University Outreach Program

It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, there are more than 95,000 recognized standards. These make applications, communications and connection compatibility and interoperability possible. Standards also advance global trade in products and services; promote quality assurance of products, personnel and systems; and enhance consumer and environmental protection.

Incorporating standards into a university curriculum will provide an excellent introduction to the impact of standardization on the marketplace and give students a competitive edge when entering the workforce. A new graduate who is familiar with the standards relevant to their industry and how the standards system works is a strategic asset to their future employer.

“Education programs covering the development and implementation of standards need to become a high priority within the United States. These programs must focus on the needs of leaders and top executives, those who participate in the development of standards, university and college students, and other interested parties”

~ United States Standards Strategy (2005)
Strategic Initiative 10

In pursuit of its commitment to implementation of the United States Standards Strategy (USSS), ANSI is developing a pilot University Outreach program that will introduce globally-recognized and adopted standards into the classroom. ANSI will collaborate with faculty from a select group of universities to incorporate information about standards and conformity assessment, as well as knowledge of the appropriate standards, into their unique curricula. The program will be open to all disciplines.

Participants in the pilot program will have unfettered access to members of the U.S. standardization community who will be available to provide case studies, model tutorials, and other educational resources that can be used by professors in the classroom.

ANSI will continue to provide free access for faculty and students in the pilot to any defined group of standards currently available in the collections of the ISO and IEC.

As the U.S. Member Body of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ANSI has been authorized to provide, upon request, complimentary access for students and faculty to selected standards currently available in the ISO collection. If needed, certain standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) may also be made available.

These collections are comprised of nearly 20,000 standards, which can be made available to faculty and students in all disciplines in institutions of higher learning throughout the United States.

A key component of this initiative is the pooling of existing resources that will facilitate the ability of faculty to bring standards into their classrooms. Members of the standards development community are encouraged to participate by providing educational and technical content that will help to support this initiative.

Standards Developers can help by:

• Designating a point of contact and identifying resources within the organization that could be made available to university faculty and students
• Indicating to ANSI all areas of expertise in which your organization would be willing to serve as a resource to relevant university programs eager to introduce standards

This information can be sent to training@ansi.org

NSSN.org
A comprehensive search engine for standards, where users can look for a specific standard, track the status of a new development project, or identify a contact person who can interpret a standard.

StandardsLearn.org
Free, interactive, self-paced online trainings on An Introduction to Standards and The National Standards System.

ANSI.org/education
A complete overview of ANSI Education & Training programs.

Astm.org/campus
Resources and information on standards for students and educators worldwide.

To learn more about access to complimentary standards and/or the University Outreach Pilot Program, or to get involved, please send a message to training@ansi.org.