Essential Functions

The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in their field of study after graduation. For students to be successful in the Air Conditioning Technology programs, they must be able to perform the following essential functions:

• Ability to Use Senses.
  • Visual: Acuity to read information on unit data plates, identify symbols in wiring diagrams, read information on unit service panels, and read instructions in installation and service manuals.
  • Hearing: Ability to understand a normal speaking voice when communicating with students, teachers, and customers; ability to differentiate mechanical noises made by operating air conditioning equipment.
  • Smell: Ability to evaluate possible dangers involved in working with flammable gasses, toxic solvents, and harmful cleaning agents.
  • Tactile: Feel heat/cold or pain and evaluate the possible danger from hot surfaces and hot or cold work environments.
• Motor Ability.
  • Physical ability to walk long distances and stand for long periods of time; to lift, move, and transfer equipment of at least 50 pounds; and to maneuver in limited space.
  • Ability to work while in hot/humid and/or cold conditions.
  • Ability to have manual dexterity to efficiently and safely use equipment, power tools and hand tools, and other small and large equipment while wearing essential safety glasses and/or gloves and/or other necessary required safety gear.
• Ability to Understand Need for a Safe Work Environment.
  • Practical awareness of potential dangers of electricity, refrigerants, and mechanical devices.
  • Ability to wear necessary safety gear, including safety glasses, gloves, closed-toe shoes and proper shop clothing.
  • Ability to maintain safe environment at all times.
• Ability to Communicate.
  • Skills to communicate effectively in verbal and written forms to class partners and/or team and to instructor.
  • Skills to write and perform routine mathematical calculations clearly and correctly.
  • Basic proficiency in technology (computers and peripheral components) as industry requires.
• Ability to Problem Solve.
  • Intellectual and conceptual ability for measuring, calculating, reasoning, and analyzing.
  • Intellectual and conceptual ability for prioritizing daily functions in the lab and work environment.
  • Intellectual and conceptual ability to deduce the operating sequence of a system from a schematic diagram.
  • Intellectual and conceptual ability to use a logical sequence to identify system components that are not operating properly.
  • Ability to work in fast-paced environments with a sense of urgency without jeopardizing safety.
  • Ability to react and adjust as instructed by the instructor(s) during lab or shop instruction or based on customer's needs.
• Ability to Maintain Emotional Stability.
  • Ability to function safely under stress in today's workplace and adapt to changing staff and client/customer situations.
  • Ability to maintain composure and professionalism at all times in labs and work environment.
• Ability to Perform Practical Outcomes.
  • Ability to function under the practical guidelines of equipment manufacturers' specifications.