In an ever-expanding global economy, it has been increasingly important for engineering students to pursue some type of international experience. There has been a great deal of research on the benefits of having students participate in a study-abroad program. Much less has been reported, however, on the benefits of having faculty participate in an international exchange. We will discuss a professor exchange, or Professorenaustausch, between two polytechnic universities, one in California and one in Karlsruhe, Germany, between two mechanics professors. To understand the challenges of setting up such an exchange, we will first provide some institutional and cultural context on the two university settings. Typical teaching philosophies and overall curricula will be discussed, and then we will focus on our primary course topic: dynamics. One major difference is the German institution's use of d'Alembert's Principle in solving kinetics problems, and another involves their use of professor-written skriptums rather than textbooks. The German system places much more responsibility on the student to learn the material - in many courses there is one high-stakes ninety-minute exam that is used to assign the entire grade. Students are provided with a number of example problems and old exams, and are expected to learn the material how they see fit. This is in stark contrast to the California system that assigns multiple homeworks, quizzes, projects, and tests each term. We will share instructor perspectives on differences and similarities teaching mechanics at the two universities, as well as our perceptions of the student populations. Additionally, we will collect student survey data to examine their thoughts on professor exchanges and the differences between instructors from the two institutions. Finally, we will share some of the logistical issues of an exchange program. Performing a house exchange is one of the easiest ways to organize the swap, and we also agreed to swap automobiles and bicycles. Because it was an exchange agreement established at the highest levels of each institution, we were paid by our respective universities and the term did not count as a sabbatical. The exchange was a highly constructive experience each of us, both academically as well as culturally. Such programs can be used to enhance global awareness for students, to exchange interesting pedagogical practices, and to provide personal and professional growth for mechanics faculty members.
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