As you are working through the Engineering program here at NTI, note that you will run into instances where you are just stumped on how to do things or even where to get more information to solve problems.

When it comes to any CAD modeling system students should begin to use the many online user forums for help.

There are many reasons to do this:

· Tech Support has the potential of taking a long time

· The people on these forums are using the CAD systems every day. They not only understand how to solve the problem but also provide great heads up info.

· The many solutions the members offer help you to look at SolidWorks solutions from many angles.

· This is a way to expand your industry network worldwide.

· …the list goes on.

Below is a great launching pad to the virtual world of SolidWorks. It has a forum, links to other forums and engineering tools as well as links to the ever growing blog & podcasts community. As a member you can set your profile to send daily digests of the community’s activities for the day. It also has a calendar that members can post Local User Group meetings, conventions, seminars, etc.

Members are encouraged to post at will. I still find that responses on this forum are generally faster that technical support and I have generated some pretty useful contacts.

I encourage the NTI engineering program students to sign up and make it a routine of visiting the site, posting questions and adding to the many areas. By making this routine now you will be building a fantastic habit that will no doubt serve you well in industry.

Click to join solidworks

I believe one of the most important attributes to success is confidence. If a person believes they will succeed they most often do.

That begs the question: Why do we seem to limit our young peoples potential with comments like, “That is probably too hard for you”, “you should prepare in case you fail”, “you are not smart enough or pretty enough or rich enough to try do that.”?

The young people I see every day at our college amaze me with their creativity, intelligence and passion to succeed. Do they sometimes need help? Yes, that is what our jobs are when we work here, to help. Do they some times not apply themselves? Yes, again our job is to grab their attention and help them realize their almost limitless potential if they do apply themselves.

Students and perspective students, please never give up. Do not listen to the people that tell you are not smart enough, creative enough, pretty enough or talented enough. You are, and I hope you can come back to some of those folks in a few years and amaze them like you amaze me every day.

Keith A. Fossen, President
Northwest Technical Institute

Mark your calendars! NTI will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on August 24th, 2007 (the first Friday of the state fair).

Started in 1957 at the site where the IDS building now stands, our 50th anniversary this year is a celebration of history and the future. NTI’s foundation of a quality education and employer critiqued curriculum combined with the latest technologies in systems, software and teaching methods makes us all excited about the next 50 years.

As you can imagine, over 2500 graduates, 50 years of instructors and over 3000 employers creates a vast network of friends, colleagues and business associates. We will be tapping into that network of contacts over the next few months to communicate a celebration August 24th, 2007 at our new state of the art campus in Eagan, MN that will mark the 50th anniversary and the fantastic voyage we are still embarked upon.

Click here to download the agenda. Some of the festivities include:

• A job fair with employers from all over MN and WI.
• An open house to current students, future students, alumni and all their friends and family.
• CADD demos and training opportunities.
• An old fashioned barbecue over looking beautiful Lake Pozlin in our back yard.

Please pass the word! Ask everyone to RSVP to RSVP at NTI.EDU as to your attendance and the number of guests you will be bring (we want to make sure you are fed well).

NTI winter ice fishing tournament was a huge success with many good sized Bluegills caught.

Just yesterday morning (Friday, May 12th, 2007) Chad in admissions and myself found that Lake Polzin has some nice Largemouth Bass.

If you would like a tour of NTI and a Guided Bass Outing Contact John or Chad in Admissions.

We supply all the equipment needed!

John Hartmam, Director – Admissions

As far back as anyone on staff can remember NTI has been celebrating the Memorial Day weekend with our famous Student / Staff Game Day and Picnic. This event falls on the Thursday prior with this year’s event scheduled for May 24^th. Morning students will complete in games from 9:00 – 11:30. Lunch is served for morning and afternoon students from 11:30 – 1:00. Afternoon students and residual morning students will compete in games from 12:30 – 3:00.

Games have always included Softball, Volleyball, and Bache Ball. This years event will also include; Ladder Golf, Bean Bag Toss and Washers.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend everyone!

John Hartman
Director – Admissions

How does one convey the beauty and excitement in engineering to those that have rarely been asked to think about it? It really isn’t too difficult. Just look around yourself. There is not a thing there that has not had someone ponder over it for ease of use, manufacturability, human interaction and material makeup to name a few things. Even the shoes on your feet probably have a blueprint for their production laying around somewhere.

Engineering people tend to sometimes become overly analytical and practical with the function of a product and become blind to things like the end user. Of course function is the primary element that any product designer must meet so it is quite understandable that one gets target fixated on that aspect of things.

But people are looking for more now days. They want the function but they also want a product that looks good and is simple to use. Whether it is a jig designed for welding parts together or a new automobile that conveys a family around town. We all like to feel like we own something special and of value. And with the new computer technology available to us there is less and less reason for them not to expect it to be so.

Our challenge at NTI is to find the balance in teaching that includes both the fundamental hard core technical skill required to realistically design a product and the manufacturing that it entails and to have students creatively think about design and the end users. Dimensioning, tolerancing, mold making, surfacing, GD&T, sheet metal, plastics, material science is all a part of what is going on here. Also students are asked to think about balance, color, repetition, physical environment, ergonomics, a lot of challenging topics and to put them together to create useful and interesting designs that challenge them and their personal originality.

Of course we realize that in industry it may be awhile before our students are at the levels to be trusted with the design of expensive products or even small parts of overall projects, but it is never to early to think and have aspirations that lead in those directions. Students aspire to many different areas of design. Some more technical while others less so. We try to meet a wide range of expectations.

At NTI we want to be about possibilities, not limitations.

Have a great day!

Attention High School Technology Educators.

I should have investigated other events going on when scheduling our Ice Fishing Contest!

The NTI Ice Fishing Contest has been changed not cancelled.  On February 17th from 11:00 – 1:00 NTI is going ice fishing and anyone who wants to come ice fish, tour our new campus and have some lunch, pleae join us.  No entry free and no prizes!

We will schedule a spring open water fishing contest when the weather gets warmer and there are fewer events.

Join NTI some exciting ice fishing, tour our new building and have lunch on:

FEBRUARY 17th, 2007 from 11:00 – 1:00 with lunch to follow!

Lake Polzin – 950 Blue Gentian RD, Eagan, MN  55121