Kettering University
Encyclopedia
Kettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan
, offering degrees in engineering
, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River
on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors. It is named after inventor and former head of research for General Motors Charles Kettering
. Ninety-eight percent of seniors are employed or accepted to graduate schools before graduation, and one out of 15 alumni either own their own business or are high-level managers in leading companies. The school's undergraduate population is approximately 2,000 students.
. The school was originally founded as The School of Automobile Trades on October 20, 1919 by Albert Sobey under the direction of the Industrial Fellowship of Flint as a night school, training individuals for careers in industry. In 1923 the school became known as the Flint Institute of Technology
. General Motors acquired the school on July 12, 1926, renaming it General Motors Institute of Technology. In 1932 the name of the school was shortened to General Motors Institute.
GMI focused on creating leaders for business and industry (sometimes called the West Point of Industry) and pioneered many educational firsts including the co-op program (following the development of this program at the University of Cincinnati
in 1907), freshmen level manufacturing courses (Production Processes I & II), and automotive degree specialties. A fifth-year thesis requirement was added in 1945, along with the ability to grant degrees. The first bachelor's degree was awarded on August 23, 1946.
The co-op program required applicants to find a GM division to be their sponsor. Work and school were mixed in six-week rotations, dividing the student body into A-section and
B-section. At any given time, when A-section was in school, B-section was at work. After six weeks, B-section would go back to school and so on. This resulted in students moving eight times per year and a 48-week school/work year. Because General Motors used the school to train its engineers, tuition was partially subsidized.
In June 1980 (the Class of 1985) co-op rotations were expanded to twelve weeks. After GM reduced operations in Flint, the company and the University separated on July 1, 1982, although GM continued to hire co-ops from GMI. The name of the institution became "GMI Engineering & Management Institute" although the letters "GMI" were retained to allow easy identification with the old General Motors Institute. New co-op employers began participating, including Magna International
of Canada, and the University began charging full tuition.
On January 1, 1998 the school's name was formally changed to Kettering University in order to:
The 2006 freshman class of 398 students was selected from 2,157 applicants with 1,534 admitted. 86% of freshmen scored 600 or above on the math section of the SAT
and 84% scored over 500 on the verbal section. Students averaged a 3.54 high school GPA and an average ACT
score of 26. Approximately 83% of the degree-seeking undergraduate student body is male.
degrees in Applied Mathematics
, Applied Physics
, Biochemistry
, Bioinformatics
, Business Administration, Chemical Engineering
, Chemistry
, Computer Engineering
, Computer Science
, Electrical Engineering
, Engineering Physics
, Industrial Engineering
, and Mechanical Engineering
. The university also offers a Bachelors of Business Administration. The University also offers Master's
degrees in Business Administration (MBA), Information Technology
, Manufacturing Management, Operations Management, Manufacturing Operations, Engineering Management, and Engineering. Although courses differ with major, for most undergraduate programs, completion of 160 credit hours is needed for graduation.
Kettering also offers students more than 40 minors, concentrations, specialties and courses of study, including a pre-med program. Kettering's pre-med program also has early assurance agreements with both the Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine
and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
(LECOM), ensuring Kettering pre-med students admittance to the schools upon graduation.
program. In addition to classwork, students spend half the year acquiring full-time professional work experience. This is broken into four rotations of 11 week terms. The student body is separated into two sections, A and B. A-Section attends classes from July to September and then from January to March, while B-Section attends classes from October to December and April to June. During the three-month periods between class terms, students work full-time with one of over 500 co-op employer partners. As a requirement to graduate, each student must complete five work terms and a major project for their employer in the form of a thesis. On average a student earns between $40,000 and $65,000 throughout their co-op experience. The curriculum is designed to be completed in four and one-half years, although it is possible to complete it in four years.
Kettering University consists of six buildings and nearly 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of land. In 1995, Kettering built a park spanning over much of this land. In addition to this, the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center opened on August 5, 1995; it offers students a larger selection of activities. With over 75000 cubic feet (2,123.8 m³), some of the more notable aspects are its Olympic sized pool, indoor track and numerous tennis, basketball and racquetball courts. These enhancements totaled over $7 million dollars to construct.
Kettering offers two of these six buildings for student housing. The school's Campus Center is the location of the Admissions and Public Relations offices as well as the student cafeteria.
The C.S. Mott Engineering and Science Center opened in July 2004 and contains an entire fuel cell
systems and powertrain
integration labs. This $43 million dollar facility also contains several other laboratories such as emissions
, bioengineering and various others for the core science courses for most students.
Kettering is also one of the few schools in the nation to have a crash safety center, in which students are able to experience crash test
ing and develop effective safety equipment. Also located in the Academic Building, Kettering offers a variety of other engineering labs such as machining, welding, polymer processing and injection molding.
Many North-American Interfraternity Conference
(IFC) fraternities have chapters at Kettering as do several National Panhellenic Conference
(NPC) sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council
(NPHC) has several local chapters that are also affiliated with Kettering. IFC, NPC, and NPHC each have a school-wide council with representatives from each member organization. These councils are designed to facilitate communication between the different groups, and to facilitate relations with the University on matters such as school-wide events and membership. In addition to the recognized organizations there are several unrecognized organizations including a local Christian
fraternity and a local Christian sorority.
During the first few weeks of school, freshmen are "rushed", a period of recruitment where all Greek organizations host events and attempt to recruit new members. Fraternities promote their events with signs, calendars, personal visits, and by painting the bull dog, a campus tradition.
is run by Kettering University students and staff. It was founded in November 2004.
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, offering degrees in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River
Flint River (Michigan)
The Flint River is a river in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan in the United States. It flows through the city of Flint and the counties of Genesee, Lapeer and Saginaw.- Course :...
on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors. It is named after inventor and former head of research for General Motors Charles Kettering
Charles Kettering
Charles Franklin Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research for General Motors for 27 years from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and...
. Ninety-eight percent of seniors are employed or accepted to graduate schools before graduation, and one out of 15 alumni either own their own business or are high-level managers in leading companies. The school's undergraduate population is approximately 2,000 students.
History
The history of Kettering University is deeply tied to the development of the American automotive industryAutomaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
. The school was originally founded as The School of Automobile Trades on October 20, 1919 by Albert Sobey under the direction of the Industrial Fellowship of Flint as a night school, training individuals for careers in industry. In 1923 the school became known as the Flint Institute of Technology
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
. General Motors acquired the school on July 12, 1926, renaming it General Motors Institute of Technology. In 1932 the name of the school was shortened to General Motors Institute.
GMI focused on creating leaders for business and industry (sometimes called the West Point of Industry) and pioneered many educational firsts including the co-op program (following the development of this program at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1907), freshmen level manufacturing courses (Production Processes I & II), and automotive degree specialties. A fifth-year thesis requirement was added in 1945, along with the ability to grant degrees. The first bachelor's degree was awarded on August 23, 1946.
The co-op program required applicants to find a GM division to be their sponsor. Work and school were mixed in six-week rotations, dividing the student body into A-section and
B-section. At any given time, when A-section was in school, B-section was at work. After six weeks, B-section would go back to school and so on. This resulted in students moving eight times per year and a 48-week school/work year. Because General Motors used the school to train its engineers, tuition was partially subsidized.
In June 1980 (the Class of 1985) co-op rotations were expanded to twelve weeks. After GM reduced operations in Flint, the company and the University separated on July 1, 1982, although GM continued to hire co-ops from GMI. The name of the institution became "GMI Engineering & Management Institute" although the letters "GMI" were retained to allow easy identification with the old General Motors Institute. New co-op employers began participating, including Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
of Canada, and the University began charging full tuition.
On January 1, 1998 the school's name was formally changed to Kettering University in order to:
- create an identity separate from General Motors and the auto industry,
- avoid confusion with General Motors University, a General Motors training center created in 1997.
- honor Charles F. Kettering, an early 20th century inventor, a proponent of cooperative education, and an early benefactor of the school.
Admissions
| Kettering University Presidents |
|
|---|---|
The 2006 freshman class of 398 students was selected from 2,157 applicants with 1,534 admitted. 86% of freshmen scored 600 or above on the math section of the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
and 84% scored over 500 on the verbal section. Students averaged a 3.54 high school GPA and an average ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 26. Approximately 83% of the degree-seeking undergraduate student body is male.
Academic programs
Kettering University offers Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degrees in Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
, Applied Physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
, Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
, Business Administration, Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Computer Engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
, Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, Engineering Physics
Engineering physics
Engineering physics is the study of the combined disciplines of physics, engineering and mathematics in order to develop an understanding of the interrelationships of these three disciplines. Fundamental physics is combined with problem solving and engineering skills, which then has broad...
, Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
, and Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. The university also offers a Bachelors of Business Administration. The University also offers Master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees in Business Administration (MBA), Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, Manufacturing Management, Operations Management, Manufacturing Operations, Engineering Management, and Engineering. Although courses differ with major, for most undergraduate programs, completion of 160 credit hours is needed for graduation.
Kettering also offers students more than 40 minors, concentrations, specialties and courses of study, including a pre-med program. Kettering's pre-med program also has early assurance agreements with both the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
College of Human Medicine
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is an academic division of Michigan State University , and grants the Doctor of Medicine degree. CHM was founded in 1964 as the first community-integrated medical school, and has a program that emphasizes patient-centered care and a...
and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private, graduate school of medicine and pharmacy and is currently the largest medical college in the country. Founded in 1992 in Erie, Pennsylvania., LECOM is a member of the Millcreek Health System in partnership with Millcreek Geriatric...
(LECOM), ensuring Kettering pre-med students admittance to the schools upon graduation.
Sections
Kettering is one of the few engineering schools that prepares students for the workplace through 100% participation in an experiential learning and co-opCooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
program. In addition to classwork, students spend half the year acquiring full-time professional work experience. This is broken into four rotations of 11 week terms. The student body is separated into two sections, A and B. A-Section attends classes from July to September and then from January to March, while B-Section attends classes from October to December and April to June. During the three-month periods between class terms, students work full-time with one of over 500 co-op employer partners. As a requirement to graduate, each student must complete five work terms and a major project for their employer in the form of a thesis. On average a student earns between $40,000 and $65,000 throughout their co-op experience. The curriculum is designed to be completed in four and one-half years, although it is possible to complete it in four years.
Campus
Kettering offers two of these six buildings for student housing. The school's Campus Center is the location of the Admissions and Public Relations offices as well as the student cafeteria.
The C.S. Mott Engineering and Science Center opened in July 2004 and contains an entire fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
systems and powertrain
Powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
integration labs. This $43 million dollar facility also contains several other laboratories such as emissions
Emission standard
Emission standards are requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. Many emissions standards focus on regulating pollutants released by automobiles and other powered vehicles but they can also regulate emissions from industry, power...
, bioengineering and various others for the core science courses for most students.
Kettering is also one of the few schools in the nation to have a crash safety center, in which students are able to experience crash test
Crash test
A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation or related systems and components.- Types :...
ing and develop effective safety equipment. Also located in the Academic Building, Kettering offers a variety of other engineering labs such as machining, welding, polymer processing and injection molding.
Student life
Forty eight percent of students live in either the 445-student residence hall or Campus Village Apartment complex adjacent to campus, capable of housing 211. Others live in Greek housing facilities or private rental properties near campus. Kettering students stay involved in over 15 Greek organizations, student government and recreational activities.Clubs
Kettering Student Government sponsors many student clubs to promote an atmosphere conducive to social interaction. Most clubs receive money from the University to operate. However, some clubs are self financing, either because they wish to avoid the restrictions placed on the Kettering Student Government (KSG) sponsored clubs or because they are unaware that funding is available.Greek life
The university has a very active Greek system, which is recognized as an excellent source of service opportunities and leadership training. Over 40% of the student body is currently involved in a fraternity or sorority. Before on campus housing was available, membership was as high as 80%.Many North-American Interfraternity Conference
North-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
(IFC) fraternities have chapters at Kettering as do several National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
(NPC) sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine"...
(NPHC) has several local chapters that are also affiliated with Kettering. IFC, NPC, and NPHC each have a school-wide council with representatives from each member organization. These councils are designed to facilitate communication between the different groups, and to facilitate relations with the University on matters such as school-wide events and membership. In addition to the recognized organizations there are several unrecognized organizations including a local Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
fraternity and a local Christian sorority.
During the first few weeks of school, freshmen are "rushed", a period of recruitment where all Greek organizations host events and attempt to recruit new members. Fraternities promote their events with signs, calendars, personal visits, and by painting the bull dog, a campus tradition.
WKUF-LP
The low-power radio station WKUF-LPWKUF-LP
WKUF-LP is a student-run low-powered campus radio station located in Flint, Michigan. It broadcasts at 100 watts, and has a range of between 6 and 20 miles, depending on terrain, elevation, and building density between the university and the location of the listener. It is operated by Kettering...
is run by Kettering University students and staff. It was founded in November 2004.