The Enterprise Program Michigan Technological University

Enterprise Mission

The Enterprise Program provides students the opportunity to develop

their technical, business and interpersonal skills through the

application of their knowledge and interests to industry-sponsored, multi-

disciplinary team-based projects.

Enterprise Curriculum

Enterprise Project Work (6-7 credits total) under the guidance of a faculty advisor from the Enterprise’s host department

• 1-2 credits per semester over 2-3 years

Professional Development Modules (6-13 credits total) many of which are taught by faculty outside engineering and in a non-traditional format (6-13 credits total)

• 1 credit courses in business, communications and special engineering topics

Professional Development Modules

Teaming, Communications and Business…ENT2961 - Teaming in the Enterprise ENT3963 - Entrepreneurship

ENT2962 - Communication Contexts ENT3964 - Project Management

ENT3962 - Communication Strategies ENT3971 - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

ENT3400 - Economic Decision Analysis ENT4951 - Project Budgeting

ENT3954 - Enterprise Market Principles ENT4952 - Complex Communication Practices

ENT3961 - Enterprise Strategic Leadership ENT4954 - Global Competition

Special Engineering Topics…ENT3972 - Electronic Circuit Design & Fab ENT3966 - Design for Manufacturing

ENT3955 - Conceptual Design Prob Solving ENT3967 - Product/Process Design II

ENT3956 - Industrial Health & Safety ENT3969 - Project Phases of Design/Implementation

ENT3957 - Product/Process Design ENT3973 – Geo/Hydrological Techniques

ENT3958 - Ethics in Engineering ENT3974 – Fuel Cell Fundamentals

Enterprise Teams

Enterprise Teams (continued)

New Enterprise teams in 2008-09!

• The FERM – Forestry and Environmental Resource Management Enterprise

• NanoTech Enterprise

• Cin/Optic Enterprise – Where Engineering Meets Art

• Automotive Computing Enterprise

• U2 Explore Enterprise

• Green Campus Enterprise

Enterprise Enrollment

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

'00-

01

'01-

02

'02-

03

'03-

04

'04-

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'07-

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00-01

01-02

02-03

03-04

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05-06

06-07

07-08

1st – 2nd Year

85 140 150 160 194 143 219 189

3rd Year

60 85 110 150 204 231 201 237

4th Year

86 86 140 150 157 219 216 225

Total 230 311 405 460 555 604 636 651

# Teams

11 15 17 18 22 24 24 28

Fall 2008 Enrollment

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Enginee

ring

Busine

ss

Technolo

gy

Other

  Fr So Jr Sr Total

Engineering 13 83 194 188 478

Business 0 4 4 3 11

Technology 0 13 17 24 54

Other 8 24 26 13 71

Total 21 124 241 228 614

Enterprise Minors & Concentrations Awarded

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

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'01-

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'02-

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'07-

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00-01

01-02

02-03

03-04

04-05

05-06

06-07

07-08

Engr’g 5 9 23 38 52 57 50 66

Business

0 0 0 1 1 1 2 1

Tech 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 7

Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total 5 9 23 39 55 59 56 75

Retention with Enterprise

3rd Year Retention Rate ~Fall ‘01 Engineering FTIACs:– 93.2% for Enterprise students– 67.2% for non-Enterprise students

(Difference is highly significant, p<0.0001)

2nd Year Retention Rate ~ Fall ‘02 Technology FTIACs– 100% for Enterprise students– 59.6% for non-Enterprise students

(Difference is significant, p<0.05)

GPA / Probation Enterprise vs. Non-Enterprise

 

Fall 2001

# StudentsGPA – End

of 2nd Year GPA – Upon Graduation

Avg Terms on Probation

Enterprise        

Graduated 192 3.18 3.18 0.72

Did Not Graduate 19 2.62 2.43 3.63

         

Non-Enterprise        

Graduated 542 3.14 3.16 0.76

Did Not Graduate 174 2.54 2.45 2.33

Graduation Rates Enterprise vs. Non-Enterprise

 

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

Cohort Rate Cohort Rate Cohort Rate

Enterprise 127 86.6 183 83.6 211 91.0

             

Non-Enterprise 779 70.6 774 77.3 716 75.7

Moving Forward…

Several initiatives are in progress as we strive for continuous improvement and growth of this innovative educational approach

• Improve curriculum and assessment across disciplines• Add co-curricular workshops in areas such as Time Management, Budgeting

and Project Management• High School Enterprise Program

– 2008 pilot program with three high schools (funded by Michigan Tech)– Continuing pilot with eight high schools (supported by NSF ITEST grant)

• International Projects and Collaboration• Graduate Level Enterprises • Entrepreneurial Initiatives with MTEC Smartzone Business Incubators• Adaptation of the Enterprise model, and collaboration with, other colleges

and universities around the world