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For several years, the Engineering Technology Department (ETD) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has sponsored a variety of student led competition vehicle programs. These programs have enjoyed considerable success in competitions around the country, and have spawned a thriving research community at MTSU, culminating with the foundation of the Experimental Vehicles Program (EVP) at MTSU during the summer of 2004. The vehicle projects sponsored by EVP, including a Solar Vehicle, Solar Boat, Formula car, Mini Baja, and a human powered Moon Buggy, give engineering technology students invaluable experience solving real world engineering problems. The vehicle teams themselves provide a support network that introduces younger students to more experienced older students who are glad to share the hard won knowledge they have gained, and are often willing to help with homework. This paper illustrates the effectiveness of extra-curricular student led projects in educating students for the challenges they will face on the job. EVP, along with other ETD sponsored projects, supplement the standard Mechanical Engineering Technology curriculum at MTSU by: • Attracting new and undeclared students to the Engineering Technology Department and the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) concentration • Increasing retention rates among first year MET students • Challenging those students to apply their classroom skills in designing and building vehicles for national and international competitions • Encouraging independent research into specific problems associated with vehicle design and construction • Fostering effective communication, leadership, and project management skills Introduction The Engineering Technology Department at MTSU has recognized the importance of student projects 1 in providing a well-rounded engineering technology education. Often, engineering technology students have difficulty finding immediate applications for abstract class topics, Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 10161.1 which leads to decreased student interest in class work and effects retention rates within the MET program. Although the MET program at MTSU is based around great textbooks and a knowledgeable faculty, there is no substitute for hands-on learning. It has been shown that students who are involved in student projects perform better in their both their ET and general studies classes. Students involved with these projects acquire skills that are not offered in any class, like communication and leadership skills . The ETD sponsored projects, and in particular the EVP vehicle teams, have proven to be an invaluable marketing tool for attracting undeclared students to the MET program . The projects provide a tangible expression for the capabilities and skills of MTSU MET students, and are an exciting way to promote the program. Because all of the EVP vehicle projects last longer than a semester, students involved with the projects tend to remain in the MET program longer. In this way, the vehicle projects help to increase retention rates . Once a part of the program, MET students are quickly challenged to both apply the knowledge they have already attained through classes, and to attain additional knowledge for the completion of their project. Each vehicle project presents students with a set of unique engineering challenges. These challenges compel students to apply the knowledge they have gained in their classes, and to learn on their own. Contact with older and more knowledgeable MET students is a great resource for younger students involved with MET projects. These older students are very eager to pass on the knowledge they have gained from past projects, and are often willing to help younger students with class work. Attracting Prospective Students to MET Most freshmen MET students learn of EVP and other MET student projects in their Fundamentals of Engineering class. Thanks to a few enthusiastic and supportive professors, involvement in ETD sponsored student projects has practically become part of the curriculum. For those students that do not hear of the projects, EVP has developed an innovative public awareness campaign. One of the first tasks undertaken by EVP was the creation of brochure highlighting the vehicle projects. EVP initially used this brochure to attract attention from local businesses for sponsorship purposes, but the brochure quickly found new use as a recruitment tool. EVP members hung poster-sized versions of the brochure around campus, and were startled at the response among students. At the first introductory EVP meeting, nearly fifty students, many of them freshmen, arrived to learn more about the vehicle teams. For a few undecided students, the EVP meeting was a turning point in their decision to become an MET major. Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 10161.2 The vehicle teams experienced a similar public response when presenting their vehicles at an outdoor event on campus in mid-October 2004. The event showcased past vehicles and concepts for the 2005 competitions. Professors and students from every department stopped to talk with the vehicle teams and watch a PowerPoint presentation about the 2005 concepts. A few brave students even took a ride in the human powered moon buggy. The event generated considerable interest in the vehicle projects, as well as a few recruits for both the vehicle teams and the Engineering Technology Department. EVP has also hosted events featuring the vehicles and the vehicle teams for local middle and high schools, which have encouraged many prospective college students to pursue degrees in science and engineering. During the summer of 2005, EVP plans to host a series of workshops for high school students and teachers who are interested in forming their own Moon Buggy and Solar Vehicle teams. Through these workshops, high school students will be able to follow the actual design procedures undertaken by the EVP teams and will be prepared to begin their own projects by the beginning of the fall semester. EVP will continue to mentor these young students during the academic year. Figure 1: Front Page of EVP Brochure Increasing Enrollment and Retention Rates All of the EVP vehicle projects, as well as other ETD sponsored programs, last through multiple semesters. Students who participate in these ongoing projects tend to stay within the ETD. Because project tasks are allotted based on student interest, the projects help students to decide on a concentration and to remain within their chosen concentration. From 1997 through 1999, the retention rate for the ET Department at MTSU dropped a total of 18%, while recruitment into the department dropped 20%, reflecting a nationwide trend in ET enrollment. In 2000, the first Solar Vehicle team was formed at MTSU. The project received considerable attention from ET students at the time, and after the competition, the vehicle was used as a recruitment tool for the department. In 2003, a Moon Buggy project was added to accommodate the growing interest in student engineering projects, followed by a Formula SAE project in 2004. Since the formation of these projects, the enrollment rates for the ET department have improved dramatically as shown in Figure 2. Exposing prospective students to the EVP projects has had a direct impact on this rise in enrollment. Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 10161.3 Additionally, retention rates for ET concentrations have risen 37% over the same period. Retention rates among full-time student project members have remained at 100% since the first Solar Vehicle project began. ET Enrollment Increase Relative to Previous Year

Student Projects: Hands On Experience With Mechanical Engineering Technology