Reflections on a Century of Co-op

ASEE Conference for Industry & Education Collaboration January 25, 2006San Antonio, Tx

Bryan Dansberry, Assistant ProfessorSteve Gilby, Assistant ProfessorDivision of Professional PracticeUniversity of Cincinnati

University of CincinnatiP.O. Box 210115Cincinnati, OH 45221-0115E-mail: bryan.dansberry@uc.edu or stephen.gilby@uc.edu

Todays Historical Topics1906 –1919

The Birth of Co-op

1920’sBreaking Down Barriers

1930’s & 40’sAdapting to Circumstances

1950’s & 60’sProving the Concept

1970’s & 80’sThe Uncle Sam (Savilla) Era

1990’s & 00’sContraction with Expansion

What you’ll see in the next hour:A mix of facts and perspectives

• A Basic History Lesson– Timeline

– Facts

– Anecdotes

• Student Perspectives of Co-op:– Flash Movies

– “Cool Co-op” entries

– Quotes

• Employer Perspectives:– Value Analysis

– Our Analysis

Plugging steam (and money) leaks

UC’s Andy Eding led a refinery-wide steam-leak audit and repair project. Subsequent audits documented improvements in two areas of the refinery.

Estimated savings: $1,200,000 per year

Background

•Co-op Student

•Co-op Supervisors

•Co-op Faculty (2002 - ????)

Transonic Dynamics Tunnel NASA-Langley

Herman Schneider

• 1872 – Born in Pennsylvania

• German & Dutch Descent

• “combination of English Quaker and German Scientist.”

• 1894 – Graduated Lehigh in Engineering /Architecture

• Held positions in an architectural office in Maryland and building railroad bridges in Oregon

• 1899 – Civil Engineering Instructor at Lehigh

• 1903 – Accepted Chair of Civil Engineering at Cincinnati

Origins of the Cooperative Idea

• “Major changes in higher education require both innovative ideas and strong dedicated leadership.”

• Idea originated in his investigation of actual working conditions of engineering practice.

• State of the art in education: Classroom teaching + practice shops

• Bethlehem Steel – Bessemer steelmaking furnace

• Replace school shops with industrial companies

• “Education in a democracy should be based on brains and backbone not social & financial status”

Rejection and Acceptance

Lehigh

• Lehigh Faculty reject the plan– Cooperation between college and

industry “impractical”

• Practicing Engineers love the plan– Theoretical training meant little

after graduation

Cincinnati • 1902 - First paper (syllabus) of

Cooperative Plan

• 1904 – First presented to UC President Dabney

• 1905 – 5 to 4 vote of board authorizes 1 year trial program President Charles Dabney

The Experiment

First Plan

• Six year program

• Work Summers

• Weekly alternation of school and work

• Saturday morning meetings with Dean Schneider

• Enlisted Thomas Manley to help recruit companies

• 12 agreed to participate for 9 months

– Machine tool, foundries, and valve manufacturers

From the original class of 27, co-op's popularity grew. Even though the University of Cincinnati did not advertise it's co-op program, 400 students applied for 70 positions in the second year of cooperative education. In 1908 there were over 2,000 applicants

“Rah Rah” Boys

First Students

• 28 men selected for the program

– Purely for financial reasons

• After working that summer only a few remained

• Schneider recruited more

• 12 ME, 12 EE, and 3 ChE students

• “shop-mates”

George Binns

“Boilermaker” Boys

• Co-ops were the center of attention in the first year

• “..a new type of student, more serious and alert due to the influence of responsibility at work”

Co-op football team

The Cincinnati Plan

• In year two the cooperative program had 400 applicants

- higher qualifications

• Co-op spread to Civil, Chemical, and Metallurgical Engineering

• Program reduced to 5-years by alternating school/work every 2-weeks year-round

- due to out-of-town positions

• Flexibility to change majors and type of company added

• Program became the popular choice rapidly.

Engineering Enrollment at UC

Year Reg. Co-op

1906-07 107 27

1909-10 65 138

1915-16 36 441

1920-21 0 950

Movie Break

• Greg Koch• Debbie Filabrandt

The Cincinnati Plan

Post-War Innovation

• 1920 - Cooperative Course in Commerce added

• 1920 - Women admitted to co-op in Commerce and Chemical Engineering

• 1922 - Architecture program

• 1929 - Aeronautical Engineering

From left in back are Ruby Schoen, Charlotte Atherton, Ruth McFarlan and Margaret Maynard. Seated in

front, from left, Kathryn Gillis, Helen Norris and Myrtle Hay.

The Co-ep Story

• In 1920, no schools admitted women into preparatory programs for engineering. Herman Schneider and UC changed all that thanks to a young Cincinnatian named Ruth McFarlan and her aunt, Anna McFarlan. You see, the aunt was acquainted with Schneider’s secretary and asked the secretary, Anna Teasdale, to approach Dean Schneider on behalf of young Ruth who wanted to study engineering. In Fall Quarter 1920, seven young women – “co-eps” and even “co-eppettes” as they were called – entered the co-op program as either chemical engineering or commercial engineering (business) students.

• According to Mary Blood who entered the program in 1921, she and her fellow "co-eps" packed Crisco during early mornings at a Procter & Gamble factory. They also hauled lumber and became handy with crowbars too.

The Spread of Co-op

First Wave

• 1909 – Polytechnic School of the YMCA Evening Institute

(Northeastern University)

• 1910 – University of Pittsburgh

• 1911 – University of Detroit

• 1912 – Georgia Institute of Technology

• 1912 – Rochester Institute of Technology

• 1914 - University of Akron

The Spread of Co-op

Second Wave

• 1917 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• 1919 – Drexel University

• 1919 – University of Evansville

• 1919 – Marquette University

• 1921 – Antioch College

• 1923 – Cleveland State University

• 1924 – General Motors Institute

(Kettering University)

The Roaring ’20’s

• Number of Co-op programs tripled– 10 to 36

• Co-op expanded into Business– UC (1920) & Northeastern (1927)

• Evansville added co-op program in Teachers College (1926)

• Loma Linda College had co-op for medical students

Union Terminal Cincinnati, OH

The Roaring ’20’s

• Number of Co-op programs tripled– 10 to 36

• Co-op expanded into Business– UC (1920) & Northeastern (1927)

• Evansville added co-op program in Teachers College (1926)

• Loma Linda College had co-op for medical students

The Roaring ’20’s

• Riverside Junior College– Pioneer in 2-yr co-op programs– Pioneer in expanding outside of engineering:– architecture, business, nursing, library work, and police science

• Antioch College– First purely liberal arts institution– “Cincinati Plan” became the “Antioch Plan”– Philosophy differed: “character building vs skill building”– Might call it “Service Learning” today

Co-op was so closely associated with its founding school and city that the 1934 edition of Webster’s Dictionary defined co-op as the

Cincinnati Plan.

Surviving Hard Times (The ’30’s)

• Co-op placement plummets (95% to 45%)

• Guidelines and Programs created to handle unplaced students

– Research assistants

– Report Writing (Travel Quarters)

– Make-work jobs on campus

“Often advisors would load their car with students………”

Surviving Hard Times (The ‘30’s)

• Still, co-op unemployment remained lower than the general population

• Co-op did expand thru the decade

– 36 to 49 schools

– 9,550 to 11,559 students

• By 1940 things were looking up

War & Peace (The ‘40’s)

• Many co-op programs were suspended

• Faced with empty campuses women were presented opportunities never before available

Movie Break: Part Deux

• Vanessa Roland• Matt Oscar

The Post-war Boom (’46 – ’56)

• G.I. Bill drives a boom in enrollment

• Co-op programs return to their pre-war high’s

– 50 programs by the 50th anniversary

Year Colleges Students

1910 3 90

1920 10 -

1930 36 9,550

1940 39 11,559

Growth in Co-op

Cooperative Education & the Impending Educational Crisis

• Charles Kettering

• Edison Foundation

• 1957 – Dayton Conference– Co-op offers an economical way to accommodate increasing enrollment and

should be expanded in all areas– Documented evidence of co-op’s value lacking

Co-op’s Silver Anniversary

• Second 50 years of co-op characterized by rapid growth

• The source of this growth?– Federal dollars

Year Colleges Students

1910 3 90

1920 10 -

1930 36 9,550

1940 39 11,559

1961 60 29,547

1970 195 70,000

1981 1,100 200,000

The Wilson Report

• 1961 - Work-Study College Programs: Appraisal & REort of the Study of Cooperative Education

• James Wilson (Rochester Institute of Technology)

• Edward Lyons (University of Detroit)

• Ralph Tyler (University of Chicago)

• Co-op should be expanded in all areas

Show Me The Money• Two Organizations founded:

- National Commission for Cooperative Education - 1962- Cooperative Education Association (Now CEIA) - 1963

• NCCE mission: - “double the number of co-op programs and raise number of co-op students to 75,000 in 10 years”

• 1965 Higher Education Act– First language for funding for co-op

• 1968 – HEA modified to fund existing programs• 1970 – 74 institutions are granted $1.5 Million.• 1973 – 355 institutions received $10.75 Million

Feeding Frenzy

• 1976 – language defining of cooperative education was loosened

• From 1976 – 1996 $275 Million was awarded

• As many as 1/3 of Higher Education Institutions reported having a co-op program

• By the 1990’s guidelines were so loose a program with almost any work component could eligible for federal dollars

• This lead to “fierce” discussions of the definition of co-op

The Morning After

• In 1986, Northeastern’s Cooperative Education Center for Research found 1,012 co-op programs

• In 1999 less than 450 institutions responded after multiple mailings

• Both CEIA and CED have had a reduction in attendance at their annual conferences

Takes a Lickin’ But Keeps on Tickin’

• The explosive growth resulting from the infusion of federal dollars may have been transitory, but co-op is not.

• 1994 – ASEE ranks co-op second in it’s list of important innovations of the 20th century.

• In 2003 WACE had over 1,100 members representing 43 countries

• CEIA, CED, NCCE, and WACE continue to represent and advocate co-op in many forms.

• Guidelines of accreditation have been established (ACCE)

• Research is ongoing

• Curricular reform

• Co-op continues to expand and evolve on multiple fronts:– International co-op– Graduate co-op– Research co-op

Movie Break III

• Leanne Wagner• Joanna Powers

Perspectives on Co-op: Employer

• Employer role is the most important component of co-op learning

• Employers fall into 3 categories:– (A) Companies that use co-op as prime recruitment tool– (B) Companies that provide learning experiences, but few hires– (C) Companies that view co-ops as cheap temporary

employees

• Mandatory Co-op programs generally need all three• Co-op advisors need to find the time and approach to upgrade C-

level jobs to “B” or “A”.

Perspectives on Co-op: Employer Benefits

• Six major empirical studies have documented benefits of co-op• Benefits cited by these studies include:

– Stable & pre-screened pool of intelligent & upwardly mobile manpower

– More economical & flexible source of pre-professional manpower

– Allows experienced employees to focus on more challenging tasks

– Improved quality in the screening and selection of new college hires

– Better dissemination of companies employment opportunities among students & faculty

– Improved yield from offers and reduced recruiting costs overall

– Improvement in promotability

– Reduction in orientation and training costs

– Reduction in early attrition and turnover

“For my work, I was nominated for Engineer of the Quarter at Wright-Patterson, and I will be

competing against career engineers for this

award.”

Christopher HummerAerospace Engineering, 2008

“I have the ability to predict the behavior of fluids using supercomputers.”

Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Brian MyersComputer Science  2008

“It was unbelievable to see these giant scanners spinning

around a couple times per second”

I was writing software for CAT Scan Machines, which was amazing…

Medical Systems

James OttFashion Design, 2006

Designer Ralph Rucci

“I cut, assembled, and hand sewed the chiffon / organza flowers”

“I will never forget the perk of being able to attend my first New York runway show knowing I had several pieces of my work parading on the models in front of me.”

Jill ColletBiomedical Engineering, 2006

“These are just SOME of my fellow co-ops.

“It was a great chance to meet not only fellow engineering students from the Midwest and beyond, but also in other disciplines supported by the co-op program.”

Laura MyerIndustrial Design, 2006

“I soon became very aware of my own

customs and sayings, which I had never given much thought to, as they

didn't translate in this new world ”

“Within one week I went from not knowing where I was going on co-op to being on a plane flying to Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

“If this [discrepancies in coating] occurs, samples are sent to me at TMMNA to

analyze on the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).”

“My work experience has proven to be

very motivational in my school work. My grades have rapidly

increased since I began co-oping!”

Kristen KesseMaterials Engineering, 2007

Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America

Shelby ShenkelmanOperations Management, 2006

“I have seen the world, met new people, and

learned about an amazing industry. ”

“I can travel anywhere in the world; and have been to Spain, Mexico, Los Angeles...”

Delta Airlines

Kyle FrancisChemical Engineering  2006

“BP treated the co-ops to events such as a dinner

cruises on Lake Michigan, Cubs games, Second City, and more.”

“At Millennium Park before the Cubs vs. Reds Game.”

“you get to see your work launch into outer space, with a 1000 foot fireball

trailing behind”

Andrew SampsonElectrical Engineering, 2006

NASA Kennedy Space Center

Kyle BlakleyCivil and Environmental Engineering, 2008

“One of the many bridge projects completed by our office.”

“Topics range from storm water

management, roadway layout and design, traffic signal and speed warrants,

environmental studies…”

Ryan StobbsMechanical Engineering, 2007

Nevada Automotive Test Center

“The military came to the company wanting to test the durability of a new turret design”

“You fire several hundred 50 caliber machine gun bullets and drive it through the desert for several hundred miles”

Owen SchelnezElectrical Engineering, 2006

“I had the opportunity to work with some of Europe’s finest engineers.”

“Besides going to the famous ‘Deutche

Museum’ and getting to know

Munich, I enjoyed the Carneval

festivities”

“Working at the New York

Division of Warner Bros, we have to craft early online

and marketing materials for upcoming movies.”

Timothy KingDigital Design 2006

“Some of the work done for Corps Bride”

Jillian Fox, Marketing, 2006

Ausburg, Germany

On the cover of the German Business Journal, Nebenwerte

“My job position has allowed me to visit France, Scotland,

Hungary, Austria, Italy and many parts of

Germany…”

“I can’t go into any details because of

government restrictions;

General Electric and Rolls Royce

proprietary rights.”

“First Engine to test with 3,000+ sensors installed.”

Brian KodrichAerospace Engineering, 2007

Defense Contract

Management Agency

Paige StrohmaierGraphic Design  2007

“Each day offers a new discovery and opportunity as I adjust to European culture

and the French language.”

Adidas-Salomon Sports Annecy France

Geoff BaldwinIndustrial Design 2006

“The coolest slippers you will ever see; a Swoosh on…”

Developed Concept Shoes for Active Life

and Yoga

NIKE, Oregon

Jordan CallahanChemical Technology 2009

“Now, I have experience with and understand 17 instruments and have only been working for a quarter.”

“I'm already ahead of my class because I

know how to run most of the instruments

taught in my instrumentation

classes.“

Sun Chemicals Cincinnati

Zach NormanGraphic Design 2006

Harpers Ferry Design Center

“ I had the opportunity to design an award that was presented to First Lady Laura

Bush”

Joel WillisInformation Technology 2006

“I took the initiative to organize a Flying Pig Marathon charity drive to benefit the

National Kidney Foundation.”

“This opportunity allowed me to support a great cause and work

directly with a Vice President and the CIO

of one of the most important companies in

Cincinnati!”

Robin VenturaAerospace Engineering, 2006

NASA Langley

Research Center

“to enhance an aerodynamic model for a simulation of a twin-engine transport aircraft”

“This simulation is now used in to train NASA research pilots to fly a highly advanced remote control model of the aircraft and obtain real aerodynamic data”

Steve Gilby, Assistant Professorstephen.gilby@uc.edu

Bryan Dansberry, Assistant ProfessorBryan.dansberry@uc.edu

University of Cincinnati Division of Professional Practice P.O. Box 210115Cincinnati, OH 45221-0115

Debate and Discussion