Professor Gordon Talbo of Kauai Community College’s Automotive Technology program recently announced the program has received master accreditation in all eight areas of Automobile Service Technology by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. The KCC Automotive Technology program is competency-based
Professor Gordon Talbo of Kauai Community College’s Automotive Technology program recently announced the program has received master accreditation in all eight areas of Automobile Service Technology by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
The KCC Automotive Technology program is competency-based and follows the standards specified by NATEF to prepare students to become entry-level technicians. Specific tasks considered in the accreditation evaluation were engine repair, automatic transmission, manual drive train and axles, suspension and steering, brakes, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, and engine performance.
“This is a milestone event for our program which only a small percentage of schools achieve nationally,” Talbo said. “Accreditation of our automotive program brings credibility, prestige, recognition, and overall program improvement.”
Talbo also announced the automotive technology program is keeping pace with hybrid and electric vehicle technology, and is offering training in sustainable energy with hybrid and electric vehicle technology to meet industry needs.
The program will introduce the knowledge needed for maintenance and repair of HEVs, along with safety handling procedures while working on high voltage electrical systems.
The certificates of completion in HEV preventive maintenance and repair, and the HEV diagnostic and repair course of study will lead to a certificate of achievement in automotive green technology. For more information on the KCC automotive technology program, contact Talbo at 245-8262.
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This past summer, the college’s Ho‘ouluwehi Sustainability Institute won the 2013 Climate Leadership Award by Second Nature, a national nonprofit dedicated to creating a sustainable society by transforming higher education.
Second Nature has 671 member universities and colleges, and 10 were selected to win this award based on videos highlighting the institutions’ efforts toward sustainability. The winning institutions were described as providing, “… innovative and advanced leadership in education for sustainability and climate mitigation and adaption.”
“I believe the reason we may have been recognized is that we have taken a systems approach to sustainability, not just looking at energy, or housing, or food, but at how they work together,” said Chancellor Helen Cox. “Additionally, we have partnered with the county and others so that the students do work that will not only teach them necessary skills but also have a real benefit for community members.”
Kauai Community College will host the national Week without Violence (week of Oct. 14), and the following week will host “Breaking the Silence,” an open-mic event with a mini-resource fair on Oct 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Learning Resource Center Courtyard.
Both events are aimed at raising awareness and offering services to address issues of violence, bullying and harassment. Info: Patricia Wistinghausen, pwisting@hawaii.edu, or Cherie Mooy at mooy@hawaii.edu.
• Greg Shepherd is associate professor of music at KCC.
