The role of faculty in university-based industrial outreach
Abstract
The need for the modernization of small and medium sized U.S. manufacturing companies has accelerated in recent years due to substantially increased national and international competition. One important emerging component of industrial modernization has been the involvement of universities through industrial outreach programs. Based on past research, seven hypotheses have been proposed to assess, measure, and analyze the role of faculty in university-based industrial outreach. These hypotheses were tested based on data obtained from nineteen outreach programs (a 90.5% response rate to a thirty-four question survey), and 107 faculty members who participate in these programs (a 50.2% response rate to a twenty-five question survey). The survey responses provided detailed information on outreach program characteristics, the faculty industrial outreach activity levels, perceptions of outcomes for industry and the university, the identification of specific benefits to the university from faculty industrial outreach, perceptions of the barriers and motivations affecting faculty participation, perceptions of the requirements for successful industrial outreach, and perceptions of changes in university and program policies that would improve program effectiveness. The results of the hypothesis testing supported four of the seven hypotheses, and partially supported a fifth hypothesis. Faculty members indicated that they consider the outcomes of their industrial outreach to be positive for both industry and the university, and identified many specific benefits for the university. The faculty consider time constraints and the university rewards structure as the leading barriers to participation in industrial outreach, and consider personal satisfaction as the leading factor motivating participation. The value of faculty industrial outreach was perceived more positively by outreach program directors than by the faculty. Finally, directors and the faculty agreed that the most important policy change needed to increase faculty participation in industrial outreach is to consider such activity in the tenure and promotion process.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Salvendy, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Industrial engineering
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