General Information

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Electronics Technology has always been an important career program at Harper College. Because of this, we are very pleased to announce the introduction of significant curriculum changes for the 2003 / 2004 academic year. These revisions greatly strengthen our degree and certificate programs by bringing them in line with current technology and industry needs.

The Associate in Applied Science in Electronics Technology Degree is more comprehensive due to restructuring core electronics and mathematics courses, and provides students with a solid foundation on which they can enter industry or transfer to a 4 - year college or university to complete their undergraduate education. Students may complete their AAS degree at Harper and then transfer to selected institutions offering a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology (BSEET) degree, including Roosevelt University's seamless "2 + 2" program. Full-time students may complete their Harper AAS degree in approximately 2 years.

The Electronics and Electrical Maintenance Certificates are more diverse and robust due to introducing a number of new courses, particularly in the industrial electronics areas where many students want to increase their technical knowledge and "on-the-job" skills in a timely fashion. As a result, these certificates are of relatively short duration and may be completed within a few semesters on a part-time basis. Additionally, it is important to note that many certificate program courses may be applied toward Harper's AAS degree should the student wish to continue his / her education beyond the certificate level.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
George W. Hoeltje, P. E. is a "first generation" Harper graduate having earned AS, AA and AAS degrees, and also holds a BSEE degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Engineering degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. George began his career in industry as a technician at Motorola in 1973 while enrolled in Harper's Engineering Transfer and Electronics Technology programs. After completing undergraduate studies, he continued his career holding positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, engineering management and executive management at Motorola, Inc., Zenith Electronics Corporation, Northrop Corporation, Maxtec International Corp. and Wireless Enterprises, Inc. In 2000, George returned to Harper as an Assistant Professor / Program Coordinator of the Electronics Technology Department. Additionally, George is a Registered Professional Engineer (State of Illinois), holds FCC Commercial Radio Telephone and Amateur Radio Extra Class Licenses, and is active in many professional engineering organizations and societies.

ABOUT THE FACULTY
Full and Part-Time (Adjunct) Faculty provides instruction of all electronics courses. Presently, the Electronics Technology Department consists of a single full-time faculty member, Professor Hoeltje and a number of adjunct instructors who are employed in the electronics industry. Our adjunct instructors possess undergraduate and / or graduate degrees from top ranked engineering universities, and are practicing Electrical Engineers having considerable industry experience in consumer, commercial / industrial and military electronics. Collectively, our faculty brings a wealth of professional experience to the classroom.

ABOUT THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Electronics Technology Advisory Committee consists of volunteers from local industry and represents a dynamic cross-section of electronics firms in the Chicago area. These individuals are also degreed, practicing Electrical Engineers possessing considerable expertise in their respective technical disciplines and technology businesses. In addition, the committee represents virtually all facets of electronic product and business development including: research, technical sales, application engineering, product development and design, manufacturing operations and customer support.

ABOUT THE STUDENTS
Electronics Technology Students at Harper College truly represent the diversity of our local population. A very large percentage of students are adult learners and come from all walks of life. Many are currently employed in electronics or electronics related industries and desire to increase their knowledge and skills, while others are right out of high school or may be mid-life "career changers" seeking first time employment opportunities in electronics. There are also increasing numbers of students already possessing degrees in other technical disciplines who are trying to broaden their technology base.

ABOUT THE INDUSTRY and JOB PLACEMENT
Electronics Technology Faculty and Advisory Committee Members frequently assist students with respect to key job placement activities. In fact, faculty and committee members typically help students develop resumes, teach effective interviewing skills and provide the necessary industry connections so qualified students may be contacted by hiring managers. Equally important, our diverse student population offers tremendous networking advantages with respect to identifying the "hidden" job opportunities that exist in industry while greatly enhancing the overall academic experience.