Purdue News
Purdue News
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November 17, 2000 Workers go to college – at workWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In the old days, you went to college or you went to work. Today, about 100 Lafayette-area residents are going to college in classrooms located at Subaru-Isuzu Automotive and Fairfield Manufacturing in Lafayette, across the river from the Purdue campus. The Lafayette plants are among 11 off-campus locations in the Purdue School of Technology Statewide System that offer courses leading to bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificates for working adults. "Formerly, we offered adult classes on campus, but we weren't meeting the needs of employers and employees in Lafayette," says Cynthia L. Tomovic, professor and acting head of the organizational leadership and supervision department. "We haven't completely pulled the plug on the on-campus classes. We've just moved the location of most of the classes." Purdue employees who started taking night classes on campus now attend at the plant locations. Regular Purdue students also may choose the off-location classes to accommodate their schedules. The off-campus offerings include basic college courses, such as math and English, as well as classes in industrial organization, applied leadership, conflict management and computer technology. "We schedule our classes around the factory shifts," says Michele L. Summers, Lafayette location director and an assistant professor of organizational leadership and supervision. "Our students can earn certificates and associate degrees in organizational leadership and in industrial technology. "For people working full time, it generally takes two years of part-time classes to earn certificates and four years to earn associate degrees. The majority of our students go on to the associate degree." The first Lafayette associate degree recipients at the SIA location will graduate in December. Those wishing to earn their bachelor's degree can continue their education at the School of Technology on the West Lafayette campus. Some of the other statewide locations offer bachelor's degrees. "People who take our classes are employees who want to move up in their organizations," Summers says. "One fellow who was passed over for a team leader position asked management what he needed to do to get a promotion. The answer was: 'Start taking classes.'" Todd Priest, a safety and environmental compliance representative at Subaru-Isuzu, has been taking classes for four years and will receive his associate degree in organizational leadership and supervision in May 2001. "For an adult learner, the classes are great because you can visualize and apply what you're learning right away at work," Priest says. "The availability is a big thing, too. I get off work at 5 p.m. and go straight to class one night a week right at the plant." Priest says his education will pay dividends. "It opens up supervisory opportunities in both manufacturing and human resources that weren't realistically available to me before." Purdue professors and adjunct professors teach all of the classes. "We use the same criteria for hiring faculty for our off-location classes that we do here at Purdue," Tomovic says. Summers says that companies are willing to provide the space for classes because it is convenient for their employees, and the employer ends up with a better-educated work force. "When Purdue started offering classes at the plant three years ago, we saw it as an opportunity for our associates to receive world-class education at times and at a place that were convenient," says Tom Easterday, SIA vice president of human resources and corporate affairs and general counsel. "Our associates know the manufacturing process very well," Easterday says. "Purdue's organizational leadership department classes provide our associates with the opportunity to learn supervision skills and techniques and then to apply them on a daily basis in their jobs." Tuition is about $300 per class. Most employees, including those at SIA, receive tuition reimbursement from their companies. Frankfort, through the Lafayette location, recently began offering a class in computer technology. There are plans to expand the number of course offerings there. In addition to Lafayette, Purdue statewide technology locations offer classes in Anderson, Columbus, Elkhart, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Muncie, New Albany, Richmond, South Bend, and Southeastern (Versailles). Purdue began offering statewide delivery of technology classes in 1983 to provide Indiana with the trained technologists needed for state economic growth and to provide a means for employees to update and add to their skills. There were 1,768 students at off-campus locations during the fall 2000 semester. Spring semester classes start Jan. 8 and end May 5. Each class meets for one three-hour session per week. Registration is in progress and will continue until classes begin. Books are for sale at the class locations. For information, contact Summers at 5500 State Road 38 East, AD 2900, P.O. Box 5689, Lafayette, IN 47903. Phone: (765) 496-6886. E-mail: mlsummers@tech.purdue.edu. The Purdue University Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision has 608 undergraduate majors at West Lafayette and 501 additional students attending at statewide locations. Students are preparing for employment in business, industry and service agencies. The School of Technology's master's degree program has about 150 students, of whom 19 have declared an emphasis in organizational leadership and supervision. Sources: Cynthia L. Tomovic, (765) 494-9105, cltomovic@tech.purdue.edu Michele L. Summers, (765) 496-6886, mlsummers@tech.purdue.edu Writer: J. Michael Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu Other sources: Todd Priest, (765) 449-6282, todd.priest@subaru-isuzu.com Tom Easterday, (765) 449-6288, tom.easterday@subaru-isuzu.com Amanda Moore, (765) 449-6292, amanda.moore@subaru-isuzu.com
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