Golden Eagle Manufacturing GEM Rock Valley College in partnership with Woodward Governor

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing(GEM)Rock Valley
Collegein partnership withWoodward Governor
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Rock Valley College

• In Rockford, Illinois
• Opened in 1965
• Currently has
• 145 full time faculty
• 500 adjunct faculty
• More than 8500 students

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Woodward Governor

• Founded in 1870
• Designs, manufactures, and services energy
  control systems and components
• Aircraft and industrial engines/turbines
• Headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado
• Large facility near Rock Valley College

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Program links full time college attendance with
  part-time work.
• College
• Associate of Applied Science Degree
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Work
• Minimum of 20 hours per week at Woodward Governor

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Application Process
• Satisfy Rock Valleys entrance requirements
• Tour Woodward Governor to view working
  environment
• Complete Woodward Governor application for
  employment
• Pass criminal background test and drug test

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Cohorts
• First cohort January of 2007 13 students
• Second cohort August of 2007 14 students
• Next cohort August of 2008 15 students
• Cohorts attend classes for half day, work for
  half day
• Cohorts attend classes together

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Gem Students
• Receive free classes at Rock Valley College
• Have a part-time job at Woodward Governor
• Have part-time benefits from Woodward Governor
• Earn an A. A. S. Degree from Rock Valley College
  in Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Do not need to remain at Woodward Governor upon
  completion
• Must earn a C or better in classes or pay for
  class

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Woodward Governor
• Pays tuition
• Pays fees
• Pays for textbooks
• Benefits from adequate supply of part-time
  workers
• Benefits from a supply of qualified workers as
  GEM students complete program

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Woodward Governor
• Willing to support two cohorts at any given time
• Will start a new cohort of 15 students each fall
• Does NOT require students to remain at Woodward
  Governor after completion of program
• Will help a limited number of GEM completers
  obtain a Bachelors Degree.

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Challenges
• Developing new processes
• Registering an entire cohort in a class,
  especially general education classes
• Collecting tuition and fees at the end of the
  semester from Woodward (their request)
• Using the College Bookstore to buy textbooks,
  paid for by Woodward Governor
• Staffing day classes for cohorts, while
  maintaining non-GEM classes

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Benefits to Rock Valley College
• Increased enrollments in the Colleges
  Manufacturing Programs
• Faculty had shrunk from six full time faculty to
  two full time faculty
• GEM Program has stabilized the Manufacturing
  program enough to consider adding staff

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• Future
• Recruit new cohort for Fall of 2008 this
  January
• Two other major manufacturing companies have
  expressed an interest in starting their own
  GEM-like program

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Golden Eagle Manufacturing

• A Partnership Between
• Woodward Governor
• And
• Rock Valley College