FOR RELEASE: 2005-09-27
Design Focus Earns CCS Prestigious Membership
DETROIT, MI (Sept. 27, 2005) - The College for Creative Studies (CCS) has become the first art and design college to join the prestigious Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) consortium.
The invitation to join – typically reserved for renowned university engineering programs - signals the automotive industry’s recognition of design’s importance in the evolving vehicle development process, PACE officials said.
“This is a testament not only to how important design has become to automakers, but to how creativity is shaping the world we live in through products we use everyday,” CCS President Rick Rogers said. “PACE partners are world leaders in design and engineering and we are extremely pleased that these major corporations recognize the strength of our programs and understand the value of investing in the education of CCS’ talented design students.”
CCS’ membership places the school in the elite company of more than 30 prestigious universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan. PACE Institutions around the world include universities in China, Germany, Sweden and Mexico.
As part of the new relationship with PACE, CCS will receive computer-based engineering and design software, hardware, technology and training that will enhance CCS’ art and design programs. The school has already received 17 workstations and a rapid-prototyping machine through PACE.
The PACE consortium includes General Motors, EDS, Sun Microsystems, UGS and Alias. PACE was formed in 1999 to promote engineering, science and art curricula that prepare students for careers in the automotive, technology, engineering and design fields.
Here is what PACE members have to say about the importance of this partnership:
Ed Welburn, vice president of Global Design for General Motors: “In today’s world, especially in the automotive industry, employees are required to have a firm grasp on computer-based design and engineering tools that are critical to collaboration world-wide. General Motors is proud to partner with PACE, CCS and the other contributing sponsors to enable students to gain this expertise and provide them with a competitive career advantage.”
Russell Krauss, managing director of EDS GM Product Development: “PACE offers a unique combination of hardware and software to facilitate the learning of computer-aided design concepts. Students gain hands-on experience applying those concepts as they work on real-world industry projects. CCS graduates will be highly-skilled and able to ‘hit the ground running’ when joining an employer in any sector.”
Daniel Wecker, director of the strategic sales program at Sun Microsystems: “Thanks to innovative technologies, the educational landscape is transforming into a digital campus - an information-rich and seamlessly-connected environment that can bring the world to a student's fingertips.”
“The PACE partnership offers more students access to the tools and technologies needed to develop their product design & engineering talents, and Sun is proud to continue supporting the program as it expands to include new members and reach new areas of expertise. We welcome CCS to the PACE community, and look forward to providing further opportunities for the engineers of tomorrow," Wecker said.
Ed Arlin, executive vice president, Global GM Account for UGS: “As students move into the automotive industry and begin their design careers, it is important that we show them how successful collaboration among companies toward a common goal can transcend individual gains.
“PACE is pleased to demonstrate how effective partnerships are able to provide CCS with software that serves top companies throughout the world. This will help prepare these students for their future careers in design, and the experience of working with these tools will provide CCS graduates with much sought-after real-world experience as they enter the job market,” Arlin said.
Doug Walker, President, Alias: “Alias is honored to have partnered with the College of Creative Studies to become a contributor to the PACE Program. The PACE program allows talented design students to embrace today’s leading-edge technology & services enabling them to unleash their creativity and bring their ideas to life.”
Located in Detroit 's Cultural Center, the College for Creative Studies is a recognized leader in art and design education and prepares students to enter the new, global economy where creativity shapes better communities and societies. A private, fully accredited, four-year college, CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in advertising design, animation and digital media, crafts, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, product design and transportation design, as well as teaching certification in art education. The college also offers non-credit courses in the visual arts through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for youth through Community Arts Partnerships.
For more information about PACE, visit www.pacepartners.org
For more information on General Motors, visit: www.gm.com
For more information on EDS, visit: www.eds.com
For more information on Sun Microsystems, visit: www.sun.com
For more information on UGS, visit: www.ugs.com
For more information on Alias, visit www.alias.com
For more information on PACE, visit: www.pacepartners.org
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