Conference Session

Understanding Students: Recruiting, Retention, Enrichment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Bumbalough, Kettering University; Jennifer Aurandt, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

of students, faculty and staff who are interested in educating studentsin making environmentally responsible decisions. KIET received NationalScience Foundation CCLI Phase 1 Grant (DUE#051132) to design and teach theEnvironmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing class and start theGreener Engineering Organization (GEO), a student club, in Fall 2007. Since itsformation, GEO has improved environmental awareness, stimulatedenvironmental action, and enhanced the image of Kettering as anenvironmentally conscious university. They have improved the local anduniversity community by giving its members service learning, leadership, andnetworking opportunities. Furthermore, they initiated paper and beveragecontainer recycling programs, and

Conference Session

Project-Based Service Learning

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado, Boulder; Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University; Chris Swan, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

). There are significant increases in perceptions of an obligationand personal empowerment to make changes in society. Students and faculty engaged in theSLICE program experienced increased sensitivity to the social, cultural, and environmentalconsequences of engineering decision making. 9 Similar findings are reported by Kremer(personal communication): >95% of students engaged in a PBSL capstone design experience selfreported high awareness of the social impact of engineering, significant increases over selfassessments with non-SL projects. Students also had an increased interest in volunteeropportunities and civic engagement. Students engaged in SL have also been shown to haveincreased self-confidence and self-esteem.57 Further, engagement in