[Shohreh Moini]  We offer two programs; associate degree in mechanical engineering, which is a two-year program.  Our students get a wide variety of knowledge in the field of design and drafting, instrumentation, fluid related subjects and manufacturing processes and mechanics of materials.  We also have a one-year certificate program in heating and air conditioning.  Our graduates are able to start positions in HVAC field for residential and industrial building.  They get courses in heating and cooling systems, principles of heating and cooling, fabrication shop.

[Dariush Zadeh]  Our program in fact covers so many areas and the students who graduate from our program are able to do different tasks at a job.  

[Brian Murphy] Graduating mechanical engineering technology students have a good reputation in Western New York and outside.  Believe it or not there are jobs out there for technicians.  Even though some plants have closed, those were the laborer that came in and was trained on the job.  A technician coming out of this program has just enough background in math and physics and hands on training where he can be a contributing member right away. 	

[Student]  Your drives wheels are actually connected to a shaft that runs on the ...  

[Shohreh Moini]  Students who come to our program are three groups.  One group is coming freshly from high school, they like to get the education for the first two years of the engineering degree, then they continue their last two years of the engineering degree at a four-year university.

The second group of students are students who are already in the workforce and they come to our program after several years being in the industry to get a better education and to get a promotion at work.

We get also the third group of students.  These are students, who already started at a big university, but they are not happy with the attention that they received at those universities and they come to get better attention in the small classrooms that we offer our students.
 
[Dariush Zadeh] Students benefit with the small size classes by being able to ask questions and receive personal attention.

[Brian Murphy] In general, our ratio is about one professor to 10 students.  Some more, some less in various classes, but that allows us to come around after we instruct and then we can come around and look at the practical applications of each student; are they getting it, are they following along and if not then I will slow it down so that we hit the average performance of the class.
    
[Dariush Zadeh]  So produce the size of this hole, might run from 19.8 all the way to 20.2 ...  

[Brian Murphy]  The strength of the program is basically because its ABET accredited, that is the American Board of Education in Technology.  It certifies us to be a certain level of engineering technology instruction.  So that allows these students to take that AAS to another college and go on to a four year degree or go right out into the workplace and have a fairly good, reputable degree.

[Dariush Zadeh]  We have articulation agreements with several four-year schools.  Some of our students go to Buffalo State, some go to RIT, some go to Alfred State College.

[Brian Murphy]  If the students go on to a four year program, I think they are well prepared if they stay in mechanical engineering technology.  There is a difference between mechanical engineering technology and mechanical engineering science in that there is higher-level math and physics required.  So if they stayed in technology they would be fine and well prepared, if they transfer to the science portion they would probably have to take an additional math and an additional physics. 

[Dariush Zadeh]  If you show angularity in this fashion at the dimensional sign ...	

[Brian Murphy]  We allow everyone who applies to come into the program.  If they do need additional math, they will take what we call pre-mechanical engineering.
[Shohreh Moini]  Pre-mechanical adds almost one year to their education.  The physics course almost is the physics that they need for the program and the math that they need for the program is covered in pre-mechanical courses.

[Shohreh Moini]  I have to travel upward, how far should it go up?

[Shohreh Moini]  We like to educate students to be life long learners and we want them to tackle global challenges.