Immense cooperation and support - Free Essay Example

The Quality Sub Manual has become a reality with the immense cooperation and support of noble persons of this college. We have great pleasure to acknowledge the help and support rendered by Dr Shakir Al Mosouli, Dean of Al Musanaa College of Technology, by furnishing valuable suggestions and materials required for completing this manual. Dr Mohammed Hassan, Assistant Dean for Administration and Finance affairs of the institution has to be acknowledged with gratitude for the timely advices and involvement in preparing and presenting this manual. Our gratitude is also extended to Dr Nasser Al Fouri, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Dr. Ayham Yahya, Head of the Engineering Department, for reviewing the manuscript and suggesting suitable modifications and giving necessary guidelines and motivation for successful completion of the work. Finally we remember and acknowledge all who have been with us in the satisfactory accomplishment of the endeavor. INTRODUCTION This Quality Sub-Manual is the part of the main quality manual of the college, and this is used as a guiding document for ensuring quality in Electrical and Electronics Laboratories and Workshops. The same is an attempt to make qualitative changes in the laboratory operations in the Colleges of Technology. This manual will help in achieving uniformity of various activities related to the laboratories including practical classes, assessment and evaluation. The Quality Sub-Manual is the initial step for further quality procedures and improvements in the Colleges of Technology. New approaches such as bar-coded PDA based labeling system have also been implemented for equipment tracking. The policies related to the laboratory staff, including their duties and responsibilities, training programs is briefed in Section 1. Section 2 gives details of teaching and learning process in the labs and workshops (including the orientation programs). Section 3 discusses health and safety policies , Section 4 are about maintenance and cleaning activities. Section 5 deals with the policy of upgrading and improvement. It also gives an overview of the different activities related to laboratory resources and materials including storage, labeling, Electronic Procurement and Inventory Control (EPIC), Purchase and Receiving of Material etc. Sections 7 to 9 present the policies regarding the Laboratory Structure and Amenities, Budget allocation and Internal Auditing. Samples of relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Formats, Tables, Labels, Charts, Manuals and Posters are presented in the Appendix. OBJECTIVES To provide in a concise and brief format, the statement about the Policies and Aims of the Institution for building up a Quality Management system and thereby achieving Quality Assurance in the Electrical and Electronics Laboratories and Workshops so that Desired level of quality and effectiveness of the resources are ensured. All activities performed in the laboratories and workshops will be to the desired level of accuracy. Errors in the activities can be minimized and deviations from the quality policy can be detected and necessary corrective measures can be taken. The experiments conducted and results of the activities can be made reliable to the desired extent. Risks and Hazards can be prevented ensuring Safety of Human being, Equipments and Machineries involved in the various operations. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A LECTURER Designing suitable laboratory experiments pertaining to objectives and outcomes of the course. Scheduling and conducting Practical Classes/Examinations Assessment and Evaluation of student activities Conducting assigned training programs Helping in internal auditing and inspections DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TECHNICAL SUPPORTING STAFF ( College By-laws) Trainer /Instructor Ensuring that health and safety procedures are followed by the students. Assisting the students in understanding the laboratory experimental set ups. Assisting the lecturer in conducting practical classes and examinations in laboratories and workshops. Supervision of the student activities and maintaining of records and log books. Making demonstrations, checking and verifying the circuit connections. Testing the work models, results and installations done by the students. Trouble shooting and fault clearing of circuits and laboratory supply systems. Controlling the power sources of different equipments and work tables. Assisting in the orientation program for new students. Supervising the routine maintenance and repair works in the laboratories and workshops. Carrying out any other task assigned by the concerned head of department or staff in charge. Assistant Trainer Ensuring that health and safety procedures are followed by the students. Assisting the trainer in organizing and conducting the laboratory practical classes / Workshop practices and practical examinations. Participating in the practical training activities. Assisting in making demonstrations, checking and verifying the circuit connections. Assisting in testing the work models, results and installations done by the students. Trouble shooting and fault clearing in circuits and laboratory supply system. Supervising the routine maintenance and repair works in the laboratories and workshops. Supervising the inventory control of the material and equipments. Carrying out any other task assigned by the concerned head of department or staff in charge. Laboratory/ Workshop Technician Control of the laboratory stores, Keeping and updating inventory records of all the materials and equipments in the laboratories and workshops. Issuing instruments, apparatus, materials and components required for the students for the practical classes and receiving back them after use. Implementing the equipment maintenance schedule and frequent inspection of the working conditions of the instruments. Receiving materials from suppliers, ensuring their quality and compliance with the specifications and making the entries into store records. Assisting the trainer in conducting the laboratory practical classes, workshop practices and practical examinations. Participating in the practical training activities. Assisting in making demonstrations, checking and verifying the circuit connections. Assisting in testing the work models, results and installations done by the students Trouble shooting and fault clearing in circuits and laboratory supply system. Conducting the routine maintenance and repair works in the laboratories and workshops. Carrying out any other task assigned by the concerned head of department or staff in charge. INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL AUDITORS The activities of quality assurance program implemented in the laboratories and workshops have to be evaluated and checked frequently for its correctness and effectiveness. A committee headed by the college Dean and lecturers from each specialization and an instructor or technician may be constituted for this purpose. Responsibilities of internal quality control auditors are: To ensure the quality of the equipments, machineries and instruments. To check the effectiveness of the experiments. To verify the accuracy and reliability of the experimental results To assess the progress and effectiveness of the course and training programs. To suggest or propose necessary corrective actions. To monitor and ensure that the quality assurance program is effectively implemented in all the laboratory activities. Internal Quality Control Auditors of the college for Electrical Electronics Laboratories and Workshops. STAFF TRAINING Both teaching as well as technical supporting staff shall be in conversant with all equipments and operations and also with the different experiments and training programs conducted in the lab. Necessary training materials related to the laboratory operations, equipments and machineries shall be made available in each laboratory for making the operations and functioning easier, efficient and systematic. Necessary training programs shall be arranged for the staff, whenever new equipments or machineries are installed in the labs, in association with technical experts of the supplier/manufacturer. Also the college shall conduct an intensive induction program to new staff joining in each laboratory and workshop. TRAINING MATERIALS The training Materials shall include the following:- Safety Measures and Precautions to be observed in the laboratory Operation Manuals and Catalogs of various equipments and machineries. Laboratory Manuals containing Instructions and procedures of various experiments and activities of the lab. Assessment and Evaluation schemes. INDUCTION PROGRAM FOR THE NEW STAFF An induction program for minimum one week duration is to be conducted for the new joined staff before taking charge in any of the new laboratories so as to get acquainted with the entire operations and functioning of the laboratory. The activities of the induction program shall include Safety work practices, safety rules and precautions to be observed in the laboratories and workshops. Familiarization of the laboratory operations and functioning (including the overall lab set- up, equipment organization, tests and Experiments, Storage system, Record keeping and updating , Indenting Methods etc.) Study and understanding of operations and maintenance procedures of different equipments and instruments. Study and identification of the laboratory supply system, power control points, switches and breakers for emergency operation etc. Overall understanding of the academic structure, rules and regulations, examination and students evaluation schemes. TIME MANAGEMENT POLICY The time schedule of the laboratories and workshops is to be arranged in such a way that a maximum and effective utilization of the laboratory facilities can be achieved. The functioning of the laboratories shall be properly scheduled for a minimum degree of utilization of 75% .The equipment student ratio shall be within its limiting margin of 1:3. The student activities and participation in experiments shall be arranged in such a way that each student will get good exposure to the complete practical aspects of the experiment. A users log book shall be maintained in each laboratory and workshop to record the daily activities of the students. Daily activities of each laboratory shall be counter signed by the concerned lecturer/Instructor. Such records shall be made available for the internal quality control and auditing activity. LABORATORY TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS Laboratories and workshops play an important role in engineering specialization, the study of engineering deal with the practical applications of scientific principles and laws. Hence, laboratories and workshops are conducted with the objective of giving intensive practical training to students in synchronism with the theory covered in the classrooms. Experiments and workshop practices shall be organized according to the course outcomes with a view point of matching with the global technological developments and information interchange. The laboratories and workshops must be equipped with all necessary equipments and testing instruments, which facilitate the students to perform the scheduled experiments/exercises. E-learning programs enhance the learning capability and understanding of the subject in a great extent. Necessary laboratory and workshop manuals should be made available for each experiment/exercise. Also, list of training programs and experiments conducted shall be d isplayed in each lab. ORIENTATION PROGRAM TO NEW STUDENTS An intensive and effective orientation program is to be devised in a suitable manner to the new students before they begin the laboratory or workshop classes. The objective of the orientation program shall contain the following. To make them aware of the risks and hazards involved in laboratory works and shop practices To demonstrate mock drills to fight accidents and hazards. To enable them to understand and apply necessary safety rules and precautions. To familiarize with the laboratory setup, operational methodology and general procedures involved in the performance of experiments and workshop practices. It would be desirable to explain and distribute the weekly lab schedule so that the students know in advance which exercise they will do in each class. This will help in making a systematic planning of the lab activities. A tentative plan for workshop is shown in Appendix-I. In the beginning of the semester, the students should be informed how they are assessed in the laboratory and workshop. The different grading components and the weightage given should be explained to the students. An assessment scheme is shown in Appendix-II. The students should be assessed during and after each laboratory and workshop class in order to test the knowledge acquired. This will motivate the students to prepare well before attending the class and perform experiments systematically with due seriousness. A sample copy of the student assessment scheme is given in Appendix-III. THE ORIENTATION PROGRAM ACTION PLAN Familiarizing and Practicing the safety rules and precautions. Studying and Displaying charts and posters related to Health and Safety Understanding and use of safety equipments and dress code to be used in laboratories and workshops. Conducting group discussions and presentations. Power Point Shows emphasizing the risks and hazards in electrical works and safe way of preventing them. Familiarization and identification of different equipments and supply sources. Creating awareness strategies about the, dangers involved and precautions needed in handling the different voltage levels and sources. Identifying the locations of control points and main switches and breakers for emergency operations. Familiarization and practicing of making drill to assembly point in the case of emergencies. Practicing the safe evacuation process in hazardous situations such as fire. HEALTH AND SAFETY Safety is the prime requisite in all the work places. A safe and healthy working atmosphere is a basic necessity and has to be ensured in all the laboratories without fail. A silly mistake may lead to severe hazards and accidents and may even lead to irrecoverable damage to human lives, equipments and machineries. Strict adherence to safety rules, practices and precautions can facilitate and ensure a safe on site working environment. Safe Working Policy The safe working policy has been brought out by the department to: Provide a safe working environment Provide a safe working environment Provide safety training to staff and students Document and communicate safe working procedures to all staff and students. Monitor safe working practices The contribution to a safe working environment must include: Developing and implementing safe working documentation and procedures by: Initiating risk assessment for any of your activities that may involve risk. Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for activities and equipment associated with your work that has a potential safety risk. Obtaining approval to carry out the procedures which for students require written approval. Attending safety training courses Attending workspace safety inspections as required and participate actively in safety exercises Reporting any safety hazard, incident or accident. Necessary charts, posters and pictures emphasizing the importance of safety, precautions to be taken, first aid methods etc, shall be displayed in the laboratories and workshops in addition to necessary instructions and training programs. A sample poster is given below In the case of any accident, there is an Accident Reporting and Investigation Form that has to be filled. A copy of this form is shown in Appendix IV. Preventive accident measures are also implemented to ensure safety within the laboratories during class hours. A copy of this form is shown in Appendix V. GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND GUIDELINES The following safety precautions and guidelines shall be strictly followed in each laboratory. Always wear a protective lab coat/overall and safety shoes. Locate and identify the positions of main switches, circuit breakers and emergency switches. Make sure of the availability and access to first aid kits, fire extinguishers and other safety equipments. Identify the emergency exit ways and assembly points to be used in case of fire or similar hazards. Always power the circuit only after the concern lecturer/technician verifies the correctness of the circuit connection. General Procedures for Working in Workshops and Laboratories Working alone with accessible voltages in excess of 24 volts ac rms or dc is not permitted. When making or setting up experiments with high voltage the power must be turned OFF. Circuits must always be checked first by a laboratory and workshop instructor or other competent technician before power is turned on. No individual should be in contact with any equipment while power is being applied. All instruments and utility equipment must be properly grounded or be double insulated. The laboratory and workshop shall not be used without supervision by an instructor and/or member of the instrument room staff Lab benches must be kept in neat order and returned to the condition found when you are finished. Be familiar with the proper operation of all equipment and instrumentation before attempting to use it. Refer to the Equipment Users Guide if necessary. Professional conduct must be observed at all times in the laboratory and workshop. Do not use a pen as a pointer when reading meters or oscilloscope. Refrain from eating and drinking on the workbench area. Smoking is strictly prohibited in all laboratories and workshops. Only Shoes, not sandals or slippers, are to be worn at all times. All communication devices such as GSM must be switched off prior to entering the laboratory and workshop. Any equipment damage or malfunction must be reported immediately. No user may tamper with, move or remove equipments. Do not detach power cords or swap equipment around. Wash hands after handling. If necessary, wear suitable goggles. Ensure that the procedures involved are well understood before proceeding to next experiment. Clean the work table from unwanted materials and obstructions. Keep only the required materials and equipments in the work table. Follow all written and verbal instructions. When in doubt, please ask to clarify. Absolutely no horseplay. Be alert and attentive at all times. Act like an adult. Report all accidents, injuries or breakage to the instructor immediately. Also, report any equipment that you suspect is malfunctioning. Dress appropriately. Avoid wearing overly-bulky or loose-fitting clothing, or dangling jewelry that may become entangled in your experimental apparatus. Use goggles: When heating anything. When using any type of projectile. When instructed to do so. Use equipment with care for the purpose for which it is intended. Do not perform unauthorized experiments. Get the instructors permission before you try something original. Be careful when working with apparatus that may be hot. If you wish to pick it up, use tongs, a wet paper towel, or other appropriate holder. If a thermometer breaks, inform the instructor immediately. Do not touch either the broken glass or the mercury with your bare skin. Remove all loose wires and unwanted materials from the work table. Always have an eye on the metering parameters so that the instrument ranges are within its safe limits. In case of breaker trip, fuse blow or any other unexpected event, call the staff in charge. Switch off the mains and disconnect the circuit after the Completion of experiment. When working with electrical circuits, be sure that the current is turned off before making adjustments in the circuit. Do not connect the terminals of a battery or power supply to each other with a wire. Such a wire will become dangerously hot. Not to light fires of any sort, nor use naked flames, nor weld in places where inflammable substances are stored or are being used. Ask for the suitable criteria for the transport, storage and handling of dangerous substances, products and components. Limit the quantities of dangerous substances at the workplace to those strictly necessary. Avoid placing containers of dangerous substances close to sources of heat or near to other sources of initiation. Ensure that places where special work is being carried out are appropriately enclosed and indicated, under the direction of the Manager of the beam lines, with the objective of preventing access by unauthorized persons. Use personal protective gear appropriate to the work being carried out. Warn immediately of any loss, even minimal, of any dangerous or polluting substance or product and, to place signs and barriers to prevent access to the polluted area. Avoid cross-contact between incompatible chemical substances that can produce toxic or inflammable gases. Return all equipment, clean and in good condition, to the designated location at the end of the lab period. Leave your lab area cleaner than you found it. Use means and tools appropriate to the nature, shape and volume of the load Verify the efficiency of the means and tools for the lifting (ropes, cables, hooks, chains) and the warning signals (flashing lights and/or sirens) Inform the manager of the line of any possible irregularities Never exceed the maximum lifting capacity of the apparatus and the parts of the sling as shown on the appropriate notices Check the existence and normal functioning of the closure device on the lifting hook Observe the limitations of the sling, the stress of the straps to be used varies in relation to: The shape of the load The position of its centre of gravity The oscillation occurring during the movement The increase in the angle of vertex between the straps (not 60ÂÂ °) The hook must be placed in a barycentric position and in a way that avoids sideways pull that might cause dangerous oscillations Verify the correct slinging of the load to avoid , in particular with cab Check that the place of work affords complete visibility of the area of operation and, if not, make use of another operator to relay signals. Do not walk along the path of cranes or bridge cranes unless at designated points. Do not start a machine on which you have not received the operating instructions. Make sure that u know how to stop the machine before u start it. Make sure that all guards are in position. Isolate the machine before starting the repair works on it. Always use goggles when using the bench grinding machine. Make sure that the vice is used to secure the work when using the drilling machine. FIRST AID PREPARATIONS The following first aid preparations shall be done in advance Provide adequate number of First aid kits in each laboratory at locations which are easily accessible. Keep necessary fire extinguishers, sand buckets, fire blankets in all the laboratories and workshops Ensure their compliance and working condition in accordance with the specified standards envisaged. Install fire alarm cum detector circuits and make ensure their working condition periodically. MAINTENANCE AND TESTING Strict adherence to the routine and preventive maintenance schedule is a must for smooth and reliable operation of all equipments and machineries. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE A proper schedule shall be maintained for each equipment and machinery. Necessary entries shall be made in the schedule on completion of every maintenance work, with the signature of technician and supervisor attending the job. MAINTENANCE MANUAL Maintenance manual shall be made available for each equipment and machinery. The maintenance manual shall contain the following details:- A brief description of the equipment /machinery with the explanation of its use and operation. Detailed Specification of each item Constructional Details, block diagrams, circuit diagrams etc. Details of preventive maintenance such as lubrication, replacement and cleaning of parts. Details of corrective maintenance such as dismantling and replacement of parts and fault diagnosis procedures. MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES Following are the various maintenance activities to be carried out in electrical labs and workshops. Routine and periodic checking and inspections. Ensuring proper functioning of different parts and elements and equipments. Cleaning and lubrication of contacts and bearings. Corrective actions against loose connections and contacts. Calibration at required periodicity and performance tests. REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR Faulty Equipments and machineries shall be repaired or replaced on periodic basis depending on the type and nature of the defect. All sorts of repair work shall be carried out by only by skilled and authorized service representatives. Equipments which cannot be repaired shall be replaced for reliable and continuous functioning of the labs. An evaluation form should be distributed at the end of each semester so that any improvement will be based on this evaluation. A sample copy of Enhancement Training Students Feedback for mechanical workshop is shown in Appendix-VI. CLEANING OF LABS AND EQUIPMENTS All laboratory equipments, machines and instruments along with the working premises including tables, boards etc. shall be kept neat and clean from dust and dirt for safeguarding human health and durability of the equipments. Only permissible cleaning materials shall be used for the equipment cleaning. Keep all the work tables, equipments and machines, instruments, racks and cabinets from dust, dirt and oil spills. Periodic Cleaning of the entire laboratory hall shall be carried out with out fail. A sample copy of the attendance register form for lab cleaning staff is given in Appendix-VII. UPGRADATION AND IMPROVEMENT The various activities and operations of the laboratories shall be continuously monitored and studied for evaluating the performance and necessary corrective actions. Suitable proposals and suggestions for up gradation and improvement of facilities may be prepared by taking into consideration the increasing demand and technological growth. It may become necessary to upgrade the labs/workshop in terms of equipments, components, furniture, computers and other teaching aids like CDs, projector etc. The items required will be identified by the lecturers and instructors. The HoS will consolidate the requirements from all labs and will be handed over to the HoD to initiate the purchase procedures. In order to make the items available in the new academic year, all the procedures for procuring the items will be completed before the annual holidays. LABORATORY WORKSHOP RESOURCES AND MATERIALS Modern equipments, machineries and other facilities are to be made available in the laboratories so that the practical demonstration and experimental verification of laws and theorems, testing and study of performance characteristics of various devices and practicing recent ways of installations can be carried out in accordance with developments and outbreaks in technology. Detailed list of all the equipments, apparatus, instruments, materials and components etc. shall be prepared and kept in the laboratory / workshop. The list shall contain all relevant information with suitable classifications, sub- titles, coding and other important details. STORAGE A proper and well organized store keeping system has to be followed for each laboratory. Suitable cup-boards, shelves, racks, and cabinets shall be used in the store for keeping portable equipments, instruments and materials like consumables. Locations of the different items shall be properly arranged so that each item can be easily accessed. Technicians in charge of the lab stores shall keep the stock register and update the data timely. LABELLING All equipments, machineries, instruments and different classes of consumables shall be provided with suitable labels showing the item name, code and specifications for easy identification and analysis. Also the storage shelves, cup boards, racks and cabinets of all materials including consumables are to be properly numbered and labeled to provide an easy access. ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT INVENTORY CONTROL (EPIC) EPIC, which provides a reliable and easy inventory data base for material acceptance, registration and store keeping etc, is highly recommended for each laboratory and workshop. This method facilitates use of standard documents and methods for electronic inventory control. By using this method all records related to material acceptance asset registration, equipment tracking and follow up, stock analysis, reports of maintenance activities etc can be easily entered, tracked on future required. Each inventory item will be given a bar coded label prepared prior to the acceptance with all details and specifications. The same bar code will be provided against each item in the asset register, manual and all other documents related to it. This makes the tracking of any item easy by using bar code reader and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). LABORATORY INDENTING The technician in charge of the laboratory shall see that any portable instruments, tools and consumable item issued to students or other user only through proper intends approved by the staff in charge. Intends shall be kept in the concerned file to ensure the safe return of all items issued. Items issued for long term use shall be recorded in the concerned register. Necessary data back up shall be made periodically in the stock register for all addition and deletion of materials including consumables. The indent performa is shown in Appendix-VIII. LABORATORY AND WORKSHOP PURCHASES Purchase of materials required for the laboratories (including equipments, machineries instruments and consumables etc.) shall be made in advance, forecasting the future needs. All requirements prepared in specified lab requisition form, approved and counter signed by concerned HODs shall be forwarded to the purchase section for further processing. The final purchase order shall be placed after considering the quality of the product, delivery time, Warranties and provisions for after sale servicing and training. RECEIVING AND INSTALLATION OF EQUIPMENTS New Equipments and materials being supplied to the laboratories shall be received by technician or store keeper after verification of specified quality and working condition in presence of the staff in charge and suppliers representative. All assembly, installation and commissioning works of sophisticated equipments shall be carried out by technical experts authorized by the supplier. The newly purchased equipments shall be tested and certified for proper functioning in the presence of the suppliers representative. Operating manuals, catalogs, test certificates and other documents shall be collected and kept in concerned files. Necessary entries shall be made in stock registers and records. LABORATORY STRUCTURE AND AMENITIES The Laboratories shall be suitably designed and structured by taking into account the following key factors: Proper Ventilation and air conditioning Proper Lightning Main Door and Emergency Exit door Store Room with shells and cabinets Supervisors Cabin Wash basin Drinking Water First Aid Kit Fire Fighting Equipments Non Slippery Floor. BUDGET ALLOCATION The college shall have a policy of upgrading and improving the laboratory equipments and facilities to cope up with changing technologies. Forecasted annual estimates may be prepared for each laboratory and workshop and submitted in advance to concerned authorities for annual budget allocation. This budget shall be sufficient to meet the following: Running Expenses (salaries, maintenance and cleaning, electricity water supply etc) Purchase of Consumables Up gradation and improvement works Purchase of New Equipments and Machines Furniture: Repair New Purchases INSPECTION AND INTERNAL AUDITING Necessary inspection and auditing activities are to be conducted by the college internal auditing committee to check the daily activities of the lab, performance of the staff, material inventory, maintenance and cleaning activities, documentation, recordings etc. Necessary feed back information shall be collected from students as the end-users of the laboratory about the facilities, effectiveness of the training and staff performance. Quality Inspection and Internal Auditing takes care of the following: Monitoring and follow up of all the activities in the laboratories Optimizing the utility of the laboratory and workshop Improving the quality of services Formulating an effective time management schedule Planning for annual improvement and up gradation policies Conclusion The quality sub manual for electrical and electronics laboratories and workshops has been prepared with the aim of achieving an effective total quality management system (TQM); which when implemented will ensure the credibility and reliability of the training and learning activities in the laboratories. Also effective utilization of the resources, time and space can be achieved. Strict adherence to HSE rules and regulations will help in maintaining safety and health of end-users and equipments. Proper follow-up and monitoring activities based on the manual will help to bring up the laboratories and workshops in all respect to the desired degree of quality performance and higher standards.

Improvisation and other Jazz-like Techniques in Jack Kerouac’s Writing - Literature Essay Samples

Bop jazz divorced itself from its mainstream predecessor when musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk began to emphasize fast tempo and improvisation over the predictable music of the swing era. These renegade musicians valued spontaneity and inspired many listeners. It is no coincidence that these Bop jazz musicians were Jack Kerouac’s first choice in music. These musicians made an indelible mark on Kerouac as seen by the numerous jazz references in his works. Therefore, to a certain extent to know bop jazz is to know something of Jack Kerouac and to know something of Jack Kerouac is to know something of bop jazz. In the same manner, if improvisation is essential to bop jazz and Kerouac’s writing is highly influenced by jazz it seems likely that characteristics of Kerouac’s writings will have elements of improvisation.Two characteristics in particular can be traced from Kerouac’s earliest novels, such as On the Road through hi s career to his later works like Big Sur. One of the indispensable traits of Kerouac’s writing is the feverish geographic movement that he and his characters demonstrated. The other very notable aspect of his writing is his free-flowing, stream of consciousness sentences that compose his novels and poems. Although otherwise seemingly unrelated, these motifs of incessant geographic movement and free flowing sentences are related to each other in their usage of improvisation. To better understand these two characteristics and how they relate to improvisation, one should first examine the nature of improvisation on its own and then see how it relates to each individual component (geography and sentence structure). Given that jazz pioneered and personifies improvisation so well and its profound influence on Kerouac, an understanding of the relationship between Kerouac’s writings and jazz is essential to the total understanding of Kerouac’s writing. Improvisation occurs when a musician deviates from the melody, venturing off into a non-premeditative fury of creativity and expression. The result of this improvisation in jazz is a raw, never identical expression particular to the musician on any given night depending on his mood and feeling. Instead of confining the musician to simply playing a song note-for-note, jazz used improvisation to, as Dean Moriarty describes it in On the Road, †¦tell the story and put down true relaxation and knowledge (126). Kerouac’s writings are littered with references to various jazz musicians. The Subterraneans makes reference to Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker saying, â€Å"returning to the Red Drum for sets, to hear Bird, whom I saw distinctly digging Mardou several times also myself directly into my eye looking to search if really I was the great writer I thought myself to be as if he knew my thoughts and ambitions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14). In this excerpt, the reader views an interaction between t he jazz great and Kerouac (through his alter ego Leo). Such an intimate connection exists between the two artists that Parker can seemingly read Kerouac’s thoughts. This example shows the extent that Kerouac’s writing idealized the world of jazz. Another important jazz reference is seen in the character of Dean Moriarty. Sal Paradise describes the experience of when Moriarty listened to George Shearing: Dean was sweating; the sweat poured down his collar. ‘There he is! Thats him! Old God! Old God Shearing! Yes! Yes! Yes! And Shearing was conscious of the madman behind him, he could hear every one of Deans gasps and imprecations, he could sense it though he couldnt see. †¦When he was gone Dean pointed to the empty piano seat. ‘Gods empty chair,’ he said (On the Road 119). Again, the effects of jazz are seen on Kerouac’s characters. Listening to Shearing play turned Moriarty into a ‘madman’ and he goes so far as to call Shear ing ‘God’. Some of the improvisation of jazz is seen here when Dean, being very involved in the music keeps yelling ‘Yes!’ Kerouac makes a point in stating that Shearing was conscious of Dean behind him. Thus, in this symbiotic relationship of musician affecting audience and audience in turn affecting the musician is an instance of improvisation. The crux of this is that Kerouac was highly influenced by jazz and the jazz that he so admired was carried by improvisation. Even a recreational reading of Kerouac’s writings makes it clear that feverish geographic movement is essential to his works. Reading On the Road, one is likely to get lost in precisely what part of the continent Sal Paradise is in and whether he is heading toward Lowell, Massachusetts, or away from it. His other works offer no respite from this confusion either. In The Dharma Bums, protagonist Ray Smith describes his hitchhiking to the mountains saying, The fellows who picked me up were loggers, uranium prospectors, farmers, they drove me through the final big town of Skagit Valley, Sedro Woolley, a farming market town, and then out as the road got narrower and more curved among cliffs and the Skagit River, which we’d crossed on 99 as a dreaming belly river with meadows on both sides was now a pure torrent of melted snow pouring narrow and fast between muddy snag shores (222-223). This excerpt contains multiple characteristics of Kerouac’s hurried geography. The people met and the towns passed are given as lists rather than chronologies; instead of writing about the loggers who drove him through Skagit Valley, Kerouac piles people on top of more people and places on top of more places. His feverish depiction of movement parallels his character’s feverish desire to get to a given location. This excerpt also provides an additional parallel to Smith’s movement by noting the movement of the river. Not only is Smithâ€℠¢s geographic movement increasing in velocity towards his destination but so is the river that he is tracing towards the coast. The previous excerpt provides an excellent depiction of Kerouac’s incessant movement but it does not portray improvisation as well as some; it is full of velocity but the feeling of jazz is not there. The depiction of a late night trip into San Francisco in Big Sur portrays Kerouac’s jazz-like spontaneity well: So almost dawn and here we are cuttin down Buchanan and around the corner on screeching wheels and he opens her up, goes zipping towards a red light so takes a sudden screeching left and goes up a hill fullblast, when we come to the top of the hill I figger he’ll pause awhile to see what’s over the top but he goes even faster and practically flies off the hill and we head down one of those incredibly steep San Fran streets with our snout pointed to the waters of the Bay and he steps on the gas! (85) Improvisation is seen on a number of different levels within this passage. Initially, the spontaneity of even getting into a car on a whim to go to the city is improvisational. The trip is not premeditated and planned but rather a spark in the mind that ignites an adventure. Next, Kerouac’s diction conveys both velocity and jazz-like onomatopoeic qualities. Words like fullblast, cuttin, and sudden carry a spontaneous meaning while onomatopoeias such as screeching and zipping carry an improvisational sound. This word choice is a form of Kerouac’s improvisation that he uses to apply words to a uniquely spontaneous event. Many parallels can be seen between musical styles and writing styles. In other words, tightly metered musical compositions have their parallel in metered verse; Bach’s Baroque compositions have a tight form similar to Alexander Pope’s iambic pentameter poetry. Likewise, the musical styles of Thelonious Monk and other bop jazz musician’s musical styles are similar to the stream of consciousness writing style. Jack Kerouac’s literary style (typically seen as a stream of consciousness style) is free flowing, spontaneous, and jazz likevery improvisational. Kerouac’s prose places a higher premium on the feeling elicited than on the thought conveyed and he obtains this via multiple literary techniques. One of Kerouac’s most famous quotations demonstrates his frenzied style well: The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes Awww! (On the Road 5)It is without mistake that this selection has received such notoriety. Kerouac’s literary techniques are numerous and the outcome is captivating. Kerouac composes a list of people emphasizing the word mad repeatedly and he repeats burn three times over. The effect of this repetition is highly auditory with the prose creating more of a feeling than a thought. The auditory sensation comes from Kerouac’s diction. The words burn and mad are short and choppy and easily repeated; this section can be read very quickly, giving the effect that they are almost mad themselves. In this manner, Kerouac’s diction facilitates a highly auditory effect that results in a feeling of madness. This selection is steeped in improvisation as evidenced by this repetition; it is as if Kerouac could not possibly find a better word in that moment to express his feelings so he took that one perfect word and multiplied it to convey the gravity of his point. His writing shows traits of improvisation with his tendency to call upon the same word over and over just as a trumpet player would hit the same note in a fit of creative spontaneity. I n addition to repetition, Kerouac also conveys improvisation in the subject matter (people who themselves are spontaneous), onomatopoeias (pop/‘Awww!’), and vivid imagery. One can image that this is what jazz might look like in written form. This selection of Kerouac’s writing relies on the auditory effects of words, but it does not hinge on that fact. In other words, the selection can be completely understood if not read aloud or without intentional voice inflection. Some of Kerouac’s writing (especially his poetry) essentially makes little to no sense unless it is read out loud or with musical accompaniment. This provides another interesting facet into not only Kerouac’s writing style but also his improvisational tendencies. The posthumously published novel Orpheus Emerged is sort of the enigma of Kerouac’s canon because it is not written like any of his other works. Written in 1945 (predating all of his work except for Atop an Underwood) , the book shows marks of Kerouac getting a full sense of his style. The prose consists of very standard dialog and the entire plot unfolds in a roughly five-mile radius. Although Orpheus Emerged seems to not fit into the category of improvisation and the subsequent prose that follows, one key section at the climax of the story changes that. Kerouac describes the novel’s central character Michael in his notes as, â€Å"the genius of imagination and art† (155). Michael, along with the other characters, is portrayed as conversing in a relatively standard, not highly stylistic form of dialog. However, after his longtime quest to ascend to the aesthetic foresight of God, Michael’s genius essentially implodes into itself and he has a nervous breakdown coming to grips with his artistic limitations. It is interesting to note that the precise moment of artistic revelation is the only point in the novel in which a stream of consciousness dialog is used. Michael, on the verge of hysteria yells, â€Å"Say something, death. Smug, silent death, omniscient death, sottish death. They tell me corpses dragged out of rivers are bloated, blue, and black, like puffed up bullfrogs, that they glisten with scum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (135) Again, typical of Kerouac’s improvisational sentence construction is the listing of attributes piled one on top of the other along with the repetition of words (in this case death). Although this is the only line in the novel that bears the marks of Kerouac’s improvisational writing style, it is important to note the circumstances of the dialog. In the same manner that jazz musicians are artistically constricted by not being able to deviate from a given melody, Kerouac’s character Michael deviates from constricted speech and thought in a moment of artistic revelation. With this piece being one of the earliest of Kerouac’s writings, it is important to notice that Michael (the artist) emerged in frantic form , similar to how Kerouac later bloomed into an artist of frantic prose. For a long time, readers and critics have sought to understand Kerouac’s seemingly unorthodox usage of movement and language. Some have raised it up as an artistic success, freeing language from the bondage of banality. Others have gone as far as to classify his works as typing rather than writing. Those who have deemed Kerouac as a poor writer are likely misunderstanding the intentions of his writing style and thus resulting in unwarranted criticism. Again, drawing on the jazz analogy: trying to find coherent, highly polished prose in Kerouac is similar to looking for a carefully crafted musical score in Miles Davis’ Budo. One will inevitably condemn both of these artists if form and structure is the measuring rod. However, when one sees Kerouac’s writing in light of its intended purpose, his true genius resonates. Kerouac’s aim of improvisation resulted in prose that was concerned with sound as much as clarity of thought. Viewing Kerouac’s usage of sound against the larger spectrum of writers reveals that he is not as radical as some people have previously thought. Sound has been the trademark of some of literature’s greatest authors. Homer’s epics were written in dactylic hexameter. Shakespeare’s plays were written in iambic pentameter. Both of these works used highly restrictive meter in order to create a certain effect when performed aloud. In the same manner, Kerouac’s prose uses stream of consciousness, onomatopoeias, and diction in order to create a distinct sound. If his prose is at want for clarity when read silently, much can be gained in hearing it. This too is similar to the experience of reading one of Shakespeare’s plays compared to hearing it performed on stage; something is gained in hearing Shakespeare rather than just reading his work. Thus, Kerouac’s emphasis on auditory experience is not as a vant-garde as some critics have made it out to be. His position is shared by some of literature’s most highly regarded writers. Sections of prose that seem to make no sense should be understood as placing a premium on auditory effect rather than on logical cohesion. This is not a flaw of Kerouac’s writing but rather a trademark of his writing style. In this paper, much has been divulged regarding Kerouac’s unique usage of movement and language. However, the question of how this changes one’s understanding of Kerouac still remains. Can one treat improvisation as just a facet of Kerouac’s broader literary style? Is it best to use improvisation as a tool to understand the more obscure sections of Kerouac’s canon? Or, should improvisation be used as a lens through which all of Kerouac’s works are viewed? Using improvisation as just a facet or tool to understand Kerouac is an inadequate response to critically understanding his work. Ker ouac’s vast usage of jazz-like techniques makes it apparent that they are not just a tool of his, but rather inherent to his writing style. Thus, even when Kerouac does not use these jazz-like techniques, that too is implicative of something deliberate. The novel Maggie Cassidy is a ready example of Kerouac deliberately excluding improvisation; the novel is a recalling of pre-poet, childhood love. Staying true to the events and his youthful ignorance, Kerouac limits his form of expression in the piece. Conversely, Big Sur is full of improvisation as it is an autobiography of the self-aware poet Kerouac. Since authors mostly work in the written word, often times the auditory word is elided from the critical discussion of literary works. Neglecting the jazz-like aspects of Jack Kerouac’s writings makes understanding his genius impossible. Prior to condemning his work, critics must seek to understand Kerouac’s usage of features such as improvisation and stream o f consciousness. Once Kerouac’s unique style is understood as being highly stylized—not just hasty writing—the reading experience is wholly enriched and transformed.