The University of Mississippi and the State of Mississippi, with the collaboration of Toyota Motor Corp., have created the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME), a center unique in its educational focus on undergraduate manufacturing education. CME brings together the schools of Engineering, Business and Accountancy and College of Liberal Arts, along with major input from manufacturing companies and industry experts. Giving students not only the technical skills involved in successful manufacturing, but also an understanding of areas such as management, accounting, communication, leadership and human resources. The CME Advisory board includes executives from Toyota.s Blue Springs plant and other manufacturing companies and industry experts to ensure a close tie to industry.

CME serves as an innovative resource for:
  • undergraduate and graduate education in manufacturing for engineering, business and accountancy students
  • manufacturing-related research support and collaborative manufacturing related extension services working with the Mississippi manufacturing community
  • P-20 collaboration with K-12 schools and local community colleges
  • As a component of CME, The University of Mississippi will offer several cross-disciplinary academic programs slanted toward lean manufacturing that provide students with the skills they need to be effective engineers and managers in the manufacturing industry.
The School of Engineering plans to offer a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in manufacturing. This degree program will provide opportunities for students to be immersed in strong cross-disciplinary studies that reflect the skills needed in engineering and the sciences; business, management and accounting; and leadership and human resources. The School of Business Administration and the School of Accountancy also will offer a minor in engineering, through the School of Engineering, that will provide students with fundamental lean manufacturing and production techniques.

http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/cme/