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Ford, University of Detroit Mercy Partner to Provide Engineering Degree

13 July 2000

Ford, University of Detroit Mercy Partner to Provide Engineering Degree

    DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford hourly and salaried workers and suppliers can 
conveniently earn a first-of-its-kind manufacturing engineering degree tailored 
to Ford processes through a special partnership with University of Detroit Mercy.

    Ford and UDM will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing
Engineering with instruction by UDM faculty at Ford locations in Dearborn.
The program is hands-on with a heavy emphasis on the practical, said Hossein
Nivi, operations manager for Ford Manufacturing and Leadership Programming.

    "This is the first time a program of this type has been created and
designed for the specific needs of a corporation," said Dr. Leo E. Hanifin,
dean of the College of Engineering and Science at UDM.  "We need the same
level of intellectual energy and analytical capability in manufacturing
processes as goes into product design."

    Ford employees' tuition is eligible for reimbursement under the company's
tuition plan.

    The program grew from recommendations by a Ford/UDM joint steering
committee that formed nearly a year ago.  "A survey uncovered strong employee
interest in this type of program," said Jim Padilla, Ford group vice president
of Global Manufacturing and a board member and alumnus of UDM.

    "We are delighted to be the first major manufacturing company in the
United States to deliver a manufacturing engineering degree program on site
and customized to a corporation's needs and business practices," Padilla said.
"We expect both salary and hourly employees to be enthusiastic participants."

    Classes will teach sheet metal and casting, along with such subjects as
tool design and construction, joining and assembly, materials forming, metal
cutting, manufacturing systems, lean manufacturing, design for quality and
reliability of design.  Classes begin this fall.

    For many employees, an engineering degree means more opportunities for
promotion.  "This program also addresses the future need for enhanced skills
in our manufacturing operations," Nivi said.

    The curriculum initially was created and developed for Focus: HOPE by the
Greenfield Coalition.  Greenfield Coalition is one of eight engineering
education coalitions supported by the National Science Foundation.  Over a
10-year period, Greenfield has received more than $20 million in support from
the foundation to create programs that develop the engineering competencies
defined by industrial partners, including Ford Motor Company.

    "We hope and expect that this program will provide a significant strategic
advantage to Ford, especially in the areas of integrated product/process
development and rapid product realization," Hanifin said.