OU’s Industrial and Systems Engineering department was established in 2007.  Degree programs were developed soon after.

The program began small — ten undergraduates and 140 graduates.  Undergraduate enrolment has grown to 29, while graduate-level enrolment decreased to 85.

“We looked to grow the existing offerings of the School of Engineering,” Van TIl said.

The department also employs  six professors and associate professors, along with one administrative secretary.

The university had a systems engineering program, but it did not attract as much interest as industrial engineering, Van Til said.

“It’s a branding thing, (industrial engineering) has history behind it,” he said.

The department added more courses and changed its name from “industrial engineering” to “industrial and systems engineering.”

It was a resourceful way to offer the community a new degree program, he said, that allows engineering graduates to enter non-automotive engineering positions and non-engineering career fields.

Industrial and systems engineers design processes in order to improve productivity.

A tour of the facilities, lunch and information on admissions and scholarships will be offered on Jan. 20 during Engineering and Computer Science Day.

To register  for the event, visit www.oakland.edu/secs.