ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The automotive-technology program at Onondaga Community College (OCC) is using a new teaching tool. In conjunction with Nissan North America, the Matthews Auto family of dealerships has donated a 2025 Infiniti QX60. It’s a three-row luxury SUV loaded with options, which OCC’s automotive-technology students will be able to work on and learn […]
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The automotive-technology program at Onondaga Community College (OCC) is using a new teaching tool.
In conjunction with Nissan North America, the Matthews Auto family of dealerships has donated a 2025 Infiniti QX60. It’s a three-row luxury SUV loaded with options, which OCC’s automotive-technology students will be able to work on and learn from.
“The new technology students will experience while working on this vehicle will provide them with real-life applications as they go into the workforce,” Jon Seargent, program coordinator of OCC’s automotive-technology program, said in an announcement.
For students in automotive-technology programs, it’s a “luxury” to work on vehicles with the latest technology, and Seargent already has plans for how he and fellow professors will “make the most of the opportunity.”
“We’ll plant ‘electrical bugs’ in it and ask students to diagnose the problem. We’ll present them with real-world scenarios that will prepare them for rewarding careers as auto technicians,” Seargent said.
“The ultimate goal is to invest in the future technicians of the communities we operate in,” Vinnie Salvagni, COO of Matthews Auto, said in the OCC announcement. “We had an opportunity to step up and give young techs live experience on new vehicles at our expense. Perhaps down the line, some of these students will end up with a Matthews name tag.”
Ultimately, two academic programs at OCC will benefit from the donation. Several years from now, when the technology in the Infiniti QX60 has become outdated, its main components, such as the engine and transmission, will be removed for auto-tech students to work on and learn from.
OCC will turn the remainder of the vehicle over to its fire-protection technology degree program, where students will learn from mock accidents, extrications, and live-fire exercises.
