A NEW CURRICULA AT THE WOOD INDUSTRY FACULTY IN BRASOV
Prof.dr.ing. Gavril Budău
Dean, Faculty of Wood Industry - “Transilvania” University of Brasov
Address: B-dul Eroilor nr. 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
E-mail: g.budau@unitbv.ro
As we already announced in the previous number of PRO LIGNO journal, the "FRONTLINES" heading is going to include within this second issue a presentation of the new curricula for the specializations of our faculty, followed within future issues by the presentation of each subject.
The decision for this action considers two main objectives:
- to inform our partners from wood industry about the educational offer and the candidate profile of the future engineer in wood industry.
- to make our partners sensitive about the cooperation with our faculty in order to establish some job standards for the future engineers.
We consider it very important to receive a feed-back from our industrial partners, considering that only a real partnership with industry can lead to the establishment of an appropriate professional preparation standard of the future graduates, enhancing thus the development of curricula which correspond to this standard level.
The topical interest of presenting the new curricula at the Wood Industry Faculty is also determined by the reglementations of the Law No. 288/2004 regarding the organization of university studies, which foresees the diminishing of the study period to 4 years (8 semesters) instead of 5 years (10 semesters) as until now.
According to the above mentioned law and to the Government Resolution No. 88/2005 regarding the organization of licensed higher education studies, the Ministry of Education and Research has issued the Regulation No. 3545/10.03.2005 which foresees the following issues:
“Art. 1. (1). The cycle of licensed higher education studies is structured on study fields.
(2). A study field is defined through general knowledges and competences. The field includes one or more university specializations.
(4). Specializations are alternative methods of gaining knowledges and competences, which are characteristic to a study field”.
According to the Government Resolution No. 88/2005, the field “WOOD ENGINEERING” has been included as a subfield in the field of INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. We consider this event to be a serious error, because as for “Textiles - Leather Engineering” and “Food Engineering”, ”Wood engineering” has nothing in common with “Machine Building Engineering”, “Welding Equipment and Technology”, “Equipment for Hot Processes” etc.
Therefore, our faculty initiated an approach for the recognition of WOOD ENGINEERING as a separate licensed field within the structure of the Romanian higher educational system. We hope our petition to be successful, especially if it is also supported by profile-linked associations, such as the Professional Association of Romanian Furniture Manufacturers (APMR) and the Romanian Forestry Association (ASFOR), for the following reasons:
- The wood processing industry represents over 10% of the national economy.
- The Wood Industry Faculty in Brasov assures the training of engineers since 1948 (when the Forestry Institute has been set up) !
- During the 47 years of functioning, over 5000 students graduated this faculty, including those from foreign countries (Albania, Mongolia, Iran, countries from Africa and South America).
- Along this period of existence, the faculty has functioned using its own curricula, totally different from those belonging to other specializations, due to the peculiarities of its object of study – WOOD.
- At present, in the European Union, WOOD ENGINEERING is a separate licensed field within FORESTRY higher education and our faculty has strong partnerships with similar faculties (ENSTIB from Epinal - France; the Forestry University from Zvolen – Slovakia; the Forestry University from SOPRON - Hungary etc.).
In addition, as you will see bellow, our engineering subjects are totally different from those belonging to the field of “industrial engineering”. Even some of the fundamental subjects have own peculiarities, such as: wood chemistry and technical drawing in wood industry.
Coming back to the reform of the Romanian higher education system, this has already started, beginning with the universitary year 2005/2006. The following requirements had to be observed:
1. Period of study: 4 years (8 semesters) for a university license (undergraduate studies degree).
2. Duration of postgraduated studies (Master’s): 1,5…2 years (3 or 4 semesters).
3. Number of study hours per week: 26…27 hours/week.
4. Number of study weeks per semester:14 weeks/sem.
5. Number of evaluation sessions: 2 sessions of 4 weeks each (winter/summer) and a session of re-examination (2 weeks in September).
6. The ratio between the number of lecturing hours and the number of hours for applications is: 1,06.
7. The percentage of subjects, according to CNEAA (National Council of Academic Evaluation and Accreditation) requirements is as follows:
- Fundamental subjects…………………………minimum 17%.
- Specific engineering subjects .……………….minimum 38%.
- Speciality-specific subjects……………………minimum 25%
- Complementary subjects………………………maximum 8%.
- Other (optional) subjects …………………………maximum 12%.
8. Number of subjects (and thus, number of evaluations) each semester: maximum 7.
9. Percentage of optional subjects: minimum 10% of the total number of subjects.
According to CNEAA recommendations for the fundamental field “ENGINEERING SCIENCES”, the fundamental subjects are as follows:
1. Mathematical Analysis; 2. Linear Algebra, Analytical Geometry and Differential Equations; 3. Special Mathematics; 4. Descriptive Geometry; 5. Technical Drawing and Computer Aided Graphics; 6. Computer Programming and Programming Languages; 7. Physics; 8. Chemistry (or equivalent). |
For the licensed university degree “WOOD ENGINEERING”, the specific engineering subjects are as follows:
1. Wood Anatomy; 2. Wood Physics and Mechanics (study of wood properties); 3. Fundamentals of Wood Production and Environment Protection; 4. Mechanics applied in wood industry; 5. Strength of Materials in wood industry; 6. Tolerances and Dimensional Control in wood industry; 7. Machine Components and Mechanisms; 8. Heat Engineering; 9. Applied Electrotechnics; 10. Wooden Structures; 11. Technological Materials in wood industry; 12. Basics of Wood Processing and Cutting Tools; 13. Technological Devices in wood industry; 14. Technological Transport in wood industry; 15. Heat Treatments of Wood; 16. Woodprocessing Machine-tools and Units; 17. Automatation in wood industry; 18. Numerical Control Technique in wood industry; 19. Management in wood industry; 20. Wood Preservation; 21. 3D Modelling ; 22. Design of Wooden Products; 23. Practical Stage. |
Among the engineering subjects specific to our field, a great importance has, in our opinion, the PRACTICAL STAGE.
It has to be emphasized that we included within the new curricula 2 weeks of practice in the faculty workshop for the first year of study, even if the recommendation was to restrict practice only to the II-nd and III-rd year of study. During these later years, practice shall be done in specialized companies. This implies a more active involvement of our industrial partners, consisting in accepting, organizing, supervising and assessing the practice period for small groups of students (2…10 students), depending on the accommodation possibilities.
During this practice it is important to acquaint the future engineer not only with technological aspects, but also to the specific social-economic environment. Among others, it is our mission to make him responsible for punctuality and own discipline, preparing him thus to evolve as an “actor” within a technological and social process.
This educational task is not easy to fulfil. Therefore, we would like to express our appreciations and thanks to the companies which contributed during the last 2 years (2004 and 2005) to the proper organization of the technological practice activity of our students. We address a sincere gratitude to those MANAGERS who have not only accepted and concluded practice conventions with our faculty, but they have also supervised closely the activity of these students and assured them subventioned accommodation and subsistence conditions. We consider that companies have also only to gain from such a collaboration, with a view to employment.
Knowing the future engineers, having the possibility to follow up their evolution is a good opportunity for the companies to select and choose the most suitable persons according to their requirements. This partnership can be developed and can continue in other directions, too, the faculty management being open and happy to any proposal for cooperation with industrial partners.
Beside the above-mentioned engineering subjects, the speciality-specific subjects have also their role and importance. These subjects differ for the two specializations of the faculty (see PRO LIGNO Nr. 1/sept. 2005) and therefore they will be presented separately.
Thus, speciality-specific subjects for “Woodprocessing Engineering” are as follows:
1. Timber; 2. Wood-Based Composite Materials; 3. Furniture; 4. Finite Wooden Products; 5. Machine-Tools Maintenance; 6. Parametric Design in wood industry ; 7. Programming, Launching and Supervising the Manufacturing Process in wood industry |
For the other specialization, “Finite Wooden Products Engineering” the speciality-specific subjects are as follows:
1. Ornamental Design; 2. Design; 3. Wooden Semi-Products; 4. Furniture Design; 5. Art Styles and Decorations for Furniture; 6. Furniture Technology; 7. Art Furniture Technology; 8. Technology and Design of Finite Wooden Products; 9. Computer-Aided Furniture Design. |
The students have also the possibility to choose between the optional SUBJECTS offered by the faculty, according to their individual interest with a view to their future professional orientation. The optional subjects common to both specializations are
1. English / French; 2. Communication Techniques / Sports. |
Optional subjects for “Woodprocessing Engineering” are as follows:
1. Work safety and Protection against Fire or General Economics; 2. Hydraulic and pneumatic Drives in wood industry or Technological Devices in wood industry; 3. Technology of Upholstered Furniture or Wood Bending and Moulding; 4. Finishing (Coating) Technologies or Unconventional Technologies; 5. Firm Management or Quality Management. |
The optional subjects for the other specialization, “Finite Wooden Products Engineering” are as follows:
1. Technology of Upholstered Furniture or Quality Management; 2. Automatation in wood industry or Marketing; 3. Furniture Restauration or Wooden Constructions; 4. Interior architecture or Firm Management. |
Additionally, so-called ELECTIVE SUBJECTS are also stipulated in the curricula. These are organized only at the students request and being payed by them. An exception from this rule makes the “Pedagogical Module”, subventioned by the state. This module addresses to those students who wish to work in education (as highschool teachers or university teachers) after graduation.
As follows, the new curricula structured in table-form for each year of study is presented. As you will notice, the curricula is common for the I-st and II-nd year of study. The differences – mainly as speciality-specific subjects are concerned – occur only for the III-rd and IV-th year of study, where the curricula are different for the two specializations.
We would also like to mention that the curricula for the “Wood Science and Technology” specialization, with English as teaching language, is the same as for the “Woodprocessing Engineering” specialization.
Finally, I wish to emphasize once again the importance of a feed-back from our indirect beneficiaries – woodprocessing companies – regarding the compatibility between the competences of our graduates and the present needs of industry
Table 1
Curricula for the 1-st year of study at all specializations
Ref.
Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Mathematical Analysis (I) |
DF |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. |
Physics |
DF |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
3. |
Wood Chemistry |
DF |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
4. |
Fundamentals of Wood Production and Environment Protection |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
5. |
Descriptive Geometry |
DF |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
6. |
Computer Programming and Programming Languages in WI |
DF |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
7. |
Mathematical Analysis II |
DF |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
8. |
Mechanics applied in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
9. |
Linear Algebra, Analytical Geometry and Differential Equations |
DF |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
10. |
Wood Anatomy |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
11. |
Technical Drawing and Computer-Aided Graphics in WI |
DF |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
12. |
Electrotechnics |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
13. |
Practical Stage (I) |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Table 2
Curricula for the 2-nd year of study at all specializations
Ref.
Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Special Mathematics |
DF |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. |
Computer Programming and Programming Languages in WI |
DF |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
3. |
Strength of Materials in WI |
DID |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
4. |
Wood Physics and Mechanics |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
5. |
Tolerances and Dimensional Control in WI |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
6. |
Technological Materials in WI |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
7. |
Heat Engineering |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
8. |
Machine Components and Mechanisms |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
9. |
Wooden Structures for Furniture |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
10. |
Wood Preservation |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
11. |
Practical Stage (II) |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Table 3
Curricula for the 3-rd year of study - “Woodprocessing Engineering” and “Wood Science and Technology” specializations
Ref.Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Heat Treatments of Wood |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
X |
2. |
Basics of Wood Processing and Cutting Tools |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
3. |
Machine-Tools and Units in WI |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
4. |
3D Modelling |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
5. |
Wooden Structures for Constructions |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
6. |
Timber |
DS |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
7. |
Machine-Tools Maintenance |
DS |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
8. |
Technological Transport in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
9. |
Numerical Control Technique in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
10. |
Practical Stage (III) |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Table 4
Curricula for the 3-rd year of study – “Finite Wooden Products Engineering” specialization
Ref.Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Heat Treatments of Wood |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
2. |
Basics of Wood Processing and Cutting Tools |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
3. |
3D Modelling |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
4. |
Ornamental Design |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
5. |
Woodprocessing Machine-Tools |
DID |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
6. |
Furniture Design |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
X |
7. |
Technological Devices in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
8. |
Numerical Control Technique in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
9. |
Technological Transport in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
10. |
Design of Wooden Products |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
11. |
Practical Stage (III) |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Table 5
Curricula for the 4-th year of study- “Woodprocessing Engineering” and “Wood Science and Technology” specializations
Ref.Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Automation in WI |
DID |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
2. |
Parametric Design in WI |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
3. |
Furniture |
DS |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
4. |
Wooden Finite Products |
DS |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
5. |
Wooden Composite Materials |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
6. |
Management in Wood Industry |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
7. |
Programming, Launching and Supervising the Manufacturing Process in WI |
DS |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
8. |
Practical Stage for the elaboration of the graduation project |
DS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
9. |
Practical Stage for the elaboration of the graduation project |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
Table 6
Curricula for the 4-th year of study – “Finite Wooden Products Engineering” specialization
Ref.Nr. |
Compulsory subjects |
Subject
code* |
Sem. I |
Sem. II |
Activity code** |
Activity code** |
C |
S |
L |
P |
C |
S |
L |
P |
1. |
Technology and Design of Finite Wooden Products |
DS |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
2. |
Styles and Ornaments for Furniture |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
3. |
Furniture Technology |
DS |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
4. |
Art Furniture Technology |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
5. |
Parametric Design in WI |
DID |
X |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
6. |
Wooden Semi-Products |
DS |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
7. |
Management in WI |
DID |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
X |
|
8. |
Practical Stage for the elaboration of the graduation project |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
9. |
Practical Stage for the elaboration of the graduation project |
DID |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
*Subject code:
DF - fundamental subject
DID - specific engineering subject
DS - speciality-specific subject
DO - optional subject
**Activity code:
C - lecturing
S – seminar
L - laboratory
P –project (design) Other abbreviations:
WI – wood industry |