Kettering University is a private university in Flint, Michigan. It offers bachelor of science and master’s degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and business. Kettering University undergraduate students must complete at least five co-op terms to graduate.[4]
Kettering University is named after inventor and former head of research for General Motors, Charles F. Kettering. He was a distinguished inventor, researcher, and proponent of cooperative education.[5]
History
Founded as The School of Automotive Trades by Albert Sobey under the direction of the Industrial Fellowship of Flint on October 20, 1919, Kettering University has a long legacy in the automotive industry. The university became known as the Flint Institute of Technology (Flint Tech) in 1923 before being acquired by General Motors in 1926. It was renamed as the General Motors Institute of Technology (General Motors Tech) and eventually the General Motors Institute in 1932.[6]
Once referred to as the "West Point of the Automobile industry,"[7] GMI focused on a cooperative education model that combined classroom learning with real-world job experience [8] (following the development of this program at the University of Cincinnati in 1907). GMI also pioneered freshman-level manufacturing courses (Production Processes I & II) and automotive degree specialties. In 1945, the Institute added a fifth-year thesis requirement, granting the school the ability to award degrees. The school's first bachelor's degree was subsequently awarded on August 23, 1946.
During the 1950s, the co-op program required applicants to find a GM division to sponsor them. School and work were mixed in four- or eight-week rotations, dividing the student body into four groups.
Split from GM
After GM reduced operations in Flint, the company and the university separated on July 1, 1982. The institution became "GMI Engineering & Management Institute," keeping the initials "GMI" to maintain its connection with the old General Motors Institute. The university began charging full tuition as an independent private university. The university kept the cooperative education model, expanding the number of co-op employers for students. The university also began offering graduate programs for both on- and off-campus students.
Name change and expansion of programs
The university's name was formally changed to Kettering University on January 1, 1998, in honor of Charles Kettering.[9] The name change allowed the university to establish a separate identity from General Motors and to publicize their expansion of academic programs beyond automotive-related offerings.
The university launched a physics program in 1995 and the first ABET-accredited applied physics program in the world in 2013.[10] A chemical engineering program as well as a pre-med course of study were launched in 2008.[11]
Academics
Kettering University offers Bachelor of Science (BS) and masters (MS, MBA, MBA/MSMO dual) degree programs.[15] Some masters programs are available online following the school's launch of distance education programs in 2015. Most undergraduate programs require completion of 160 credit hours for graduation. Its most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were:[16]
- Mechanical Engineering (233)
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering (44)
- Computer Science (42)
- Computer Engineering (26)
- Industrial Engineering (24)
- Chemical Engineering (23)
Accreditation
Campus
Kettering University's campus is situated on approximately 90 acres of land along the Flint River on the west side of Flint. In 2012, Kettering began purchasing distressed properties from the Genesee County Land Bank as part of its mission to play a leading role in the revitalization of Flint. The university demolished blighted structures and took over maintenance, mowing, and upkeep of the properties.[38]
Kettering has received neighborhood stabilization grants from the Department of Justice[39] and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[40] These grants aimed to support the revitalization of neighborhoods near campus and establish a safe University Avenue Corridor (UAC), a walkable connector from Kettering's campus to downtown Flint, the University of Michigan–Flint campus, McLaren Regional Medical Center, and Hurley Medical Center.[41]
Campus Master Plan
Student life
Nearly half of Kettering University's student body lives in the university's residence hall or in the Campus Village Apartments complex adjacent to campus. Many others live near campus in fraternity and sorority housing or private rentals, making the university's campus community close-knit.[68] A variety of activities and organizations give students plenty of social outlets on and near campus.[69]
Kettering LEADERS Fellowship
In 1999, 31 graduating seniors committed to donating $10,000 each over 10 years to build up an endowment dedicated to student leadership development at Kettering University.[70] Since then, the endowment has grown to over $450,000. The selective program is now known as the Kettering LEADERS Fellowship.[71]
SAE Competition Teams
Notable alumni
Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, is a 1985 Kettering University graduate.[85] Barra and former General Motors President Edward Nicholas Cole, a 1933 Kettering University graduate, who have appeared on the cover of Time.[86]
Henry Juszkiewicz, a 1976 graduate, is the chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corporation.
See also
- Association of Independent Technological Universities
External links
References
- Kettering University Key Dates^
- New president named Kettering.edu, 2011-06-13, retrieved 2017-10-06^
- As of May 2017 Class Profile 2016-2017