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the United States.
The good news: a good number of these students stay in the area, finding employment with local firms.
Since 1998, SIUE's engineering program has shown dramatic growth, university officials report. Enrollment has increased
more than 50 percent over this period, making it the largest school of engineering in the metropolitan area.
"Until about eight or nine years ago, almost everybody came from our 14-county area," said Jacob Van Rokel, associate dean
of the SIUE School of Engineering. "That includes some of the
Missouri counties and those around here. Ten years ago, we were about an 82 percent commuter campus. That's now down to 58
percent. We've really become more of a resident campus."
According to Van Rokel, although a lot of other engineering schools are dropping in enrollment, SIUE's program is growing.
The associate dean's enrollment figures show that SIUE has surpassed both Washington University and Saint Louis University in
engineering undergraduates.
Van Rokel attributes this growth to two factors: the new school of engineering building that opened in Fall 2000 and new
residence halls.
"We have an elaborate open house," he said. "When they (prospective students) come and see the brand-new facilities that we
have here with $4.5 million of lab equipment, it's quite impressive and that grabs hold of them. The fact that we have new
residence halls is also a plus. Bluff Hall is just across the road from our building, so they're just 500 yards from where
most of their classes are," Van Rokel added. "So people come down from up north, look at us and like what they see - and they
stay here," he said.
Another attraction, he said, is the school's relationship with major employers in the metropolitan area and its access to
jobs.
"We have unique relationships with some of the major employers of engineers in the area: Emerson Motor Co., The Boeing Co.,
Defense Support Systems, Basler Electric and Maverick Technologies," Van Rokel said. "With our working relationships with
these companies, our students get those jobs there. For example, we're a preferred supplier of engineering graduates to
Boeing."
Kay Guse, factory support engineering liaison and producibility department manager for Boeing and a SIUE alumna, says she
looks to SIUE for good job candidates.
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"We have been hiring from SIUE for years, as it is a local university with quality graduates," said Guse. "In fact, the
last couple of years have warranted increased hiring of college graduates and SIUE always steps up with very talented
students. The students compete with other applicants from around the country and often end up with the positions."
The SIUE School of Engineering has formed an Industrial and Professional Advisory Committee. Through this organization, the
professors and industry advisors approach such issues as internships and cooperative students, hiring and opportunities for
the school to work with industry. Guse is a member.
"In the past year, we have done some creative things to strengthen the bond between the school and the university," she
said. "In a lunch forum we introduced the department heads from several Boeing divisions (engineering, business and
information technology) to their respective department heads at the university."
Several engineering department heads from Boeing toured SIUE's Southwestern Illinois Advanced Manufacturing Institute
facility, Guse said, identifying capabilities and opportunities for working together.
"We hosted eight interns and coops - that were doing their term at Boeing - to a breakfast to describe how we could improve
our relationships with students," she said. "We have met a number of times with the deans of the Schools of Engineering and
Business and have supported on-campus activities such as speaking in classrooms, designing curriculum, speaking at lecture
series, participating in career days and speaking to graduates and technical societies."
Doug Mueller is a recruiter for Boeing. According to Mueller, Boeing's U.S. Army contract for future combat systems will
require many engineers to help build and integrate communication and control systems to help the U.S. military in its future
needs. Products like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, he said, will require even more engineers
in the future.
"We also need computer programmers to support our manufacturing and financial systems," Mueller said, "and computer network
technicians to support our internal network that lets all Boeing employees, suppliers and partners keep in touch from all over
the world. SIUE's engineering school will be a part of helping Boeing meeting its worldwide commitments and obligations."
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