Cyclic Industry, Technology Changes, Non-Teaching Workload-Retiring TVI Instructor Says Teaching Still Challenges After 25 years

Mary Jane Willis is looking toward retirement after teaching at the Technical Vocational Institute in Albuquerque, N. Mex., since 1978. One of a handful of women teaching technology at the community college (or any) level, Mary Jane is an instructor in the Electronics and Manufacturing Technology programs. She has worked with industry to develop materials for courses in:
· electromechanical devices
· applied physics
· electromechanical systems
· vacuum technology
· statistical controls and
· manufacturing concepts.

TVI was among the first community colleges to boast a well-equipped SMT lab. Mary Jane helped lead the effort to build the lab and to create its curriculum. In 1996, she organized 16 SMT workshops for instructors under a National Science Foundation grant.

In addition to consulting with MATEC since 1998, Mary Jane has collaborated with Philips Semiconductor, Intel, General Mills, Martin Marietta and Thomas & Betts. She also worked at Signetics and as a trainer of etch technicians for Philips.

Mary Jane holds a master of arts in training and learning technologies and a bachelor of science degree in math education. Upon retiring from the classroom, Mary Jane will continue her consulting career and, if her friends are lucky, publish a cookbook. She gives @MATEC readers a preview with her recipe printed here for Shrimp and Grits.

Give @MATEC readers a snapshot of technician education circa 1980 and the program you're offering at TVI today. Has the core learning changed much?

MJ: The core hasn't changed very much. A strong foundation in electronics is still required. I guess the biggest change occurred in the late 1980s when electromechanical was added to the core of our electronics program. I'll never forget a couple of instructors were opposed to adding EMD (motors and fluids) to the curriculum. One asked, "So when have our graduates been required to repair things other than TV sets?" Unfortunately, he was serious. He was shocked to learn that our graduates were being hired to repair computers and car wash equipment among other things that had motors and pneumatics. We also had another instructor then who thought computers were a fad. Both instructors retired years ago.

Have industry expectations changed for what entering technicians should
know and be able to do?

MJ: Industry's hiring is cyclic, and so are industry expectations. The obvious part is that they always want technicians to know more, which is getting harder since colleges are being restricted to lower credit hours for associate's degree programs. However, what's frustrating is that one year, industry wants us to remove a course because it's no longer needed. Five years later, they need it back.
Two examples:
· The semiconductor industries didn't want microprocessors in the SMT program when it was started in 1995. Now, with the 300-mm fabs, they want microprocessor coverage back in the program, along with automation coverage, which was also removed.
· Board swapping was the industry standard for years. So companies wanted the colleges to teach systems troubleshooting that identifies the bad board. Well, in yesterday's industry advisory meeting for TVI's microtechnology program, we learned that companies such as Intel, Sandia and Sumac are now requiring component-level troubleshooting. In order to save money, companies are repairing their own boards rather than sending them back to the vendor. So component-level, rather than systems-level, troubleshooting is once again required.

Describe your two or three most difficult challenges as an instructor.

MJ: Keeping up with the changes in technology and the technology of the new companies that hire our graduates. And finding time to deal with college responsibilities outside the classroom. Such responsibilities have increased through the years, but teaching loads stay the same.

What's the best lesson you ever taught?

MJ: There is no "best" lesson. As an instructor, you are either on or off. If you're on, you walk out of the classroom feeling great, but drained. If you're off, you walk out frustrated and disappointed in yourself. A good teaching session will always drain you. From my perspective, I'm on when I have total interaction with the students. The more questions the students have, the more interaction there is between me and the students and among the students themselves, the better the class. It's harder on the instructor, but a hell of a lot more fun.

Women still make up a very small percentage of technical employees in semiconductors. Did you have difficulty being accepted in this very male environment?

MJ: Absolutely! One reason I took a brief leave of absence from TVI in the mid-1980s was that my then-supervisor had made it clear to me that he was not interested in my input because women didn't know anything about technology. So I left and went to Signetics for 10 months. This turned out to be the best thing I ever did for my career. I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, experience and confidence. When I returned to TVI, I became active in driving program changes that helped to bring our programs up to date. I was no longer intimidated by those who opposed my ideas. And I was not afraid to fight for what I thought was right.

What's been TVI's most effective student recruitment/retention strategy?

MJ: Retention-The TECH Center by far. The TECH Center provides a place for students to study, to work together in a learning environment and to receive assistance when needed. [The center is open to students Monday through Friday. Staff includes an achievement coach, peer mentors and instructional technicians. For more information visit www.tvi.cc.nm.us.] Recruitment-Most effective have been radio ads and career changers' seminars. Billboards and brochures have been least effective. Intel also sent a letter to the parents of high school graduates in the math and science tracks, and that was effective. But a lot of the kids came into the program strictly for the money, without realizing what was involved. Career changers have proved to be better students. We started the career changers' seminars back in the mid-1990s through a grant from Intel and continue with them today. We used to give about three a year. Now we're down to one or two (due to the drop in company hiring). A career changers' seminar consists of a job fair with local companies, a presentation on college programs and testimonies from graduates working in the field. We've picked up a lot of good people this way.

What's the single most useful support companies can provide to college technology programs?

MJ: Student recruitment funding! Everybody wants to offer the programs lab equipment, and that's great and completely necessary. But it's in recruiting students that the colleges really need the most help. And alongside all the negative news of layoffs we need a positive note-that the companies will be hiring again in a couple of years. The more industry can educate the public on that, the better. When companies put monies into recruitment, it works. In 1995-96 Intel gave $75,000 for six New Mexico colleges to recruit students into technology studies, and our student numbers jumped from less than 50 to 1,000.

What advice would you offer an instructor starting out today?

MJ: Learn as much as you can. Don't get stuck teaching one or two courses. Learn them all. Your experience as a teacher will be a lot more rewarding and your value to the college and the students will increase every time you learn something new.

Predictions for the industry and technician training?

MJ: Are you kidding? I quit making predictions about this industry years ago. And after yesterday's industry advisory meeting, I wouldn't touch that question with a 10- foot pole.

Ingredients
2 Tbs. prepared Cajun seasoning, such as Paul Prudhomme's
1 lb. small shrimp-peeled and de-veined
4 slices thick-sliced bacon-cut in one-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic-sliced thin
1 medium onion-chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper-chopped
1 large celery stalk-sliced thin
2 bay leaves, whole
1 C. chicken stock
1/4 C white wine
Grits sufficient to serve 4 (follow package directions), plus additional 1 C. chicken stock for cooking
1 Tbs. butter
Parsley

Preparation
· Place Cajun seasoning in a large bowl.
· Peel the shrimp and toss in the bowl with the seasonings. Set aside.
· Cook bacon in large skillet (big enough to hold everything but the grits). Stir occasionally until almost crisp. Drain off most of the grease.
· Add the garlic. Cook on medium heat until garlic turns light brown.
· Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
· Add the shrimp. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
· Add bay leaves, wine and 1 C. chicken stock. Stir. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes.
· Bring 1 C. chicken stock plus water according to package to boil for the grits in a 1- 2 qt. sauce pan.
· Whisk grits into boiling water and stock and turn down low. Stir occasionally to keep from clumping. Once done (about 5 minutes or according to directions on the package), remove from heat and add 1 Tbs. butter.
· Remove shrimp mixture from heat. Stir in parsley. Let set 5 minutes covered. Remove bay leaves.
· Serve in pasta bowls by placing about 1/2 C. grits in each bowl. Top with shrimp and juices.
· A good baguette can be used to soak up the juices.