School:Kettering University
Contents
Introduction
Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute and GMI Engineering and Management Institute) is a university in Flint, Michigan, focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Business fields. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. Kettering places a strong emphasis on experiential learning and cooperative education, with undergraduate students required to complete a minimum of seven co-op terms to graduate.[4] 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.[5] The school's undergraduate population is approximately 2,000 students.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Classroom
The Faculty at Kettering University tends to integrate I&E into the courses through projects and assignments. The Faculty does not fail to emphasize the importance of I&E in any discipline or major and provides students an opportunity to display their I&E skills in the classroom to inspire or get inspired.
While there have been some courses offered at Kettering University traditionally in order to engage students with I&E, there are many new ones as Kettering gears up to overhaul its I&E program. The University has recently introduced a Multidisciplinary I&E minor/concentration that has grabbed student attention. The students will be working with Kettering Entrepreneurship Society as a part of the program. Below is a list of these new courses:
1. INEN 101 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mindset
2. INEN 201 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship Case Studies
3. INEN 202 – Innovative Idea Development
4. INEN 401 – Business Model Development
5. INEN 402 – Prototyping and Commercialization
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Related Events
Kettering University strives to engage its students with I&E both in and outside the classroom. It currently hosts two campus events that make students delve into I&E.
Innovation Quest
The event is organized weekly and the idea is to compete in an hour long challenge to create a simple machine or device that accomplishes the designated task. The event has gained much popularity around campus and the participation is high. While the event is more geared towards Innovation than Entrepreneurship, the idea is to appeal to the creativity in students.
Kettering Impact
The event is organized once a term and it currently offers a $1000 first price to the student or group of students that can come up with an idea to improve Kettering University and eventually use this to start a venture of their own. The students are made to create a 4 minute long video that entails their idea and the basic need for it along with other important details. The event is usually judged by members of the college administration along with other budding student Entrepreneurs.
Kettering Entrepreneur Society
The three pillars of Kettering Entrepreneurship Society (KES) are Mentoring, Networking and Funding. Students often have great ideas but lack the means. KES seeks to fill in the gap by providing valuable feedback, essential start-up funding, an interactive network and most important of all, the motivation. KES holds weekly meetings open to the entire student body and the faculty. Once a student receives a grant, he/she periodically updates the society on the progress of their projects. Students that are not physically present can also attend meetings virtually using WebEx.
Co-op Program
Arguably, the most attractive aspect of studying at Kettering University is the co-op program. Each term at Kettering University is 11 weeks long and there are four terms or quarters per year. Students alternate between co-op (usually at a company) and school every term. Essentially, every student works for six months in the year and studies for the other six. Most students graduate with two years of valuable industrial work experience and have a better understanding of the work place. Most students even complete a six month long mandatory Undergraduate Thesis project.
All this practical experience combined offers a much more hands-on approach to I&E. Students learn the basics of managing a project and delivering results along with developing a healthy work ethic.
Landscape Canvas
Entrepreneurial Rating
I would rate Kettering University 5 out of 10 on entrepreneurial activities only because of the huge room it has for growth. Given the vastly technical student population, I&E can play a much broader role in student life at Kettering. The good news is that the college realizes this and is now consciously delegating resources in this arena.