mr. Ron Downing, Assoc. Prof
620 235-4825 rdowning@pittstate.edu
Mr. Ken Gordon, Professor 620 235-4378 kgordon@pittstate.edu
Mr. Bob Schroer, Asst. Prof
620 235-6126 rschroer@pittstate.edu
(Diesel Coordinator)
Mr. John Thompson, Asst Prof 620 235-6516 jthompso@pittstate.edu
Mr. Steve Polley, Instructor 620 235-6515 spolley@pittstate.edu
Mr. Scott Norman, Asst. Prof
620 235-4826 rnorman@pittstate.edu
Mr. Randy Jones, Asst. Prof 620-235-4197 crjones@pittstate.edu
Mr. Mike Elder, Instructor 620-235-4557 melder@pittstate.edu
Automotive Service (2 Year)
Mr. Perry Cummins, Professor 620 235-4827 pcummins@pittsate.edu
(Program Coordinator)
Mr. Trent Lindbloom, Asst. Prof 620 235-4198 tjlindbl@pittstate.edu
Fax: 620 235-6190
May 2011
January 2012
16
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
17
Classes Begin
February 2012
16
Spring Career Day
17
KTC Open House
March 2012
1
Apple Day
7-11
KC Auto Show
8-11
KC VISION Conference
16
Richard Weathers Seminar
19-23 Spring Break
28
Advisory Board 2.5 hour meeting
29
AOD
29
Ethics Seminar
April 2012
7
Junior Jungle Day
9-13
Early Enrollment
12
COT Awards Banquet
16-17 Transfer Student Enrollment
19-22 Baja Auburn, AL
25-27 Skills USA State of Kansas Contest
May 2012
11-12 Commencement
16-19 Baja Oregon