Academic Challenges Concerning Standardization

1. Academic Challenges Concerning Standardization presented by Donald E. Purcell, Chairman The Center for Global Standards Analysis October 15, 2002

2. Presentation Outline • Unseen Forces • Strategic Standardization • Strategic Standardization Issues • Private Sector Speakers & Experts • Government Speakers & Experts • Needs & Interests of University Students • Academic Challenges • Center’s Goals and Objectives • Bottom Line

3. Standards are Unseen Forces • “Standards generally go unnoticed. They are mostly quiet, unseen forces, such as specifications, regulations and protocols, that ensure that things work properly, interactively, and responsibly. How standards come about is a mystery to most people should they even ponder the question.” [Global Standards: Building Blocks for the Future, OTA Congressional Report March 1992]

4. “Strategic Standardization” • From 1999-2001, a graduate course on on the principles of standardization was offered to law students and graduate engineering students at the Catholic University of America in a joint, multi-disciplinary class for the purpose of raising the level of awareness concerning standardization. • In Fall 2002, the course was not offered because an insufficient number of students signed up for the course.

5. Historical Perspectives U.S. National Standards Policy Due Process Health Safety Product liability Environment Antitrust Ethics Intellectual Property International Trade Certification Conformity Assessment Strategic Standardization Issues

6. Private Sector Speakers & Experts for Strategic Standardization • Catholic University • American National Standards Institute • American Society of Mechanical Engineers • American Society for Testing & Materials • Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions • Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute • American Gear Manufacturers Association • National Evaluation Service • National Society of Professional Engineers • National Spa and Pool Institute • Chemical Manufacturers Association • Organization of American States • Underwriters Laboratories • Law firms

7. Government Speakers & Experts for Strategic Standardization • National Institute of Standards & Technology • Department of Defense • Department of Energy • Department of Justice • Department of Transportation • Consumer Product Safety Commission • Environmental Protection Agency • Federal Trade Commission • Food & Drug Administration • Congressional Office of Technology Assessment

8. Needs & Interests of University Students • Standards operate at the DNA level of development. The challenge facing any faculty that teach principles and issues associated with standardization is to identify the needs and interests of students, and then create a standards course that addresses those specific needs and interests. • One of the great challenges facing faculty is that development of standards is always a multi-disciplinary effort. Getting students to think in a multi-disciplinary manner concerning standardization is a major challenge.

9. Academic Challenges • General lack of awareness • Most college students don’t have any background with the principles of unseen forces concerning standardization. • Lack of effective communications • Advertising and marketing of course has to effective. • Failure to connect and be relevant • All politics is local…the course has to be as relevant and specific as possible, and meet the needs and interests of the students. • Method of delivery • Classroom or distance learning? • Review availability of Assets • Facilitate the creation of a Standards Education Network

10. Center’s Goals and Objectives • Review and revise the course issues and content as necessary for Strategic Standardization to meet the specific needs and interests of students. • Communicate more effectively with potential groups of students. • Review the method of delivery. • Classroom • Distance Learning • Should the Center concentrate on development of semester long standard courses or development of specific modules for other courses? • Determine whether sufficient assets are available. • Facilitate the creation of a Standards Education Network.

11. Bottom Line • Any academic course attempting to teach principles associated with the unseen forces of standardization has to overcome the issues of relevance and the mystery that surrounds the creation of standards…in short, academic faculty has to address the specific needs and interests of students, and to explain much more clearly why the study of standardization is worthy of the student’s time, money and effort.