Fesa Study

7/30/2019 Fesa Study

1/117

Feasibility Study

for a

Workforce Development & Education Center

as part of the

Wallops Research Park

Submitted by:

Robert C. Peterson,Ph.D.

Larry D. Jones,Ph.D.

February 13, 2008


2/117

Workforce Development & Education Center Feasibility Study Page i

Table of ContentsExecutive Summary iii

I. Introduction .. 1

II. Analysis of Surveyed Skill Sets .. 2Area Businesses 2Wallops Research Park.. 2

III. Wallops Research Park Mission .. 3

IV. Goals for the Workforce Development and Education Center . 3

V. Workforce Development and Education Center Concept .. 4

VI. Recommended Training and Certification Programs ... 5

VII. Recommended Physical Space Requirements .. 6

VIII. Recommended Equipment 7

IX. Capital Budget .. 8

X. Initial Annual Operating Budget .. 8

XI. Potential Demand for Office, Conference, and Lab Space 9

XII. Recommended Structure for Board of Directors .10

XIII. Steps to Follow to Make Center a Realty ....13Phase I (2008) ..... 17Phase II (2008-2009) .. 18Phase III (2009-2010) . 19Phase IV (2010) .. 20Phase V (2010-2012) .. 20Phase VI (2012-2017) . 20

XIV. Advantages 20

XV. Concerns and Cautions .. 21

XVI. Feasibility of Project ..22

XVI. Appendix.23Workforce Data Accomack County..... 23Unemployed Workforce Data Accomack County .. 24Education and Training Data Accomack County.... 28


3/117

Workforce Development & Education Center Feasibility Study Page ii

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Master and Doctoral degree programs inAerospace Engineering.... 29

Old Dominion University Master and Doctoral degree programs in Engineering.. 39Old Dominion University Master and Doctoral degree programs in

Business Administration. 54

Two Year Technical and Career Programs offered through Eastern ShoreCommunity College, Wor-Wic Community College and Delaware Technicaland Community College. 58

Old Dominion University Distance Learning programs at New River CommunityCollege and Wytheville Community College 95

National Institute of Aeronautics100Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.102Memorandum of Understanding: Facility Utilization Cost. Southwest Virginia..108

Higher Education Center


4/117

Workforce Development & Education Center Feasibility Study Page iii

Executive Summary

As part of a proposed Wallops Research Park, a Workforce Development and EducationCenter would provide improved access to higher education and training for the region.Raising the level of education and training within the workforce is critical to the regions

overall economic development. Upgrading employee skills in existing industries willmake them more competitive in the marketplace, while upgrading the skills of theregions workforce pool will make it more attractive for new industries to move into thearea. This study analyses the feasibility of building the Workforce Development andEducation Center adjacent to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Accomack County,Virginia. Below is a summary of the major findings:

For the region, the Workforce Development and Education Center wouldprovide a hub for economic development efforts and raising level ofworkforce that will improve the quality of life for citizens and attract newbusiness and industry.

For NASA, the US Navy and other organizations located nearby, the Centerwould provide improved work life opportunities for technical staff, jointresearch projects, facilitate IPA assignments.

For the educational institutions the Center would provide prestige access toNASA, pathways to NASA jobs for students, collaboration with other entities,and enhanced opportunities for program development and research.

There is a need for workers with current skill sets in a wide variety oftechnical areas. Also, there is a need for existing engineers and scientists tohave access to graduate education in technology management.

The current educational attainment level of unemployed residents inAccomack County is low, with 77% only having a high school education or

less. There is high concern whether many of the residents they have thenecessary reading, writing, math, and computer skills and motivation toupgrade their work related skills and education levels.

The Center will provide ongoing opportunities for improving existing skills,developing new skills, and to attain additional certifications and degrees viaarea community colleges and universities.

The Center must have a regional focus and be a resource for the Eastern Shorecorridor, rather than only Accomack County. The near-site location to NASAWallops is a major advantage for all constituents.

Much of the success of a Workforce Development and Education Center willbe dependent upon the establishment of the Research Park and the growth and

development of Automated Vehicle Systems and their use of the restrictedflight space around the NASA Wallops Flight Facility.

It is important the Center has some early success stories to provide momentumfor future growth of programs and services. It is anticipated that it will takeseveral phases over a period of ten years for the Center to reach its fullpotential.


5/117

Workforce Development & Education Center Feasibility Study Page iv

A manager of the Center would need to be identified early and broughtonboard prior to construction to champion its mission and develop thelinkages to the region that will be necessary to ensure early successes.

The most important feature of the physical structure of the Center will be itsflexibility to adapt to needs as they are identified and change over time.

The Center would be approximately 20,000 sq. ft. with ample flexible andopen space. Part of that space should have a high ceiling and large hangerdoor to allow larger equipment to be moved in and out of the facility.

The Center would have broadband wireless access to the Internet throughoutthe facility and be equipped with state-of-the-art computing and two-wayaudio / video systems.

The anticipated capital cost is $8 million to build and equip the Center. The recommended initial annual operating budget is $385,000. The Center would be established as a state agency by the Virginia

Commonwealth legislature and have a Board of Directors with widerepresentation of its major constituents.

Overall, while not without major challenges, the creation of a WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center is a laudable project with great potentialand needed benefits for the region.


6/117

Workforce Development & Education Center Feasibility Study Page 1

Introduction

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Marine Science Consortium, and Accomack Countyhave proposed the building of a Wallops Research Park, Business Incubator, andWorkforce Development and Education Center on properties owned by Accomack

County.

The creation of these three entities on the eastern shores of Virginia would provide aunique opportunity to bring together economic development with workforce training toprovide improved access to higher education. Workforce development is critical toeconomic development of the region. A more highly skilled and trained workforce wouldattract additional higher technology business and the end result would bring higherpaying and quality jobs for area residents in the eastern shore areas of Virginia andMaryland.

The Wallops Research Park would be quite unique for the region and would face little

competition in the area. However, there is currently limited demand for this type offacility other than for space- and aviation-related businesses linked to NASA and theMid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). Development for NASA- and MARS-relatedtenants may take several years to develop. One aviation outfitting company (BaySys) hasindicated an immediate interest in opening a facility in the park.

The potential for incubator space being made available to small, developing companieson a temporary basis would also be unique to the area and would provide facilities andsome other resources for emerging businesses to complement the Research Park. Thedetails of the business incubator and the projected demand for this type of facility arebeing addressed separately by Bay Area Economics.

The regions industrial economy is underdeveloped. Accomack and Northamptoncounties consistently rank in the bottom quarter of the Commonwealth of Virginia interms of per capita and household income. The region ranks near the bottom of theCommonwealth in educational attainment, as well.

There are few jobs in the area not related to either agriculture or tourism. There are,however, shortages of and needs for skilled workers to fill high level technical jobs andworkers to fill information and systems technology positions.

The Workforce Development and Education Center would provide the mechanism to

upgrade the current skills of existing workers in the region. The Center would alsoprovide other workers, particularly those who are unemployed or underemployed, withthe necessary skills to potentially attract new industries to the area.

Unfortunately, many residents perceive education and training to be of little value due tothe lack of high-paying job opportunities requiring advanced education. Employers arehesitant to invest in expansion or relocation to areas like the eastern shore counties ofVirginia or Maryland because of the lack of a highly-trained workforce.


7/117


II. Analysis of Surveyed Skill Sets

Numerous surveys and interviews were conducted through the Virginia EmploymentCommission office and Eastern Shore Community College in August, 2007. Surveysconducted of unemployed people seeking jobs asked about their interest in the aviation,

engineering or aerospace industries. Only 9 percent indicated they were interested inchanging careers. 33 percent said maybe if the pay and position fit their needs, 12percent said maybe if training programs were available, 16 percent said simplymaybe, and 27 percent reported no interest at all. We would not call this a rousinginterest among people needing employment willing to be trained to develop new skills.

Area Businesses

Interviews were also conducted of major employers in Accomack County to identify theirpersonnel and training needs over the next several years. Data from the VirginiaEmployment Commission suggest the fastest growing demand for workers will be in the

medical and health services and in information technology and network systems relatedoccupations.

Computer training at all levels is a major need for employers and workers. Medical andhealth science technical skills provide another opportunity to meet local training needs.Additionally, should the Wallops Research Park, MARS, and other aerospace-relatedenterprises develop a stronger presence, electrical technicians and engineers will certainlybe needed. NASA and MARS both have on-going engineer and technician needs of theirown, even if other companies are not attracted to the facility.

Wallops Research Park

The Research Park, as it develops, would be the home for science and technologyindustry businesses. These businesses will require employees with specialized trainingand skills. Unfortunately, in Accomack County, there are not sufficient numbers ofpeople who currently have these skills.

According to the US Census Bureau, roughly only 68% of the adults aged 25 and overhave a high school degree versus 82% statewide, while 14% of county residents have acollege degree versus 30% statewide. County residents will need to further theireducation and/or training before they could perform the jobs required by the ResearchPark companies.

A key question is will the residents seek out the training and/or education that is neededand do they have the basic skills (reading, writing, math, computers) to be successful incompleting this training.

Another issue is one of culture. Will the residents, many of whom have typicallyshunned education much of their lives, even seek out the necessary training and educationneeded to develop the skills necessary for the jobs at the Research Park companies?


8/117


Because of the demographics and geography of the area (rural, underdeveloped, lackingin medical care, etc), it is difficult to keep the best and brightest who grew up in the areato stay and get the skills needed to attract new employers to the area.

III. Wallops Research Park Mission

The mission for the Wallops Flight Facility is listed as:

Wallops Flight Facility will be a national resource to enable low-cost aerospace-based

science and technology research while promoting regional economic development.

The Wallops Research Park economic development goals are:

Develop comprehensive planning that enables growth in all sectors;

Leverage existing federal facility investment and employment opportunities tospark Wallops Area as a regional research and technology area; Supplement educational and work force development opportunities on the Shore

in the scientific and technical fields for increased collaboration, professionaldevelopment, and outreach; and

Create high tech jobs to retain the Shores best and brightest and attract otherswith our quality of life.

For the Workforce Development and Education Center to be a viable entity, it isimportant the Center work closely with the Wallops Research Park. We see the ResearchPark as the engine to drive not only the workforce development piece, but also the

business incubator piece.

IV. Goals for the Workforce Development and Education Center

As an integral part of the Wallops Research Park, the goals for the WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center should be:

Utilize area resources to develop a regional education and training center for thepurpose of developing new or enhancing current skills needed for localcompanies;

Create high tech jobs to retain the areas best and brightest young people; Develop necessary skills in the area workforce to make it attractive for new

employers to come to the region; Raise the skill levels of existing area workers to make it attractive for new

businesses to come to region; Complement the role and mission of the Research Park by assisting in attracting

science and technology industry businesses to come to area;


9/117


Once new workers are on site, have opportunities for them to continue to developtheir skills, develop new skills, and continue their formal education to acquireadditional degrees.

Note: The financial viability of individual education and training programs must be

considered in order to get area educational institutions to participate in providingeducational offerings at the Workforce Development and Education Center. If the

participating educational institutions cannot at least operate at a break-even level, they

cannot be expected to be a long-term participant.

V. Workforce Development and Education Center Concept

The Wallops Research Park, the business incubators, and the Workforce Developmentand Education Center all MUST be a regional center serving Accomack andNorthampton counties in Virginia, Worcester and Wicomico counties in Maryland, and

the southern part of Delaware.

It is important that the Center starts small. The full concept of the research park andeducation center will easily take 5-10 years to develop. Stakeholders must be patientduring the early developmental stages. It is also important to note that the developmentof new businesses related to either the Research Center or to the business incubators, iswhat is going to drive the Workforce Development and Education Center.

Initially, the focus of the Workforce Development and Education Center should be ondeveloping programs that would benefit the employees of NASA Wallops, the MarineScience Consortium, the US Navy, and the employees of their sub-contractors. It should

begin by utilizing educational and training programs already being provided by areacommunity colleges and universities. As the Center develops, it should expand on theseprograms.

Unfortunately, the geographical area of northern Accomack County, Virginia andsouthern Worcester County, Maryland lacks a sufficient critical mass to be cost effectivein providing education offerings without using distance learning technologies.

We see the Center offering selected associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degreeprograms using distance learning whenever possible. The Center should utilize graduateand undergraduate programs offered through Old Dominion University and the

University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and the technical programs offered throughEastern Shore Community College (Virginia), Wor-Wic Community College (Maryland)and Delaware Technical and Community College.

Career counseling and assessment for adults is seen as an important component for theCenter.


10/117


Programs should be selected that would enhance recruitment of new workers as well ashelp to retain current employees at NASA Wallops, the Marine Science Consortium, theUS Navy, NOAA, and any of the sub-contractors located in the region.

We also envision the Education Center developing a program similar to what the

National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) has developed with NASA Langley. This programis a unique graduate program to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers intechnologies of the future. Students are provided the opportunity to be taught byprofessors from a variety of universities while at the same time are able to work side byside with NASA Langley researchers on tomorrow's most pressing problems. Currently,six universities have pooled their resources to offer an innovative program of coursesdesigned and delivered from different universities. Students in this program have theopportunity to participate in leading-edge research programs and take unique graduatecourses that are not available at any single university.

Currently participating in the NIA Graduate Program are six research universities:

Georgia Tech, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University,the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. While studentsenroll in a M.S. or Ph.D. program at one of the member universities, and ultimatelyreceive a degree from that institution, NIA students may take up to 50% of their coursesfrom the other participating universities. Classes offered at NIA, both on-site and viadistance learning, include required core courses as well as state-of-the-art electives innew and emerging technologies. Graduate degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) currently areavailable in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics,engineering physics, materials science and engineering, electrical engineering, oceanengineering and systems engineering.

We see the real strength of the NIA program being the collaborative efforts of theparticipating institutions of higher education to not only offer unique courses of studythat are not available at any single university, but the opportunity for graduate students,doctoral and master levels, to work with NASA scientists and researchers on state of theart projects.

In conjunction with the Wallops Research Park, a similar program could be developedinitially involving Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia, and theUniversity of Maryland. Other universities could be added in the future.

VI. Recommended Training and Certification Programs

A number of technical training and certification programs are needed for the region andwould be offered at the Center. These programs should include electronics, avionics/airway sciences, fiber optics, electronic communications and other related technicianprograms to serve the areas aerospace and engineering employers.


11/117


With the soon to be open Wal*Mart distribution center in southern Maryland, truck drivertraining should be considered. There is also a need for construction/contractor programswhere a person would receive training in carpentry, masonry, electrical, hvac, plumbing,tiling, flooring, and other related construction skills to proved needed skill sets for areaemployers.

Computer training at all levels including Microsoft Windows and Office certificationcourses, networking systems, and information security should become a part of theeducational and training offerings early on at the Center.

Medical and health science technical skills programs for emergency medical technicians,nursing, dental and physician assistants, home and convalescent care personnel, andpsychological and substance abuse clinicians should be considered as the Centersprograms develop.

We also envision the Center developing programs with sub-contractors of NASA Flight

Facility and the Research Park that would facilitate assignment of Wallops personnel towork on projects as a need arises utilizing the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).

To add credibility to the program, it is important to have a few successful home runsearly on in the project. This would provide the foundation to build on these successes aswell as providing momentum for the additional growth of other programs.

We feel it is important to identify a champion or several champions early in the processto secure support from the various stakeholders involved.

VII. Recommended Physical Space Requirements

The primary design criterion for a building to support workforce development andeducation as part of the Wallops Research Park will be the maximization of flexible, openspace. Therefore, all training space should utilize movable floor-to-ceiling walls to allowfor changes in configuration that meet demands over time. That training space shouldinclude small hands-on labs, normal classrooms, a large lecture hall, etc. as needed. Theoffices and conference space should also utilize movable walls. Cubicles for individualdistance students should be easily accessible near the front of the building. In addition,there should be a small reception area and a galley kitchen. Because of the flexibility ofthe training space, portions of those areas could be designated as incubator space for

developing companies whenever needed.

Since much of the training that will take place in this facility revolves around the aviationindustry, there needs to be a large open space that allows for large equipment to bemoved in and out as needed. It is therefore suggested that an 80 ft. x 80 ft. space with anopen 40 ft. ceiling be the hub of the building. A large (60 ft. wide x 25 ft. high) hangerdoor at the back of the building will provide access to this space and allow the facility toaccommodate unmanned aerial vehicles, research balloons, planes, and other large


12/117


equipment up to a size that can be moved in via regular park roads since this facility willnot have runaway access. Also, along the outside walls there would be space for testingequipment, welding apparatus, tabletop simulation units, etc.

A sketch of the floor plan of is shown below:

VIII. Recommended Equipment

The entire building must have secure broadband wireless access to the Internet.Portability will be the key to maximizing the use of equipment and taking advantage of

the flexible space the building offers. Consequently, all or most computing should be vianotebook computers that may be moved from space to space on carts. Likewise, most ofthe desks, tables, chairs, etc. should be stackable on portable carts to accommodate easysetup. Two-way audio and video for conferencing and instruction can be provided withportable Polycom systems. To the extent possible testing equipment, engineeringsimulation stations, and other lab equipment should be on wheeled workspaces so theymay be moved from space to space as needed.


13/117


IX. Capital Budget

Below is an estimate of costs to build and equip the building. The building cost is basedupon a facility currently under construction at Eastern Shores Community College that issimilar in size and scope with a construction cost of $ 6.5 million.

$ 7 million for building 19,200 sq. ft. facility including:

6,400 sq. ft. of open space with 40 ceiling and 25 high x 60 widehanger door

3,200 sq. ft. of reception, office, galley kitchen, and conferenceroom space

Approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of flexible training space $ 1 million for equipment including:

Hardware for building-wide wireless network Notebook computers on delivery carts

Portable two-way audio / video equipment (Polycom) White boards, smart boards Portable projection systems Stackable chairs, desks, tables, etc. Mobile workbenches Office & conference room furniture Galley kitchen equipment

Total estimated cost to build and equip facility: $ 8 million

X. Initial Annual Operating Budget

Below is an estimate of the initial annual costs once the building is completed (amountsfor personnel include salary plus benefits computed at 25% of salary):

$ 75K - Manager of Workforce Development and Education Center Supervisor of staff and facility Marketer of the facility Broker for education, training, services Work with Board to secure funding

$ 50K - technical support person

$ 30K - receptionist / assistant Provides concierge services $ 30K maintenance / janitorial services $ 200K for overhead to include

Cost of utilities, wireless & telecommunications access Cost of Polycom systems and Blackboard software fees

Total estimated annual operating cost: $ 385,000


14/117


Note: It will be important to hire or appoint the Manager of the Workforce Developmentand Education Center in advance of the actual construction of the facility. That personshould begin to develop partnerships and programs so the facility will be well utilizedimmediately upon opening. That may mean that some programs are started in temporary

facilities prior to construction. It is further suggested that this staff person report to thePresident of Eastern Shore Community College, at least during this program developmentphase.

XI. Potential Demand for Office, Conference, and Lab Space

There is a great potential for use of the space in the Workforce Development andEducation Center, both in the near term (within a year of opening the facility) and longerterm. Potential users of the facilities include NASA, contractors working with NASA,higher education institutions, private industries in the Eastern Shore region, primary and

secondary schools, and governmental entities in northern Virginia and southernMaryland. In looking at local hotel facilities, none had a large enough area that wouldseat over 150 people.

The Crossroads Institute and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center eachprovide conference facilities where prior to their establishment, there was none availablein their respective areas. Each talked about $100,000-$250,000 potential gross annualincomes from facility rentals for conferences, business meetings, etc.

Below are lists of potential uses of the facilities in both the near and longer terms:

Near term uses Near-site (outside security gate) NASA conferencing Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) training / certification / associate

degree program Electronic and IT technician training Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training Masters Degree in Engineering Management / Organizational

Development Customized networking & security training Equipment-specific training Technical career-awareness programs for kindergarten through college

students

Longer term uses UAV and balloon research and testing Aircraft prototyping & simulation Collaborative partnerships and research efforts among educational

institutions, NASA, other governmental agencies, private sector. These


15/117


would involve Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) projectassignments.

Co-ops / internships / informal interaction Development of Six Sigma Center of Excellence Promotion ongoing regional economic development efforts

Digital repository for technical materials

XII. Recommended Structure for Board of Directors

One area we struggled with is the makeup of the Board of Directors. One philosophy ofa Board is to make it as inclusive of all stakeholders as possible. This gives the peopleaffected by the Center an opportunity to participate in the governance of the Center. Thedifficulty with this is the size of the Board can become quite unwieldy at times.

Another view is to have a smaller Board to deal with the general issues and policies that

affect the operation of the Center and have an Advisory Board which would provideadvice and guidance to the Governing Board.

After reviewing several governance structures for similar type of facilities in Virginia andTexas, we looked at three potential formats the Workforce Development and EducationCenter be governed.

One would be similar to how the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center wasestablished. It was created by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginiawith an initial appropriation for planning. Funding from the General Assembly continuedwhile a coalition of support was built within the Virginia legislature and partnerships

were developed with area institutions of higher learning to provide the necessary coursesof education programs and courses of instruction.

Funding to construct a building was eventually received and the Commonwealth ofVirginia legislature supports the Higher Education Center with an appropriation of $1.6million for the current fiscal year. The Center also receives between $500-$700,000 inrental income from the participating institutions of higher education, conferences held atthe Center, and from the Virginia Extension Service which is located in the Center. If theWorkforce Development and Education Center could be established by the Virginialegislature, over time this could ensure funding over a long period of time. This issomething that has already been done by the legislature and there are other similar types

of facilities in operation in Virginia.

Unfortunately, in the legislature right now, the person representing the area in the statesenate does not serve on the Senate Finance Committee nor does the person representingthe area in the House of Representative serve on the House Appropriations Committee.Both are relatively new in the legislature (the senator was just elected this year and theperson in the House has only served a few years) so they have not yet built a power base.


16/117


Using this model, we see the Workforce Development and Education Center with aBoard of Directors having a linkage to the NASA Research Park Service District. TheBoard of Directors must have wide representation of its major constituents and, at leastinitially, should include a member from each as follows (this is assuming the Center iscreated by the legislature in the Commonwealth of Virginia):

NASA Wallops Marine Science Consortium Maryland Institute for Science & Technology Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development Richard A. Henson Foundation * Higher Education Institutions (one each):

Eastern Shore Community College Old Dominion University University of Maryland Eastern Shore Wor-Wic Community College

Major Technology Employers (one each): BaySys Technologies Lockheed Martin Northrop Grumman Corporation

County Public Schools (one each): Accomack County, Virginia Northamptom County, Virginia Worcester County, Maryland Wicomico County, Maryland

County Government (one each): Accomack County, Virginia

Northamptom County, Virginia Worcester County, Maryland Wicomico County, Maryland

State Government- appointed by the Governor 2 state senators from Commonwealth of Virginia 3 state representatives from Commonwealth of Virginia

* The Richard A. Henson Foundation, Inc., was established to provide for and to assurethe continuation of the philanthropic spirit, objectives, and ideals of Richard A. Henson,who made aviation history by launching the nation's first commuter airline service in1962, to enrich the quality of life primarily, but not exclusively, in the Greater Salisbury

area, and to provide challenging opportunities and act as a catalyst for the betterment ofthe community. The Foundation provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations andother qualified institutions for charitable activities which address the Foundation'spriority issues. Typical grants are difficult to describe. Grant amounts have ranged from$500 for smaller-scale projects to $1 million or more for "bricks and mortar" campaigns.(website: www.richardhensonfoundation.org).


17/117


A second governance structure we considered was to develop the Center as a dual stateagency co-sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Maryland. Sincethe Workforce Development and Education Center would involve educational institutionsfrom both Virginia and Maryland, and would benefit businesses and residents of bothstates, this might make sense. It also does not place the entire financial burden on one

state. We recognize the difficulty, though, of forming and operating an inter-stateagency, but want to mention this as a possibility. If that were to happen, the Board ofDirectors would be expanded to include two state senators and three state representativesfrom Maryland appointed by the Governor.A third governance structure and the one we recommend is to keep the Board small andnot as unwieldy as the first two structures mentioned. We envision this as a state agencybeing supported by the Virginia legislature. In this model, we suggest the Board consistof one representative from NASA, the US Navy, the Marine Science Consortium,Accomack County, Eastern Shore Community College, and Old Dominion University, aswell as the local representative in the State Senate, and the local representative in theState House of Representatives. This would be a working Board and would probably

meet on a monthly basis.We also suggest setting up an Advisory Board consisting of representatives from theAccomack County School Board, the major technology employers (such as BaySys,Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin), the Maryland Institute for Science andTechnology, Wor-Wic Community College, the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore,and the Richard Henson Foundation. The Advisory Board would meet quarterly with theGoverning Board and advise the Board on any and all matters the Board might feel itneeds guidance or assistance.

Initially, the Board of Directors should elect the following officers:

Chairperson Vice Chairperson (to become Chairperson the following year) Treasurer

Thereafter, the Board of Directors will elect a Vice Chairperson and Treasurer on anannual basis. The Manager of the Workforce Development and Education Center willfunction as the Recording Secretary and provide staff support for the Board of Directors.

This structure is similar to two other entrepreneurial and educational initiativesestablished recently.

one established at The Crossroads Institute, a rural entrepreneurial andeducational initiative in Galax, Virginia. This information is from their website atwww.crossroadsva.org: Through a unique partnership composed of educationalinstitutions and economic developers, as well as state, local and federalgovernment agencies, the Crossroads Rural Entrepreneurial Institute houses threeimportant elements: 1) the Southwest Regional Enterprise Center - a mixed-usebusiness incubator facility including business assistance and consulting services;2) a technology-enhanced educational center - including high-demand technical


18/117


curricula and occupational programs for high school and college students, transferprograms and a university center; 3) a continuing education center for workforceskills including literacy, GED, workforce and corporate training as well as aconvention center/exhibition hall.

one established at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abington,

Virginia. From their website at www.swcenter.edu, the Southwest VirginiaHigher Education Center (SVHEC) provides a state-of-the-art facility, an ideallocation, and an outstanding staff to support its mission of education and regionaleconomic development. Our partner universities and colleges currently offer over60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in addition to many certificateprograms.

Every two years, the Board may wish to review who the current stakeholders are at thattime and may wish to review the structure. If, at some point in time, the constituenthigher education institutions and technology employers grow in number, it may be wiseto consider an advisory board structure for those two groups, with one elected

representative from each group as members of the Workforce Development andEducation Center Board of Directors.

XIII. Steps to Follow to Make Center a Reality

As mentioned earlier, the timetable for making the Workforce Development andEducation Center a reality will need to span up to 10 years, and possibly even more.Stakeholders must be patient in the beginning and not try to do too many things at onceand allow the Center to be developed in a phased in process.

Dr. Peterson had a rather lengthy discussion with Dr. Rachel Fowlkes, founder andcurrent Executive Director of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center located inAbingdon, Virginia. Dr. Fowlkes began working on the concept of a higher educationcenter in southwest Virginia in 1991. The southwest Virginia area is somewhat similar tothe eastern shore area of Virginia in that it is rural and economically depressed.

The Center was created in 1992 by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth ofVirginia with an initial appropriation of $50,000 for planning. For the next four years,with renewed funding for planning each year, she was able to build the coalition ofsupport necessary within the Virginia legislature. She developed the partnershipsnecessary with area institutions of higher learning to provide the necessary courses of

education programs and courses of instruction. She also worked with these highereducation institutions in planning the design of a building to house the Center.

In 1996, Dr. Fowlkes was able to obtain funding through the Virginia legislature for thebuilding of the Center and construction began on the Center. Construction wascompleted and the newly built Center building was opened in January, 1998. Nearly tenyears later, in the Fall Semester, 2007, approximately 700 students are enrolled in avariety of courses involving ten public and private higher education institutions.


19/117


For the fiscal year 2007-2008, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center charged alease fee of $50,666 to each of the state institutions (University of Virginia, University ofVirginia at Wise, Virginia Technical Institute and State University, Old DominionUniversity, and Radford University) offering courses at the Center. This covers office

space for each institution and usage of classrooms within the Center. It is up to eachUniversity to recruit enough students to make these lease payment financially viable.

There is a private institution, Virginia Intermont University, which offers some classes atthe Center and is being charged a lease fee of $24,500 for the current fiscal year. Inaddition, each participating institution is charged for direct costs for items like postage,long distance telephone calls, copier, etc.

Dr. Fowlkes identified four keys to what she felt contributed to the success of theSWVHEC program:

Hiring of a point person early on who is familiar with higher education and statefunding of education, who has a passion for this type of program, and who iswilling to stick with developing the program in the early stages, even when thingsmay appear to be very difficult;

Ownership of the building and equipment within the building needs to be anindependent organization, separate from the providing institutions;

Educational provider institutions must all be on equal grounds as far as access tothe facility and must be willing to collaborate together early on. There cannot bea lead institution; and

Strong support of the Governing Board. She emphasized area state legislatorsneed to be involved on the governing board. At SWVHEC, the governing boards

consists of 4 state house delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House and 2state senate delegates appointed by the President of the Senate [the LieutenantGovernor]. This aids in being able to receive moneys from the state legislature.

After being opened for ten years, the SWVHEC is now starting to look into instituting aresearch and development phase concentrating on energy production utilizing coal andnuclear energy. We see this aspect occurring in the initial phases of the WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center through the Wallops Research Park.

Dr. Peterson also spoke with Dr. Oliver McBride, the Executive Director of theCrossroads Institute located in Galax, Virginia.

Prior to 2001, the geographic area surrounding Galax had three primary industries:

1) agriculture (much of it tobacco);2) furniture manufacturing; and3) textiles.


20/117


The region began experiencing a significant decline in each of these industrial areas, andthe employment futures of many of the residents were threatened. The initial concept ofthe Crossroads Institute was developed in 2001 as a result of the following identifiedneeds related to providing residents with skills that would ensure their employability:

a career/technical education center at the local school system; a business incubator; and space for Wytheville Community College to offer classes to residents of Carroll

and Grayson counties.

To address those needs, an umbrella organization called the Crossroads RuralEntrepreneurial Institute, Inc. was formed. The Institute was incorporated in theCommonwealth of Virginia. It applied for and received 501.c.3 status as a not-for-profitorganization. There were 3 areas of focus for the Institute:

Business incubator

Lifelong learning Technical and entrepreneurial studies

To make the Institute a reality, a staff member from Wytheville Community Collegeserved in the initial stages as Executive Director and worked to secure funding. Thatpersons salary was paid by the community college. Over the next 2-3 years, thefollowing funds were secured for the Institute:

$2 million initial funding grant came from the US Economic DevelopmentAdministration

$800,000 grant came from the Virginia Tobacco Fund $700,000 grant came from Community Development Block Grant funding

through the City of Galax, Virginia $2.2 million loan from the Federal Rural Development Authority

Using those funds, the Institute purchased and renovated an old Lowes HomeImprovement Center building which contained approximately 80,000 square feet. Thebuilding finally opened to the public in 2005.

The facility consists of 4 regular classrooms, 2 electronic classrooms, 1 wet lab used forbiology, chemistry, and physics courses taught at the facility and 2 classrooms for theLPN program. A computer lab with 60 computers is available for public access. There is

also space that is utilized by a call center that takes up a sizable portion of the building.

Through a unique partnership composed of educational institutions and economicdevelopers, as well as state, local and federal government agencies, the Crossroads RuralEntrepreneurial Institute houses three important elements: 1) the Southwest RegionalEnterprise Center - a mixed-use business incubator facility including business assistanceand consulting services; 2) a technology-enhanced educational center - including high-demand technical curricula and occupational programs for high school and college


21/117


students, transfer programs and a university center; 3) a continuing education center forworkforce skills including literacy, GED, workforce and corporate training as well as aconvention center/exhibition hall.

The facilitys current annual budget is approximately $600,000. About $550,000 comes

from leases with the persons using the incubator space, the local public school systemand Wytheville Community College who use the space for the lifelong learning,technical, and entrepreneurial studies courses. The balance, about $50,000, comes fromthe balance of some of the grant funding received earlier. Since December, 2006, aregional call center has leased some space which provides some additional rental income.The call center employs slightly more than 100 people total.

At the Institute member institutions offering classes at the site are charged a lease fee of$6.25 per square foot for office space assigned. Additionally each institution is charged apro-rata fee based upon the percentage of classroom space each occupies for classeswhich are offered. The charges for classroom space can vary from semester depending

on the number of classes offered and the sizes of classrooms used. Each institution ischarged for direct costs for items like postage, long distance telephone calls, copier, etc.These classes make up approximately 60% of the rental income for the facility.Businesses which participate in the incubator space are charged $10 per square foot perannum for the space each occupies, and consists of the majority of the income for the restof the facility.

Currently, approximately 250-300 FTE students are attending classes held by thecommunity college and adult education... There are 9 tenants in the business incubator,down from 14 a few months ago. One of the tenants in the incubator is a cateringbusiness that provides lunches at a small cafe in the facility and caters meals for

conferences held in the facility.Approximately 50 people are involved in construction trades training (carpentry,plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.) and are involved through TRADAC funding.

The facility also serves as a conference center, which is something the area has neverhad. It is used quite frequently, with at least one event being held at least one-half totwo-thirds of the days the facility is open. It is very much a regional center as it alsohouses Virginias Director of Entrepreneurial Development and the Virginia SmallBusiness Development Corporation for the region.

The Institute is governed by a 14 member Board consisting of a representative from theCity of Galax, the superintendents of the two local school system, two representativesfrom the area community college (including its President), a representative from theSouthwest Regional Enterprise Center, two county commissioners from each of the threecounties served by the Institute, a representative from the Center for Technology &Entrepreneurial Studies, and the Executive Director of the Institute.


22/117


Dr. McBride, the Executive Director of the Institute, spoke with pride as he described theInstitute having grown out of grass roots into a self supporting and self sufficientorganization. The Institutes philosophy has always been to create as many doors tocome into its facility as possible.

He identified the following four areas as key to the success of the Institute: It was a regional effort They have always had a can do spirit Everyone felt any and all ideas and opportunities were possible Through drive and determination they could always make things happen.

Dr. McBride was asked if he was familiar with the Southwest Virginia Higher EducationCenter and he said he was. When asked to compare the differences in the two operations,one a state agency and one a 501.c.3 entity dependent upon grant funding, his commentwas the SWVHEC had more money and a better looking building.

There were many similarities in the Crossroads Institute region being served and theAccomack County region. Both are highly rural and economically depressed. Thecombined populations of the two areas are both around 50,000. The types of educationalprograms being offered or proposed being offered at the northern Accomack County siteare quite similar. The can do spirit and attitudes are prevalent at both locations. Boththe Crossroads Institute and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center are regionalcenters.

Phase I (2008)

Old Dominion University's TELETECHNET Distance Learning currently has a sitethrough an arrangement with the Navy at Wallops Island. ODU has been offeringcourses at the Cropper Center located in the Navy Welfare and Recreation Building justoff-site from the NASA Wallops facility.

This semester there are 8 undergraduate and 2 graduate students taking courses which arebeamed to a satellite receiver and then transmitted into one of two rooms where studentscome to take classes. The classes being beamed are part of ODUs state wide networkand are available to all community colleges within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The 8 undergraduate students are all Virginia residents and each pays $206 per credit

hour. They are taking courses in political science, English, mathematics, history,economics, education and business.

Of the 2 graduate students, one is a Virginia resident who pays the instate tuition rate of$304 per credit hour and one is a Maryland resident and pays the out of state tuition rate.Both students are enrolled in the masters degree program in Engineering Management.

No other fees are charge to the students other than tuition.


23/117


ODU pays rent to Eastern Shore Community College for the space it is using. It does notpay rent for the Cropper Center space.

According to Nancy Collins, ODUs on-site person at Eastern Shore Community College,ODU is losing money with the arrangement at Wallops and it would take a total of about

30 students for the University to break even.

Dr. Cheryl Thompson-Stacey has indicated ESCC would offer at the WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center duplicate classes already offered at the Melfa,Virginia campus. The students at the Workforce Development and Education Centerwould be charged the same tuition and fees as students at the Melfa campus. ESCCwould receive subsidies from the Commonwealth of Virginia based on the FTEgenerated. There would not be any extra subsidies charged to the students. ESCC wouldrely on enrollments to cover the cost of the courses offered. Typically, it takes about aminimum of 14 students enrolled in a course for it to make. That 14 would includestudents at the Workforce Development and Education Center site and at the Melfa site.

We recommend Eastern Shore Community College coordinate efforts early on to recruitstudents from companies and organizations already located at the NASA Flight Facility,the US Navy, and local contractors to begin offering the master and/or doctorate programin Engineering Management through Old Dominion University.

Phase II (2008-2012)

Funding will need to be secured (possibly through the Virginia DHCD) to pay for aCenter director/manager to be hired to begin the ground work to make the Center areality. Funds should include moneys for operating costs (telephone, office supplies andequipment, travel, etc.) of the Center director/ manager for the first 1-4 years. Additionalfunding would be needed to begin the engineering and architectural drawings for thebuilding to house the Research Park, business incubator, and workforce development andeducation center.

A search for and hiring of the Center director/manager should be conducted early on.This is a very important hire. The governing board should conduct a thorough search tomake sure the right person with the right background is identified. Once the Centerdirector/manager is hired, under the governing boards direction and authority, thatperson would oversee the initial construction and programming for the Centers activities.

Set up a broadband connection from Wor-Wic Community College, University ofMaryland-Eastern Shore, and Delaware Technical and Community College to the point-of-presence location near NASA Wallops and then connect from there to the temporarysite in an existing facility at NASA Wallops.

Graduate course offerings would be expanded to other graduate programs to includeaerospace, electrical engineering, and business administration, all which would be offeredthrough distance learning. The aviation technology and Aircraft Maintenance Technician


24/117


(AMT) programs through Delaware Technical and Community College and University ofMaryland-Eastern Shore would be started in conjunction with internship opportunities atBaySys and other employers.

Work would begin on completing the engineering and architectural drawings for the

building.

Phase III (2010-2012)

Funds would be raised for the construction of the building, equipment, and operatingcosts.

Phase IV (2012-13)

Building would be constructed, equipment purchased, and staff hired for operation of theResearch Park, business incubator, and workforce development and education center.

Facility would be opened.

Following the short term successes from earlier programs, we see the WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center expanding its program offerings to include electronicand IT technician training. Through either Eastern Shore Community College or Wor-Wic Community College, electronic and IT technician, customized networking systemsand information security, Microsoft Windows and Office certification, and medical andhealth sciences training at all levels including emergency medical technician, nursingdental and physician assistants, home and convalescent care, and psychological andsubstance abuse clinicians should be offered.

Through the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Unmanned Aerial Systems educationand training should also be started.

Short term certificate programs would begin to be offered in the following areas: Travel and tourism Customer service Banking and finance Truck driver training Culinary arts

Initially, we saw culinary arts students taking the traditional liberal arts courses viadistance learning (probably through ESCC), and then driving to the Wor-Wic CommunityCollege Campus (less than an hour away from where the Workforce Development andEducation Center would be located) for the Culinary Arts courses. Perhaps later, as wasdone at the Crossroads Institute, a kitchen could be added to the Center and be used toprovide lunches and to do catering for conferences held at the Center.


25/117


Phase V (2013-2017)

At this point the Center should begin offering training and certification programs in: Computer training at all levels Avionics/airway sciences

Fiber optics and electronic communications Construction/contractor programs to include carpentry, masonry, electrical, hvac,

plumbing, tiling, flooring and other related construction skills to provide neededskill sets for area employers

Other related technician programs to serve the areas aerospace and engineeringemployers

Phase VI (2012-2017)

As companies and organizations begin full utilization of the Research Park and thebusiness incubators, we see numerous opportunities for the development of seamless

educational pathways for technical careers at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate,master, and doctoral levels.

XIV. Advantages

The Wallops Flight Facility offers a large area of restricted air space which would beused for a number of research and development applications unique to the aerospaceindustry.

The location of the proposed facility near to but off-site of the existing Wallops Flight

Facility provides a more convenient access to outside groups who may be involved in theuse of the facility. People would not have to go through the security gate making accessto the building far easier.

Additionally, the facility would serve as a conference center for the Flight Facility, theResearch Park, NOAA, the US Navy, and possibly the Marine Science Consortium.

Having the facility serve as a regional workforce development and education center willallow existing educational resources in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and possiblyPennsylvania to have access to the building.

We met with the President of Eastern Shore Community College, the President and VicePresident of Academic and Student Affairs of Wor-Wic Community College, and theChair of the Department of Engineering & Aviation Sciences at the University ofMaryland-Eastern Shore. All of these people expressed and high degree of interest andsupport for the Workforce Development and Education Center. All expressed a keendesire to be a part of the facility.


26/117


However, as was noted earlier in this report, the financial viability of individualeducation and training programs must be considered in order to get area educationalinstitutions to participate in providing educational offerings at the WorkforceDevelopment and Education Center. If the participating educational institutions cannot atleast operate at a break-even level, they cannot be expected to be a long-term participant.

XV. Concerns and Cautions

The pace and scale of the growth for the Workforce Development and Education Centeris very difficult to predict. Federal, state, and county budgets are already set throughmuch of 2008, leaving little or no extra dollars available for the Center. TheCommonwealth of Virginia has some moneys which could be used for the startup of thisproject, but these moneys fall far short of the total amounts needed.

The growth of the Workforce Development and Education Center will be highly affected

by the development of the Wallops Research Park and the success of the businessincubators. These three areas are all inter-related, and without all of the componentsstarting at the same time and being successful, the success of the Center is highly inquestion.

It will take the combinations of the Research Park growing and developing, businessincubators producing viable companies who hire employees, and the critical developmentof automated vehicle systems all coming together to make this a very exciting operation.

The Crossroads Institute has about 250-300 students currently participating in programs.The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center has over 700. We believe in 3-5 years

the number of 250 students would be conceivable. Again, though, so much is dependenton the development of the Research Park and the business incubators and thedevelopment of automated vehicle systems.

We caution against using what we call the Field of Dreams approacha philosophythat would use a build it and they will come approach. The big questions are Who arethey? and Will they come? Surveys conducted of unemployed people seekingjobs asked about their interest in the aviation, engineering or aerospace industries. Only9 percent indicated they were interested in changing careers. 33 percent said maybe ifthe pay and position fit their needs, 12 percent said maybe if training programs wereavailable, 16 percent said simply maybe, and 27 percent reported no interest at all.

We would not call this a rousing interest among people needing employment willing tobe trained to develop new skills.

That is why it is very important in the beginning to have someone on-site early on to bethe champion of the Center and to be the shepherd in securing funding and guidingthe progress of the Center from concept to finished product.


27/117


There is also a concern to what we are calling the chicken or the egg situation. Do youfirst establish training for area worker so they can acquire the skills necessary to attractemployers to the area or do you need to attract employers with jobs needing specificskills to entice the area workers to upgrade their skills for those jobs? Based on theeducational demographics of the current population, it may be difficult to get workers to

acquire skills for jobs for which they might not be immediately employed.

Being a regional center provides some challenges as you would be utilizing educationalinstitutions in two states and the situation of charging tuition for in-state and out-of-statestudents becomes an issue. You also would be having Maryland and Delawareeducational institutions offering education and training programs in Virginia. It would bebeneficial if agreements can be made among the various states so students participating inthese regional education programs can be charged in-state tuition.

XVI. Feasibility of Project

The major underlying question related to this entire project is Is this concept feasible?Our answer to this question is yes. However, all parties involved must realize this is nota slam dunk program and will require the coordinated effort and support of all.

The concept is a laudable one and the potential outcomes and benefits from establishingthe Research Park, the business incubators, and the workforce development andeducation center are certainly needed and would greatly aid the region. All of theresources (educational institutions, government entities, and local businesses) in the areawith whom we spoke or who answered surveys were excited about participating in theproject. Most, if not all, shared a long term vision of this project developing into creating

a Silicon Valley for aerospace and marine research and development for the region.

This is quite a unique project as it involves cooperative efforts among the federalgovernment, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the states of Maryland, Delaware, andPennsylvania. A great deal of creativity will be needed in how to fund this venture usingmoneys from these five sources, especially since some state entities may have to spendmoney in a facility not located in their respective states. That coupled with anticipatedtight budgets at the federal and state levels, may have a definite impact on the ability tocarry out this project.


28/117


XVIII. Appendix

Workforce Data Collected (data on pages 19 24 provided by Bay Area Economics)

Residents in the eastern shore regions of Virginia and Maryland are more likely to be

blue collar workers than their counterparts in other areas of Virginia and Maryland. Asdemonstrated by Table I below, only 25 percent of residents in the Accomack County,Virginia area are employed in management, business, financial, or other professionaloccupations, as compared with more than 38 percent statewide. Manufacturing employs17 percent of the workforce, while retail trade and leisure/ hospitality industries employ11 and 10 percent of the county residents, respectively.


29/117


Unemployed Workforce

Slightly more that 4 percent of county residents were unemployed in 2006, compared to3.0 percent statewide and 4.6 percent nationally. There is extensive underemployment ofpersons in the area with the majority of residents working in sales, services and low-

skilled production and material moving jobs. Many residents are limited to part-timejobs. Additionally, we found during our visit, many people who had full-time jobs whohad their own part-time business on the side or who worked a second job.


30/117


Unemployed workers in Accomack County are somewhat younger than those throughoutthe Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, 58.6% of the countys unemployed are betweenthe ages of 25-44. One-quarter of the countys unemployed workforce have less than ahigh school diploma.


31/117


In looking at unemployed residents by industry, 17% of the countys unemployedresidents were the manufacturing sector, 10% from the health care and social assistancesector, and nearly 10% from construction. None comes from information industries andonly 5% were from professional or technical service industries.


32/117


When looking at unemployed residents by occupation, many of the persons had workedin the building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations, construction,education, office and administrative support occupations, sales, and transportation andmaterial moving occupations.


33/117


Education and Training

Eleven percent of the county residents have less than a 9th grade education and nearly19% have a 9th to 12th grade education, but no diploma, which is much higher than thestatewide rate. Additionally, almost 15% have a Bachelors degree or higher education,

but this is roughly one-half the statewide rate.


34/117


University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

Masters and Doctoral Programs in Aerospace Engineering

Graduate Programs

Aerospace Engineering involves the solution of complex multidisciplinary problems associated with aerospace vehiclesand systems, high-speed ground vehicles, spacecraft systems, and many other problems in addition to the traditionalareas of aeronautics and astronautics. More informationabout the Aerospace Engineering program is available.Thefollowing degree programs in Aerospace Engineering are offered:

Master of Engineering (M.E.) Master of Science (M.S.) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

Experimental Methods offers a solid foundation in advanced topics in the areas of aerodynamics, structural mechanicsand controls, coupled with hands-on experience with state of the art test and measurement equipment. Students focus intwo of four specialty areas offered (Applied Automatic Control, Structural Dynamics, Aerodynamics and Design ofExperiments) leading to emphasis areas such as , noise or flow control, , wind tunnel testing and aircraft systems test andevaluation This program is meant to prepare students to be immediately productive in the real world environment ofresearch, development and testing.

Degree Requirements - Master's Degrees

3.1 Admission

To qualify for admission, an applicant must first meet the general University admission requirements, as described in theUniversity Catalog, as summarized below. For admission as a regular graduate student, the applicant must have earnedan undergraduate degree from an accredited university in aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, mechanicalengineering, or a related field, such as civil structural engineering, physics or mathematics. For those applicants with non-engineering degrees, or those with engineering degrees other than aerospace, mechanical or engineering mechanics, theundergraduate program must have included the subject matter prerequisite for graduate study in aerospace engineeringor engineering mechanics. In other cases, a remedial study plan may be designed for an applicant by the GPD upon theapplicant's request. This remedial plan will include the undergraduate course work required to prepare the student forgraduate work in the shortest possible time.

An applicant with an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in the major of at least3.00 (4.00 scale) may be admitted as a regular student. An applicant with at least a 2.75 overall GPA, 2.75 in the major,and who shows evidence of improvement may be admitted as a provisional student. Provisional students areautomatically transferred to regular status after the completion of 12 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 orhigher.

All students must submit scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) from their Graduate Record Examination (GRE).Those applicants with an aggregate score above 1800 will automatically be considered for possible financial support. TheGPD may waive the GRE requirement for applicants holding B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from ODU, or withexceptional academic achievements. International students, if their native language is not English, must submit scores


35/117


from their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required by the University.International students must also submit a statement of adequate financial resources to cover their educational expenses.

This requirement is satisfied if the Department offers financial aid through teaching or research assistantships,fellowships, etc.

3.2 Requirements

To qualify as a candidate for a Master of Science or Master of Engineering degree in aerospace engineering, engineeringmechanics or experimental methods, a student must meet the following requirements:

3.2.1 General

All students will plan and execute their programs under the guidance of a Faculty Advisor. The GPD can serve as thestudent's advisor during the early portion of their program; however, as soon as possible, the student should select aFaculty Advisor whose expertise coincides with their research and educational interests. A minimum of 30 semester hoursbeyond the bachelor's degree is required.

3.2.2 Course Work

The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 24 semester hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degreewith at least a B (3.00) average and a minimum of 6 semester hours of thesis credit. The Master of Engineering degreerequires a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work (with at least a B (3.00) average). All Master's degree students

in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics are required to take MATH 691 (Engineering Analysis I) and AE601 (Theoretical Continuum Mechanics) as part of their core course requirements. They must take an additional three-hour course at the 600-level or above in mathematics or an approved equivalent in AE with heavy mathematicalemphasis. A maximum of 6 semester hours may be derived from 500-level courses, with the approval of the FacultyAdvisor. Form AE #3 indicating the planned program of study for the Master's degree should be submitted to the GPDbefore the end of the student's first semester in the Department. The program of study listed is a tentative list of desiredcourse work needed to meet degree requirements, research needs and student interest.

Aerospace Engineering students will now choose an emphasis area, either aerodynamics, structural mechanics, ordynamics and controls, and take the designated core course for that emphasis area (see Section 7.0). This will completetheir core course requirements. The remainder of the program will be selected primarily from the chosen emphasis area,according to the study plan developed by the student, the student's Faculty Advisor and the GPD.

Engineering Mechanics students are required to take a minimum of one course in each of the three emphasis areas ofaerodynamics, structural mechanics, and dynamics and controls (see Section 7.0). Either by choice of these courses, or

by an additional selection, students must complete one course with heavy emphasis on computational methods. Theseselections will complete the core course requirements. The entire program will be planned by the student under theguidance of the Faculty Advisor and the GPD.

Experimental Methods students have a different set of requirements. Students entering the Master of Engineering inExperimental Methods (MEXM) program are required to take AE 605 (Applied Engineering Analysis), AE 606 (AppliedSignal Processing) and AE 691 (Experimental Research Project). Students must then take the required three courses ineach of two specialty areas, chosen from the three currently offered: aerodynamics, structural dynamics and appliedautomatic controls. An approved elective course completes the 30-hour program. The MEXM program requires studentsto combine two of these specialty areas as part of the degree requirements. Combinations lead to emphasis in areas suchas spacecraft control, noise control, robotics, flight controls, active flow control, wind tunnel testing, and aircraft designand aeroelasticity. In this program, students will gain a solid foundation in advanced topics in the areas of aerodynamics,structural mechanics and controls, coupled with hands-on experience with state-of-the-art test and measurementequipment. The entire program will be planned under the guidance of a faculty advisor, the Director of the ExperimentalMethods Program, and the GPD.

3.2.3 Writi ng Profici ency

It is the policy of the University that all graduate students demonstrate writing proficiency. Master's students in theAerospace Engineering Department must satisfy this requirement prior to the completion of 15 hours of course work bypassing a writing examination prepared and administered through the Writing Center. The writing examination must berepeated until passed. Students should consult the Writing Exit Examination Guidelines available from the Writing Center.

This examination is administered several times each semester with the scheduled dates announced in each semester'sschedule of classes pamphlet. Students having writing deficiencies may be required to participate in programs through theWriting Center to correct these deficiencies. Students with previous degrees from ODU will probably have already passedthe Writing Exit Examination. Retesting is not required.


36/117


3.2.4 Master's Thesis

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in aerospace engineering or engineering mechanics is a research degree whichrequires a thesis. The thesis constitutes six semester hours within the 30 semester-hour requirement. Master of Sciencestudents are required to pass an oral defense of their thesis at the conclusion of study. As early as possible, a ThesisAdvisory Committee should be formed (Graduate Form 20) consisting of the Faculty Advisor and at least two other facultymembers, or approved experts in the field of research. The majority of committee members must always be full-timefaculty members of the Department. Graduate Form 20 should be completed and submitted to the GPD for approval.

Before the end of the student's second semester in the Department, Form AE #1 should be submitted to the GPD.Signatures of the Thesis Advisory Committee members indicate approval of the proposed work.

3.2.5 Master's Written Comprehensive Examination

The Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree in aerospace engineering and in engineering mechanics is a non-thesis degree.The 30 semester-hour requirement is thus met entirely by course work. During their final semester, Master of Engineeringstudents are required to pass a comprehensive, written examination covering their program of study. Students are onlypermitted two attempts at this examination. Unsuccessful candidates are not eligible to transfer to the thesis option.

Students in this program identify a Master's Examination Committee and submit Graduate Form 22 to the GPD with theappropriate signatures. At the beginning of the semester in which the student desires to take the Master's ComprehensiveExamination, Graduate Form 23 should be submitted to the GPD with the appropriate signatures. At the same time,

students should submit Form AE #5 listing their graduate courses which form the basis of the examination.

3.2.6 Project in Experimental Methods

The project for the MEXM program (AE 691) is defined jointly by the student and their Advisor. A one-page description ofthe proposed project should be submitted by the student with the Advisor's endorsement to the Director of theExperimental Methods Program for approval. Projects should be planned such that the majority of the work can becompleted in one semester. The project will culminate in a written report in the format of a technical journal or conferencepaper and an oral presentation of the project and its findings. A letter grade is assigned to the project by the student'sAdvisor. Written reports of sufficient quality may form the basis of a submission to a technical conference or journal. Allwritten reports will be archived by the Department.

The Project Advisory Committee for students in the MEXM program is defined using Graduate Form 20 and consists ofthe Faculty Advisor and at least two other faculty members or approved experts in the field. The majority of committeemembers must always be full-time faculty members of the Department. Graduate Form 20 should be completed and

submitted to the GPD through the Director of the Experimental Methods Program for approval.

Before the end of the student's second semester in the Department, Form AE #3 should be submitted to the GPD.Signature of the Faculty Advisor indicates approval of the proposed work.

Degree Requirements - Doctoral Degrees

4.1 Admission

To qualify for admission, an applicant must first meet general University admission requirements, which are summarizedbelow. For admission as a regular student, the applicant must have earned a Master's degree from an accreditedinstitution in either aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, mechanical engineering, a related branch ofengineering or a closely related field, such as physics or mathematics. For those applicants with degrees in fields otherthan aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or engineering mechanics, previous course work should include the

subject matter considered prerequisite for the doctoral program in either aerospace engineering or engineeringmechanics. In other cases, a remedial study plan may be designed by the GPD upon the applicant's request.

An applicant with an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale at the Master's level may beadmitted as a regular graduate student. However, an applicant with a GPA of a least 3.25 and who shows evidence ofimprovement may be admitted as a provisional student. Students are transferred to regular status following completion oftwelve semester hours of course work with a GPA of at least 3.00.

All students must submit scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) from their Graduate Record Examination (GRE).Those applicants with an aggregate score above 1800 will be considered for possible financial support. The GPD maywaive the GRE requirement for applicants with Master's degrees in AE, EM or ME from ODU, or for applicants with


37/117


exceptional academic achievements. International students, if their native language is not English, must submit scoresfrom their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required. Internationalstudents must also submit a statement of adequate financial resources to cover their educational expenses. Thisrequirement is satisfied if the Department offers financial aid through teaching or research assistantships, fellowships, etc.

4.2 Requirements

To qualify as a candidate for a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) degree in aerospace engineering or engineering mechanics,a student must meet the following requirements:

4.2.1 General

The applicant must have completed graduate-level course work that includes subject matter approximately equivalent tothe Master's programs in Aerospace Engineering of Engineering Mechanics at Old Dominion University. Students mustnormally spend a minimum of one academic year as a full-time student in the program. Exceptions may be approved forpart-time students working in research laboratories in the Hampton Roads region. This requirement may also be satisfiedwhile preparing the dissertation.

4.2.2 Course Work

As early as possible, preferably early in the first semester, the student should select a Faculty Advisor whose expertisecoincides with the student's educational and research interests. In most cases, a student is paired with a Faculty Advisor

when they are offered a graduate assistantship. Assisted by this Advisor, each student must plan a complete program ofcourse work designed to meet their academic and professional objectives. During the first semester, the student isassigned a Guidance Committee, chaired by the Advisor with at least two additional full-time faculty as members. Thestudent and the advisor are expected to work closely together and regularly update the guidance committee during thestudent's progression to doctoral candidacy. A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate course work beyond theMaster's degree must be included in the planned program. At least three-fifths of the course work for the Doctoral degreeshould be 800-level courses.

The selection of course work is primarily the decision of the advisor, guidance committee, and student. Coursesdesignated as part of the Master's core curricula will not normally be available for inclusion in the 24-hour course workrequirement, and 500-level courses are also not included. However, Aerospace Engineering students will be expected toconcentrate in their chosen emphasis area (e.g., aerodynamics, structural mechanics or dynamics and controls).Engineering Mechanics students will be expected to select at least one course from each of the three main emphasisareas. It is assumed that the student has a background in the core course topics and any deficiency will be discoveredduring the Preliminary Diagnostic Examination.

Before the end of the student's first semester in the Department, Form AE #4 should be submitted to the GPD. Signaturesof the Guidance Committee Members indicate approval of the planned program of study. The program of study listed is atentative list of desired course work needed to meet degree requirements, research needs and student interest.

4.2.3 Writi ng Profici ency

It is the policy of the University that all students demonstrate writing proficiency. Doctoral students in the Department ofAerospace Engineering must satisfy this requirement prior to the advancement to Candidacy, in one of three ways. Thefirst option is by passing a writing examination prepared and administered through the Writing Center. The writingexamination must be repeated until passed. Students should consult the Writing Exit Examination Guidelines availablefrom the Writing Center. Students having writing deficiencies may be required to participate in programs through theWriting Center to correct these deficiencies. This examination is administered several times each semester with thescheduled dates announced in each semester's schedule pamphlet. Students with previous degrees from ODU willprobably have already passed the Exit Writing Examination. Retesting is not required. The second option is to first-authora full-length paper in the format of a recognized technical journal. A third option for students is to use their Research Skill

report to meet this requirement, if appropriate. In this case, the Guidance Committee reviews the paper and providesrecommendations regarding acceptance.

4.2.4 Preliminary Diagnostic Examination

The purpose of the preliminary examination procedure is to provide an early screening for aspiring doctoral candidates sothat: (i) those who have the necessary background, intellectual commitment, and aptitude are encouraged to pursue thedegree; (ii) those who possess correctable deficiencies in their technical backgrounds can be informed and appropriatecorrective actions taken; and (iii) those who lack the necessary background and aptitude for doctoral-level study in theprogram will not be allowed to continue. The Aerospace Engineering Department requires that the student records of eachdoctoral student include documentation certifying that the student has participated in the Preliminary Diagnostic


38/117


Examination procedure. Graduate Form 10 is to be signed (approved) by the Committee and the Graduate ProgramDirector. This form certifies that the student has participated in the Ph.D. Diagnostic Examination Procedure and is toindicate one of the following:

i. The student is fully qualified to continue study within the Ph.D. program.ii. The student is deficient in some indicated areas and must remove the deficiencies by a recommended

procedure (this procedure may include re-examination in some areas and/or additional course work).iii. The student is not qualified to continue in the degree program.

Evidence needed to support the indicated recommendation is obtained from the results of the Ph.D. PreliminaryDiagnostic Examination.

All full-time students are required to take a part-written, part-oral Preliminary Diagnostic Examination during their firstsemester in the Ph.D. program. Part-time students must take the exam before completing 9 credit hours. Students whocomplete their Master's degree at ODU with a GPA above 3.50, and other students with exceptional academic recordsmay submit a written request to seek exemption from the Preliminary Diagnostic Examination. The Preliminary DiagnosticExamination covers the Master's core curricula as well as the student's chosen emphasis area(s). Students taking thisex

Fesa Study

Documents