College Profile:
Central State University -
Manufacturing Engineering Program

Perhaps few Ohioans would think about Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, in connection with an outstanding engineering program. However, according to the September, 2001, U.S. News and World Report, Central State University was ranked the number two Midwest comprehensive public college.

Part of that recognition results from the excellent Manufacturing Engineering Program the University has quietly developed. Though small in size, the Central State University Manufacturing Engineering Program has produced graduates who might be the envy of the larger, better known engineering schools. Central State alumni have become manufacturing leaders in major organizations such as General Motors, Intel, The Boeing Company, Delphi Systems, Ford Motor Company, Navistar International, Kraft Foods, and Honda of America. Other former students have earned graduate degrees at some of the nation’s most prestigious engineering schools. Still other graduates have launched their own companies in manufacturing, marketing, or management consulting.

What is the secret of success for Central State University’s Manufacturing Engineering Program? Several factors could be cited. Faculty-to-student ratios are small. All classes are taught by full-time faculty (86% have a Ph.D. and 70% are licensed professional engineers). No graduate assistants are used for lecture or laboratory supervision! Though strictly undergraduate, the Manufacturing Engineering Department has aggressively sought external research funding, and has attracted more than $10 million over the last twenty years. Since no graduate assistants are available, the undergraduate manufacturing engineering students work alongside the faculty members to perform cutting edge research. Such research also helps the Department maintain state-of-the-art computing and manufacturing resources such as the graduates will encounter as they progress into industry or graduate school.

Another factor in the success story is the opportunity to gain leadership experience through participation in student professional societies. The Department promotes active student chapters of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). The student officers of these organizations plan field trips and seminars and participate in monthly and annual meetings of the parent societies. These interactions promote professional development and result in industrial contacts that lead to future internships or permanent positions. Participation in these student professional societies also helps build a high degree of camaraderie that carries over into regular study groups in which the students assist and encourage each other in coping with the demanding curriculum.

To ensure that the CSU Manufacturing Engineering Program stays on the right track and keeps up with rapidly changing technology, a volunteer industrial advisory committee, composed of about twenty members, monitors departmental developments and provides guidance and resources. The committee, which meets on campus twice each year, has a diverse membership, including company presidents, chief engineers, government researchers, and successful graduates of the program. Larger organizations are represented along with smaller local manufacturing firms. To gain further guidance and guarantee program quality, the Department has sought and maintained accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) since 1991. This is the same accreditation earned by the finest engineering programs in the country, so it gives the Central State program a measure of universally recognized approval.

Central State University has an attractive campus located in a pleasant rural setting connected to one of the finest bike trails in the nation. The major metropolitan areas of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton are within twenty to sixty miles. The tuition and fees rank among the lowest in the state, and the University has a long history of providing quality education to students with special academic needs. These factors, along with the outstanding advantages of the Manufacturing Engineering Program, make Central State University an attractive choice for students interested in a future engineering career.