Mechatronics

The Associate's Degree in Agricultural Mechatronics will prepare students to work as a skilled mechatronics technician in agriculture. Students will learn how to install, repair, calibrate, and troubleshoot mechatronics, or electro-mechanical systems, including automation and robotics equipment focusing on indoor value-added food processing. Students will have the opportunity to earn third-party industry certifications from OSHA, NCCER, and NC3 (Festo, Snap-On, Starrett, Greenlee, Rigid, Trane, Lincoln, 3M, and more). Additionally, students may have transfer opportunities to pursue an undergraduate degree in Ag Systems Management.

1. Given our current staffing, facilities, and resources, I expect approximately twenty students annually to complete this degree once we are in a consistent enrollment pattern. It is hard to estimate the early projections.

2. At present, there are 12 students eligible for the 112A course which will be offered for the first time in Fall 2023. We will also be offering the 111 series this summer. I estimate 20 students to eroll in the 112 series in Fall 2023. 

3. MFGT 113 will be offered for the first time in Fall 2024. MFGT 114 will be offered for the first time in Spring 2025. With approximately 20 students eligible for the first offering of the 112 series, and that 112 will be offered again in Spring 2024, and considering attrition and general education requirements, I estimate that 10 students will complete this degree at the end of Spring 2025.

1. The Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree will provide students with knowledge and skills necessary to work with automated and robotic manufacturing systems used in agriculture. These include industrial safety, principles of smart manufacturing, robotics, industrial electricity, fluid power, plumbing, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, augmented reality, machine learning, and more. Students will also develop their ability to work with personal computers, file management, written digital communication and record keeping, teamwork, critical thinking, and verbal communication. This degree will prepare students for a career as a skilled mechatronics technician in agriculture and manufacturing, focusing primarily on the technology and systems used in indoor value-added processing facilities.

1. Program Goals and Objectives: must address a valid transfer, workforce preparation, basic skills, civic education, or lifelong learning purpose.

1. The Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree will provide students with knowledge and skills necessary to work with automated and robotic manufacturing systems used in agriculture. These include industrial safety, principles of smart manufacturing, robotics, industrial electricity, fluid power, plumbing, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, augmented reality, machine learning, and more. Students will also develop their ability to work with personal computers, file management, written digital communication and record keeping, teamwork, critical thinking, and verbal communication. This degree will prepare students for a career as a skilled mechatronics technician in agriculture and manufacturing, focusing primarily on the technology and systems used in indoor value-added processing facilities.

2. Catalog Description: includes a brief description of the program written with the student as audience, program learning outcomes, prerequisite skills or enrollment limitations (if appropriate), and information relevant to program goal.

1. The Associate's Degree in Agricultural Mechatronics will prepare students to work as a skilled mechatronics technician in agriculture. Students will learn how to install, repair, calibrate, and troubleshoot mechatronics, or electro-mechanical systems, including automation and robotics equipment focusing on indoor value-added food processing. Students will have the opportunity to earn third-party industry certifications from OSHA, NCCER, and NC3 (Festo, Snap-On, Starrett, Greenlee, Rigid, Trane, Lincoln, 3M, and more). Additionally, students may have transfer opportunities to pursue an undergraduate degree in Ag Systems Management.

2. To prepare students to install, repair, maintain, troubleshoot, calibrate, and program smart manufacturing equipment and systems used in agriculture value-added facilities.

1. Students will

1. practice safe working practices while working with agricultural mechatronic systems.

2. design and install electrical systems and plumbing systems used in agriculture.

3. install, calibrate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair mechanical drive, fluid power, process control, electronic, and electrical systems used in agriculture.

4. maintain smart manufacturing systems involving Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), network and communication systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Industry 4.0.

3. Program Metamajor: identify the metamajor that the program will belong to. 

1. Agriculture Business and Industries

4. Program Requirements: includes course requirements. Identify the required major courses, any restricted electives and, if appropriate, sequencing guidance or groups of courses that reflect alternate program goals. 

Recommended Electives for student concentration:

Focus Area	Electives (in order)	Career Focus
Fabrication	MFGT 130, MFGT 131, MFGT 132	Installation and repair of industrial equipment (indoor and outdoor)
Welding	WLD 150, WLD 151, WLD 154	Installation and repair of industrial equipment (indoor and outdoor)
Facility Management	ABT 57 or BUS 50, ABT 93 or ABT-160	Focus on agricultural commodities and managing facilities.
Engineering	CMA 74, CMA 75, CMA 76	Solid Works design.
Drafting	MFGT 130, CMA 81, CMA 82	AutoCAD design. CNC.
Data Security	CSS 169, CSS 50	Networking. Managing networks for smart manufacturing.

1. Core (18 units):

1. MFGT 169- 2 units

2. MFGT 111A- 2 units

3. MFGT 111B- 2 units

4. MFGT 112A- 2 units

5. MFGT 112B- 2 units

6. MFGT 113- 4 units 

7. MFGT 114- 4 units

2. Elective Group 1: Select two (6 units)

1. ABT 57- 3 units
   Or
   BUS 50- 3 units

2. MFGT 130- 3 units

3. WLD 150- 3 units

4. CMA 74- 3 units

5. CMA 81- 3 units

3. Elective Group 2: Select two (6-8.25 units)

1. ABT 93- 3 units

2. ABT 160- 3 units

3. MFGT 131- 3 units

4. MFGT 132- 3 units

5. MFGT 71- 3 units

6. WLD 151- 3 units

7. WLD 154- 3 units

8. CSS 169- 4 units

9. CSS 50- 4 units

10. CMA 75- 3 units

11. CMA 76- 3 units

12. CMA 82- 3 units

13. ABT 99- up to 2.25 units

4. General Education (30 units)

1. Preferred GE to better prepare students:

1. MAT 13 or MAT 25

2. PHY 10

1. Program Map: identify the sequencing of courses in the program in a program map for to be published in the program mapper. Map should be completed for at least full-time students. Can also include a map for part-time students. 

1. Course Sequence

1. Semester 1

1. MFGT 169

2. MFGT 111A

3. MFGT 111B

4. Electives

5. GE

2. Semester 2

1. MFGT 112A

2. MFGT 112B

3. Electives 

4. GE

3. Semester 3

1. MFGT 113

2. Electives

3. GE

4. Semester 4

1. MFGT 114

2. Electives

3. GE

2. Master Planning: Explain how the program fits the mission, curriculum, and master planning of the college and higher education in California.

1. This new degree will replace the current Manufacturing Technology degree. It will prepare students for high-demand careers within our district, sub-region, region, and state. Our college steering committee and CTE advisory committees have been requesting this curriculum from us for many years. This is supported by the Labor Market Analysis prepared by the San Francisco Bay Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research.

For the college to provide relevant and rigorous curriculum and training for the community, we must work with our advisors and industry partners to ensure we are training students to meet their employment needs. This new degree will provide our younger population of students with a foundation for their career path, as well as our older population of students the necessary upskill opportunities.

1. Enrollment and Completer Projections: projection of number of students enrolled in the program each year and the number expected to earn the degree or certificate annually.

1. Given our current staffing, facilities, and resources, I expect approximately twenty students annually to complete this degree once we are in a consistent enrollment pattern. It is hard to estimate the early projections.

2. At present, there are 12 students eligible for the 112A course which will be offered for the first time in Fall 2023. We will also be offering the 111 series this summer. I estimate 20 students to eroll in the 112 series in Fall 2023. 

3. MFGT 113 will be offered for the first time in Fall 2024. MFGT 114 will be offered for the first time in Spring 2025. With approximately 20 students eligible for the first offering of the 112 series, and that 112 will be offered again in Spring 2024, and considering attrition and general education requirements, I estimate that 10 students will complete this degree at the end of Spring 2025.

2. Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs:  Explain how the program fits in college’s existing program inventory. Are there similar programs? Does this program stack with other programs to create a career ladder. If so, show how this works. 

1. This will replace the current Manufacturing Technology degree.

2. Ideally, students will achieve the Foundations of Agricultural mechatronics Certificate in the first two semesters, then complete the Associates Degree after their fourth semester. Eventually, students will have the option to concentrate on the indoor processing and manufacturing of food, or the outdoor farming and harvesting.

1. Semester 1 and 2

1. Foundations of Ag Mechatronics Cert

2. Then decide to concentrate on indoor or outdoor

1. Ag Mechatronics Associate Degree

1. Indoor concentration

2. Outdoor concentration

3. Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area: justification of need for program in the region, especially if there nearby colleges with similar programs.

1. The following programs in the region are similar as they focus on smart manufacturing, but none have a focus on agriculture.

1. Chabot College- Electronic Technician

2. Diablo Valley College- Electrical and Electronics Technology

3. Evergreen Valley College- Manufacturing Technician

4. Los Medanos College- Electronics

5. College of Marin- Electronics

6. Mission College- Mechatronics

7. Ohlone College- Manufacturing Technician

8. Santa Rosa Junior College- Mechatronics

9. Solano Community College- Mechatronics

4. Transfer preparation information, if transfer preparation is a component of the program: Counseling Articulation Officer can be helpful with identifying courses that transfer and are listed in ASSIST, courses that are generally considered lower division transfer preparation at the UC or CSU, etc. 

1. There are no new courses that will directly transfer to our university partners for their Ag Systems Management Degree: University of Arizona- Yuma, Cal Poly-SLO, Fresno State. But we are in frequent communication with them to find ways to transfer associates degree completers to them once we have it established.

2. However, many of the topics covered in the new courses are covered at these universities, but the new courses take more of an integrated approach (presenting many topics together in one course) as opposed to the siloed approach (standalone courses) by the universities.

5. Check the last approval date of all courses in program: courses must have an approval date within the last 5 years when the packet is sent to CCCCO. Even if the dates are exactly 5 years ago when you start the proposal, please revise courses close to or past the “expiration date.” It can take a semester or two to get approved and we don’t want your courses to “expire” while you are in the approval process. 

1. All core courses have recent approval dates.

2. Not all elective courses have been updated within 5 years. 

1. MFGT-130 and WLD-150: 10/2017

2. CMA-75: 4/2017

3. CMA-81: 12/2016

2. Labor Market Information & Analysis

1. Regional Program Recommendation: Request for Labor Market Report:

• Based on all available data, there appears to be an “undersupply” of Agricultural Manufacturing workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the SC-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz counties). There is a projected annual gap of about 797 students in the Bay region and 93 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region.

1. Making use of Labor Market Information:

• The information provided in the Labor Market Analysis (LMA) is for the following job titles in Agricultural Manufacturing: 

• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians

• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics

• The projected annual gap of 93 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region is a result of there being no training programs in this field. 

• The only other college with agriculture in the region is Santa Rosa Junior College.

• Agriculture in Monterey County generated $4.1 Billion in revenue in 2021 according to the Monterey County Ag Commissioner. Agriculture is the top employer in our district.

• The median hourly wage of the aforementioned job titles in our sub-region is $51, $69, $60, respectively.

• There were 772 total jobs in our sub-region in 2020, and a projected 843 jobs in 2025 showing 9% growth.

• There were a total 115 job postings from April 2021 - March 2022 in our sub-region.

• 76% of related job postings with education requirements in the Bay Region require “some vocational training” (like the foundations certificate).

• 14% require an associate’s degree (like this degree).

1. Course Sequence

1. Semester 1

1. MFGT 169

2. MFGT 111A

3. MFGT 111B

4. Electives

5. GE

2. Semester 2

1. MFGT 112A

2. MFGT 112B

3. Electives 

4. GE

3. Semester 3

1. MFGT 113

2. Electives

3. GE

4. Semester 4

1. MFGT 114

2. Electives

3. GE

n/A

Annabelle Rodriguez Dean Career Education & Workforce Development Cabrillo College 6500 Soquel Drive Aptos, CA 95003 831.210.8926 cell No objections.