Alabama Southern National Network for Pulp & Paper Technology Training

Created under a grant from the National Science Foundation

Creating a National Advanced Technology Center and Unique Curriculum: - A NSF Success Story and Roadmap

Michael J. Kocurek, PhD Director, NPT2, Alabama Southern mjkocurek@ascc.edu

The Story

• How Alabama Southern, a small community college in southwest Alabama, was able to form a partnership with Industry, and other community colleges and universities, to receive the largest NSF educational grant ever awarded to any paper industry college program, to create a National Advanced Technology Center, and to develop the largest and most unique curriculum of paper industry technical courses in the world, to serve both students and incumbent industry workers.

The Story

• The National Science Foundation described it as a "national model for technical training" and awarded Alabama Southern a $6.7 million grant as the lead institution in the National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology Training and to promote similar partnerships nationwide.

The Roadmap For Success

• Creating the Vision to meet a Need

• Securing Partners

• The NSF Grant Proposal

• Timing and Luck

The Vision

• Effective leaders are needed to define a major vision. They develop and clearly communicate the vision and strategy, inspiring and energizing others to commit.

• Former ASCC President John Johnson is credited with the original vision that eventually led to a NSF Grant to create a National Network for Pulp & Paper Technical Training(NPT2) as a National Advanced Technology Center at Alabama Southern.

• Visionary leaders are not necessarily Champions

Key Components of the VisionLeading to the NSF Grant

• The concept of a first of its kind multi craft, interdisciplinary curriculum academic program in Paper and Chemical Technology.

• Partnering with Industry to create scholarships and internships.

• Building a national network around the core six community colleges that offered associate degrees in pulp & paper technology, and then expanding the network.

National Partners

Alabama SouthernAuburn

Kennebec CCUniversity of Maine

Lower Columbia CCUniversity of Washington

Itasca CCU of Minnesota

Hayward CC Auburn

Auburn

Dabney Lancaster

Fox Valley CC UW- Stevens Point

National Partners

• Arranged Workforce Development to be included as a platform in the Agenda 2020 Summit – a formal partnership created in 1994 between the US Paper Industry and the Department of Energy to create a roadmap of research an development for the future. The Summit was held in 2004.

• The National Network for Pulp & Paper Technical Training (NPT2) was the cornerstone Workforce Development program coming out of the Agenda 2020 Summit.

National Partners

• Active support and partnering from the Industry’s largest P&P technical society (TAPPI).

• Hosted a mini conference with Industry and partner Community Colleges and Universities.

• Auburn University and TAPPI guided early contact with National Science Foundation Program Manager(s).

Bringing Local Partners on Board• Alabama Southern Industry Alliance (13 mills)

Eight of the advanced technology manufacturers in Southwest Alabama committed approximately 40 scholarships and internships to recruit top students into a pipeline to the region's best jobs.

• This Scholarships-Internships-Jobs partnership was pioneered in 1995 between Alabama Southern and CIBA Specialty Chemicals. Since then, the American Chemical Society has described the partnership as a "workforce development model for the nation.”

National Science Foundation Proposal

• Create a multi craft Paper and Chemical Degree Program, with multiple skill sets in addition to General Studies and P&P technology, including Maintenance, Process Control, Safety, Environmental, Mechanical, Electrical, and Statistics courses.

• Build a national skills set.

• Add additional Community Colleges to the Network.

• Create technical e-learning courses for students and incumbent workers.

National Science Foundation Proposal

• Planning Grant • NPT2 Grant

$3M in 2006

$3M in 2009

Total of $6.7 million dollars

The Alabama SouthernNational Network For Pulp & Paper Technical Training

Curriculum

COURSES LECTURES (40 MINUTES) CONTENT LEVEL SCALE

(CAN BE VARIED IN LENGTH) (1 = INTRODUCTORY; 2 = INTERMEDIATE; 3 = ADVANCED)

PULP MILL TECHNOLOGY (26 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2) PAPER MILL TECHNOLOGY (33 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2) WET END CHEMISTRY (31 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.3) COATING (26 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2) CHEMICAL RECOVERY (12 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2) ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (10 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2)TISSUE TECHNOLOGY (24 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2)PULP MILL TESTING LABS (17 LABS) INTRODUCTORY (1.0)PAPER & BOARD TESTING LABS (22 LABS) INTRODUCTORY (1.0)RECYCLING (FALL 2014) (35 LECTURES) INTRODUCTORY (1.2) PAPER MACHINE OPTIMIZATION (56 LECTURES) INTERMEDIATE (2.0)

Who are the Audiences for these P&P Courses

and Program?• On Campus Students at ASCC

• Distance Learning Students– No credit, self instruction– Credit, certificate or degree from ASCC

• Industry In-house Training Programs – Self administered, or by HR– Administered by local community colleges

The Alabama Southern National Network For Pulp & Paper Technical

TrainingCurriculum Features

• Lecture Revisions to keep content up to date. All users will be invited to provide input for these updates or improvements. This is a unique feature that will maintain the value of the courses.

• Customizable to shorter lecture sizes, and/or to lower content levels by deleting, or making optional, specific lectures, and/or slides.

The Alabama Southern National Network For

Pulp & Paper Technical TrainingCurriculum Features

• Customizable to each mill’s process & products, at relatively low cost. The technology being used allows customized content (mill personnel, processes, and products) to be inserted into and/or between individual lectures. Customized content remains proprietary.

NPT2

Pulp & Paper

NPT2 Web Site

&e – Learning

Course Catalog

Sample lectures are available.

Contact mwynn@ascc.edu

Questions or Comments

• Creating the Vision to meet a Need

• Securing Partners

• The NSF Grant Proposal

• Creating and/or Administering the Courses

• Course Features /Recording Technology

Alabama Southern National Network for Pulp & Paper Technology Training

Created under a grant from the National Science Foundation

Creating a National Advanced Technology Center and Unique Curriculum: - A NSF Success Story and Roadmap

Michael J. Kocurek, PhD Director, NPT2, Alabama Southern mjkocurek@ascc.edu