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Show Campus News Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 Page 3 Engineering students prepare for eight-hour test Campus & Community BY ASHLYN TUCKER staff writer On Oct. 27, students from the College of Engineering will sit down to take one of the most important tests of their college careers, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the exam is an eight hour test designed for students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree. USU is one of a handful of engineering schools requiring a passing score on the exam for graduation. "The FE exam is the first step to becoming a professional engineer," said Dean Adams, associate dean of the College of Engineering. "By requiring the exam for graduation, students take it more seriously." The exam is 120 multiplechoice questions and is separated into two parts. Adams said every student takes the same morning exam nationwide. The exam covers everything from mathematics and engineering mechanics to economics and ethics. Adams said the afternoon section is specific to each discipline. Students in majors that do not fall into a specific discipline offered may choose take the general afternoon exam. Adams said the College of Engineering has a phenomenal pass rate for the exam. Students in the mechanical engineering program had a 100 percent pass rate last spring compared to the national average of 78 percent. Other engineering disciplines at USU all have pass rates above the national averages. After passing the exam and graduating, students must work as a junior engineer for a designated number of years and pass the Professional Engineering Exam to become a licensed engineer. Adams said the number of working years depends on the state. In Utah, this timeframe is four years according to the Utah Division of Occupational and Briefs Ceramics Guild holds annual sale TWO STUDENTS STUDY IN the engineering building. This month, seniors in engineering will take an 8-hour graduation test. SAMANTHA BEHL photo illustration Professional Licensing. Jason Hall, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said the exam is a good measure of success in school. He said if students can pass the test, they were taught well in school and have learned the material beyond just well enough to pass the class. Blake Tucker, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said the department's requirement encourages students to take the exam and to take it seriously. He said if students were not required to take the exam to graduate, they would not put forth the effort to do well and pass or may not even take it at all. Sydney Bone, a junior majoring in biological engineering, said the exam material won't be applicable to her career. "It's understandable for mechan- ical and civil engineers, but biological engineers likely won't use most of the material covered on the exam in the workforce," she said. Bone said students in her discipline are at a disadvantage because they aren't required to take courses in some of the topics on the exam such as strength of materials, engineering economics and advanced dynamics. Corey Child, a senior majoring in civil engineering, said he wished the exam was offered in the summer when school isn't in session. "We could worry about it in the summer and worry about school during school when we are too busy doing homework," he said. The Utah State section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers has been sponsoring review sessions to help students prepare for the test for the last 25 years. Kevin Irick, the ASME president, said the review sessions this semester assisted more than 35 students and involved seven professors. Irick said the review sessions are meant to relieve concerns about the exam. "They are an opportunity to revisit material that was already learned, ask questions and recall principles to apply them on the spot," he said. Irick said the review sessions help students relieve some of the stress they feel about the exam. "Students see many others who are preparing for the exam and feel more confident knowing they are not alone," he said. – ashlyn.tucker@aggiemaiLusu.edu The Utah State University Ceramics Guild will hold its annual Chili Bowl Sale Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the patio of the Taggart Student Center from 9-4 p.m. Each purchase comes with a bowl of chili, donated by USU Food Services. Patrons will have the opportunity to browse a large selection of bowls and meet the artists. Prices start at $8, with both cash and checks accepted. Funds raised by the sale are used to promote education of the ceramic arts through the financial support of the USU Ceramics Guild. Funds raised in previous guild initiatives have been used to purchase studio equipment, host guest artists and send students to the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference. "The chili bowl sale is an excellent opportunity to support the ceramics program at USU," said Jonathan Christensen, Ceramics Guild president. "It is a great chance to meet the artists and find out about their work. They also appreciate the opportunity to leave the studio and connect with the community." The Department of Art and Design in the Caine College of the Arts affords its students an excellent environment for developing visual arts competency and serves as a regional center, providing cultural experiences for the university and the surrounding communities. Alum named to Governors Board USU graduate Paul T. Moxley, an attorney with the law firm of Parsons Kinghorn Harris of Salt Lake City, has been nominated to the American Bar Association's Board of Governors. Moxley graduated from USU in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in political science. During his Aggie years he was a 1967-68 member of the track team. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law School. Extremely active in the professional arena, Moxley is a former president of the Utah State Bar, president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and was selected by the Utah State Bar for 2009 as the Outstanding Lawyer of the Year. He is a member of the Alta town council. His law practice focuses on complex civil litigation and white collar crime. Friends of library host fall lecture USU EASTERN'S NEW CAMPUS HOUSING building will house 74 students. Construction on the building began this month. Photo courtesy of Media Relations USU Eastern starts construction on new housing BY USU MEDIA RELATIONS The recent dedication of USU Eastern's Blanding Campus administration building was done with the rumbling of heavy equipment in the air. Excavation is already underway for new and much-needed housing on the 600-student campus. Front-end loaders are carving out a site that will eventually room up to 74 students and more than double housing capacity on the 150-acre campus of Utah State UniversityCollege of Eastern Utah. Plans are to start moving students in by spring of 2013. And it can't come soon enough, said Kol Conway, housing and food services director. "For us, this is huge," he said. "We are a destination campus serving the needs of students throughout the Four Corners area." The campus has experienced a housing overflow for the past four years. Early on it began to reach out to local motel owners to house students in their rooms. "We knew then that our housing shortage was a problem that was not going to go away," Conway said. "That's when we started seriously discussing our options. Of course, it's a good problem to have. It means we are growing." Garth Wilson, campus vice chancellor, knows a little about growing pains. He was part of the campus early in the 70s when it was the College of Eastern Utah and they had only trailers for classrooms. He knew then as he does now that the students are out there and willing to come to Blanding for college if they can find a suitable place to stay. It's a "if you build it, they will come" philosophy that is bolstered by grateful parents who live far away on the reservation. Many of them prefer to have their chsildren live on campus in a safe and supportive environment, Wilson said. USU Eastern uniquely draws some 65 percent of its student body from the nearby Navajo Reservation. "We have reached our capacity," Wilson said. "Parents want their children to be able to live on campus, and we want them to be able to as well. There is tremendous value, particularly with freshmen students, having a positive campus life experience." Wilson said the campus has exceptional facilities and resources. Students who are able to live on campus stand the most to benefit from those offerings. And word has gotten out as the waiting list continues to grow. "We know the demand is there for even more housing," he said. "We are confident that we will fill these dorms and that when we build more of them, even more students will come." Conway said the merger with Utah State University two years ago helped to pave the way for this new construction. "Before we were helpless to figure out a way to find funding," he said. "Utah State University stepped up and helped us to make this happen." The new dorms will be paid for through student housing fees. What that charge will be is still under consideration. The current cost for housing in the traditional style dormitory rooms is $1,150 per semester. The 17,200-square-foot building will break from tradition and consist, instead, of suites, common areas and kitchenettes. Housing units will either contain three or four bedroom units with two students per bedroom. Private room suites will also be available, Conway said. Ultimately, what it means to students is comfort, convenience and the opportunity to be more deeply involved in campus life and activities. "They are right here on campus," he said. "They can walk in stocking feet to the cafeteria to get their food and then walk across the street — hopefully in shoes — to attend class. We think it helps them to be better, more focused students." Wilson said the college takes campus housing very seriously because of the opportunities it provides for students to interact more. Involvement and participation are pivotal to student success. It is one of the reasons he believes USU Eastern has been ranked in the top 3 nationally for its student graduation and transfer rates: connections are forged, Friends of the Merrill-Cazier Library, a support group for University Libraries at Utah State University, will present its fall lecture on Thursday, Oct. 25. Featured speakers are Edwin Stafford and Cathy Hartman, marketing professors and directors for the Center for the Market Diffusion of Renewable Energy and Clean Technology at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU. The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in MerrillCazier Library, Room 101. The lecture is free and all are invited. For their presentation, Stafford and Hartman will screen the documentary "Wind Uprising," then provide updates on current issues facing wind energy on the national, regional and local levels, including Cache Valley and USU. Friends of Merrill-Cazier Library is a community-based support group that promotes awareness of the library's resources, facilities and personnel. Its mission is to enrich library resources and sponsor outreach activities throughout the year, including fall and spring lectures. ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find in error, please contact the editor at 797-1742, statesman@aggiemail. usu.edu or come in to TSC 105. ► Compiled from staff and media reports |