Greenfield is a Coalition of seven colleges and universities (Wayne State University, Walsh College, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Lawrence Technological University and University of Detroit / Mercy) working with the Big Three automotive manufacturers and several related corporations, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and Focus: HOPE, a human rights organization dedicated to practical action to overcome racism, poverty, and injustice.

Greenfield has created a revolutionary educational experience leading to associate's and bachelor's degrees in engineering and engineering technology. The degree programs integrate academic studies and workplace-learned manufacturing skills. Greenfield's vision leverages technology to enhance student progress. The National Science Foundation funds Greenfield to develop transferable, web-based engineering courses incorporating this vision, using real-world engineering case problems.

Anthropology at Greenfield has two dimensions. The primary focus is to conduct an action research project with a specific aim of understanding, documenting, and supporting change in the Coalition's educational institutions and industry partners. A second dimension is a fundamental inquiry into this unique experiment in engineering education attempting to develop and advance processes that can be used to graduate engineers fully prepared to successfully enter a twenty-first century global workplace.

The mission-oriented goal of this ethnographic project supports, enhances, and documents change in teaching and learning culture occurring as Greenfield faculty and staff perfect and disseminate web-based engineering courseware. Project Anthropologists conduct classroom observations; administer evaluation survey instruments; and conduct interviews with faculty, staff, and students. In short, anthropologists document the existing culture and then document changes occurring as new courses and teaching instruments are used in the classrooms at Focus: HOPE and the Coalition's partner universities. The study supports classroom culture change, examining the effectiveness of change - asking all the while how Greenfield can improve and enhance successful culture change processes. The Greenfield Coalition is an ongoing, original field experiment in undergraduate engineering education culture change with significant implications for recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities to engineering schools and colleges in North America and internationally.

IITC is a multidisciplinary group of medical and organizational anthropologists, psychologists, engineers, nurses, social workers, computer experts and doctors collaborating to understand the cultural aspects of technology use. For further information regarding this project or IITC, please contact Dr. Allen W. Batteau, Director, 313.874.7010 or visit Institute for Information Technology and Culture.

GREENFIELD COALITION FOR NEW MANUFACTURING EDUCATION
Focus: HOPE 1400 Oakman Boulevard Detroit, Michigan 48238-2881
Office: (313) 494-4499 or (313) 494-4559 * Fax (313) 494-4558

A National Science Foundation coalition partnership between University of Detroit Mercy * Lawrence Technological University * Lehigh University * University of Michigan * Wayne State University * Chrysler Corporation * Cincinnati Milacron * Detroit Diesel * EDS * Focus: HOPE * Ford Motor Company * General Motors * Society of Manufacturing Engineers