Annual Report - College of Textiles

1999-2000

Interim Dean David R. Buchanan

Changes in the Service Environment

The globalization of the textile and allied industries continues at a rapid pace. Although the issue of wage rates continues to drive the movement of apparel operations to Mexico and the Caribbean, significant numbers of textile firms are establishing operations in these areas as well as in South America. In this case, the issue is not wages, but logistics - being physically close to customers. Mexico is being prepared as a significant world-wide export base to take advantage of the business advantages offered by NAFTA.

We are starting to be able to see the future and its effect on College activities. It is clear that College of Textiles graduates will continue to be in demand, but the days when they could count on being employed in North Carolina, even when they work for a North Carolina company, are numbered. Increasingly they will need exposure to the relevant principles of international systems, and to cultural and language skills that were formerly of minor importance. For research and extension programs, these changes represent great opportunities as well as some challenges.

Compact Plan

The College's Compact Plan is based on the future described above. We have committed to building a curriculum and subject matter base in the area of Strategic International Textile Operations. New faculty have been hired in each of the following areas: Textile Financial Operations, International Trade, Logistics, Textile Design Management, Systems Integration.

Curricula also will have increased emphasis on foreign language and culture through both formal and informal programs. Because of textiles' increasing internationalization, student enrollments will become increasingly diverse with greater numbers of female and international students. Our vision is to build on our historic strengths and these new directions.

The College's Compact Plan also addresses building of new partnerships. With the School of Design, we will offer a dual degree program in Textile Design and Textile Technology. With the College of Management, we will collaborate in an Executive Education Program, the first of which is scheduled for September 2000. With the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, we continue to implement a Campus Writing and Speaking Program. Finally, we will continue to establish partnerships with Canadian and Mexican universities for teaching, research, and outreach programs.

With the anticipated increase in numbers of Hispanic students, we are planning for the challenges posed by advising larger numbers of international students. We anticipate the need for a bilingual international student advisor within two years.

Finally, we are preparing for delivery of CoT programs at a distance. Although our historic Textile Off-Campus Televised Education (TOTE) program remains entirely viable for U. S. residents, we will move to more modern technology in asynchronous delivery, as well as providing instruction in Spanish. We will discover how to do this with a pilot project to convert the most popular of our short courses into a web-based, Spanish-language offering.

Diversity

Of the five new faculty hires in the College, four are female and one is also African-American. One department (TATM) now has approximately one-third female tenure-track faculty.

The Diversity portion of the College's Compact Plan includes requests for need-based financial aid, faculty language training, and the restoration of our diversity coordinator position to full time.

Instructional Program Advances

The College's Graduate Programs underwent the mandated 10-year review by the Graduate School, assisted by inside and outside reviewers. We are awaiting the results.

During the Spring 2000 semester, one laboratory section of TT 221 Yarn Technology was offered in Spanish, with the purpose of teaching textile manufacturing terminology in Spanish. All materials were in Spanish, and the laboratory was led by a Spanish-speaking instructor. Eight students (voluntarily) registered for this section. We plan to repeat the experience this year.

After a year of intense curriculum revision activity, the new Textile Engineering Curriculum was implemented. The four tracks - machine design, chemical process design, product engineering and information systems engineering - provide a new flexibility for textile engineering students, as well as meeting industry demand. The TE Senior Design courses were funded by Solutia, a nylon 66 manufacturer, and led to designs for run-flat tires, devices to protect windows during hurricanes, a water-repellent orthopedic cast, and friction-controlled ropes.

Research

Research expenditures from contracts and grants are projected to be ~$6.1 million for this period, about the same as last year. However, research expenditures per FTE are ~$126,000, last year second only to the College of Engineering. Service agreements and other forms of "applied research" are not included in these numbers.

This year, the faculty published 66 papers in refereed journals. Another 24 are in press at this time. Faculty also published another 80 or so papers in non-refereed journals. There also were four book chapters and one book. This year four patents were issued to the University through the efforts of College faculty. Close to twenty disclosures have been made this year.

The Consortium for Research in Supercritical Fluid Applications to Textile Processes lost a key sponsor in November. The resulting legal and financial issues took over 6 months to resolve, and the consortium research effort lost some ground as a result. Nevertheless, construction of the large pilot scale machine for polyester dyeing was completed, and it should be installed and in operation within six months. Research on cotton dyeing in supercritical fluids has been resumed. In addition, replacement consortium members have been identified.

The Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center seems to have transitioned successfully from partial NSF, industry, and state support to only industry and state support. State of the art spun-bond / melt-blown technology is being acquired, which will complete the Center's technology portfolio and make it a truly world-class center.

Extension

As predicted, industry globalization is leading to new opportunities in Mexico. At this time, the College has seven different programmatic associations with seven different sponsors: Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - Monterrey, ITESM - Torreone, ITESM - Moralos, Dupont-Akra, Cydsa, Puebla Textile Chamber, and Instituto Textil y Tecnologico de Puebla. We also are collaborating with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (headquartered in RTP) to establish a Textile Extension / AATCC office in Puebla.

Education programs in extension (short course and in-plant) were significantly impacted by reduced profit margins and the general economy of the U. S. industry. We will add more conferences to our short course schedule, and increase our offerings in Mexico to reduce the impact of the changes in the workforce and workplace in the U. S. textile facilities.

The Applied Research program continues to grow. Client satisfaction (182 clients) in this program is extremely high.

Faculty

Dr. Subhash K. Batra, Charles A. Cannon Professor of Textiles, received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic on June 15, 2000. He was honored to recognize his lifelong contributions to the fields of Textile Science and Textile Technology.

Dr. Roger L. Barker was named the Burlington Industries Professor of Textile Technology.

Dr. William Oxenham was named the Abel C. Lineberger Professor of Yarn Manufacturing.

Dr. C. Brent Smith was named the Cone Mills Professor of Textile Chemistry.

Dr. Samuel C. Winchester, the William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor of Textiles, retired effective December 31, 1999.

Dr. Mendel Robinson retired effective June 30, 2000.

Students

Fall 1999 enrollment for the college was 814 undergraduate students and 120 graduate students. Spring 2000 enrollment was 786 undergraduate students and 110 graduate students. There were 80 transfer students during the year. The college conferred a total of 156 undergraduate and 33 graduate degrees in 1999-2000. Four students (12% of the total) were University valedictorians at the Spring Commencement.

Seventy-two students participated in the University Scholars Program.

Again, the College anticipates 95% placement of its graduates by July 31. Average starting salaries will be slightly higher than the $39,000 average from last year.

Fund-Raising

The amount contributed to the North Carolina Textile Foundation in 1999-2000 was $1,286,397.

Administration

Dean Robert A. Barnhardt stepped aside as Dean on December 31, 1999. Interim Dean David R. Buchanan was appointed from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2000. Dean A. Blanton Godfrey will start on July 1, 2000.

Ms. Sandra Broome and Dr. Lenny Barton were received the Award for Excellence 2000. Mr. Jim Watson received the Outstanding Extension Award for 1998-1999. Mr. Cliff Seastrunk was selected as a founding member of the University's Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension (AOFEE).

Recommendations and Concerns for the Future

The College is entering a time of some change in the service environment, but of great opportunity. Continuing to attract outstanding students, engage in excellent research and scholarly activity, and transfer knowledge effectively to the textile industry will be the marks of success.