MANSFIELD — North Central State College will offer students the chance to obtain a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology starting in fall 2019, according to President Dr. Dorey Diab.
“North Central State College, in its history, has been a two-year college delivering technical degrees,” Diab said. “Ten years ago was a pivotal moment in our history in that the state allowed technical colleges — eight of us out of the 23 — to also deliver transfer degrees.
“This past week, I got the great news from the chancellor (of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, John Carey) allowing us to deliver a baccalaureate degree of applied science in mechanical engineering technology.”
Diab said this opportunity is another pivotal moment in the school’s history and would not have happened without support from local employers.
The opportunity for community colleges to apply to the chancellor of the ODHE to provide a bachelor’s degree was established by a directive of the ODHE in November 2017. The directive required that the proposals meet numerous guidelines, summarized as answering an established need for employees with in-demand skills to meet the workforce requirements of area businesses. Local employment data was required showing the availability and sustainability of jobs created. The program also needed to be unique to the area served by the community college.
“ODHE observed strong evidence of workforce need, clear testimony that NCSC responded to requests of local employers in curriculum development and evidence that the students’ needs are best met with program delivery at the NCSC location,” Carey stated in his letter approving the proposal from NC State.
NC State becomes one of only four community colleges in Ohio to receive approval to develop and confer a bachelor’s degree.
The Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology is accessible to students of all ages, from current high school students taking College Credit Plus courses, to currently employed workers who want to expand their knowledge and improve their careers.
Diab said this opportunity enables students to obtain a high quality education at an affordable rate without having to worry about racking up debt, which now exceeds $30,000 on average per student in the state of Ohio and nationally has exceeded $1.4 trillion.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build a local, hands-on engineering opportunity for not only people that have graduated in the past from us, but all those that are upcoming, as well as our College NOW engineering students, those that are dual-enrolled full-time in high school receiving an associates prior to their high school graduation,” said Dan Wagner, assistant dean of Business, Industry and Technology.
“Being able to move straight into a four-year degree is an amazing opportunity for them and an amazing opportunity for this community as a whole.”
NCSC has been working on this program for about a year, according to Diab. The college is now working with the Higher Learning Commission, the college’s accrediting body, and ODHE for approval of curriculum and course content as well as the learning outcomes.
Whereas most of the engineering programs offered at universities emphasize theoretical learning, Diab said this particular program is more hands-on in that it’s applied engineering technology.
“So when the students graduate, they’re able to get the work done right away,” he said.
Echoing Diab’s comments, Steve Cummins, vice president of Mansfield Engineered Components, said, “It’s my understanding that it’ll produce students who are ready to work.”
Pam Mowry, vice chair of NCSC’s Board of Trustees, said that the trustees meet at local industries twice, sometimes three times a year, giving them a chance to see what jobs are currently available in the area.
“Some of our local employers import people to do those jobs, and we have folks here that given the skillsets are well able to do them, and they’re good-paying jobs, so for us this is a major win-win and thankfully does not compete with our good friends at Ohio State and around the community,” she said.
