March 21, 1996

On-Site Engineering Degree Offered for CP&L Employees

Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University have created a partnership to offer a B.S. degree in engineering with a nuclear emphasis for CP&L's nuclear group employees beginning this fall.

The program unites the utility, the university and community colleges near the utility's power plants in an effort to provide higher education to those who may not otherwise have access to it.

"We are pleased to develop this partnership with NC State and our local community colleges," said Skip Orser, executive vice president of CP&L's Nuclear Generation Group. "This program is part of our company's commitment to offer opportunities to employees to continue their academic studies and to enhance their developmental opportunities within the company."

In the Tier I phase, employees of the power plants will complete about 60 semester hours toward an A.S. (associate in science) degree at nearby community colleges. The hours will transfer toward and satisfy prerequisites of a bachelor's degree in engineering at NC State.

Wake Technical Community College in Wake County will offer courses to corporate office employees and those at the Harris plant; Brunswick Community College in Brunswick, North Carolina, to employees at the Brunswick plant; and Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence, South Carolina, to those at the Robinson plant.

Students will then enter the Tier II phase, taking the necessary advanced courses offered by the university via video conferencing. Additionally, the students will have remote access to the engineering workstation network at NC State, correspond by electronic mail with faculty and academic support personnel, and possibly use interactive software to supplement the courses.

"The program is an important step in developing cooperative relationships with community colleges and giving opportunities to adults who have full-time jobs," said Dr. Donald J. Dudziak, head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at NC State. "In essence, we are establishing a pioneering effort in an area that is a national trend and a high priority of the university: distance learning."

Dudziak pointed out that those students who have had no prior higher education will embark on a program taking up to eight years, attending classes and labs at night and on the weekends.

NC State nuclear engineering faculty are currently developing three new courses for the program that focus on design and operation of commercial nuclear power plants. Many laboratories for the courses will be held at the utility's facilities, but students will also travel to the NC State campus to use the research reactor and other facilities.

About 64 CP&L employees at the three power plants are now enrolled in the program, and a few advanced students will begin NC State course work in August.

"Other faculty members and I are really looking forward to teaching mature students. In the teaching process, we will also learn from their experiences, and we will have students who are highly motivated," Dudziak said.

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