Vehicle Design Program

From Detroit Auto Scene June 19, 2006
University Showcases One-of-a-Kind Vehicle Program
By Irena Granaas Staff Reporter

The future of the automotive industry in Michigan was the key topic at the June 7 Open House and Grand Opening Celebration for Central Michigan University’s (CMU) new automotive facility in Troy.
The event was an opportunity for CMU to showcase its Vehicle Design Program which carries the theme “Celebrate Learning.”
CMU President Michael Rao presented opening remarks and he was followed by a panel discussion entitled “Retooling Our Automotive Industry.” Rao said the relocation of CMU’s Vehicle Design Program to the new Troy facility, along with the latest in educational technology, will increase the program’s visibility and allow it to better serve adult students.
Panel participants included Jim Croce, president, NextEnergy; Bernard Swiecki, project manager, Center for Automotive Research (CAR); Mark Ratliff, president and CEO, Virtual Services Robert Vitale GM & CMU vehicle design instructor; and John McElroy, host of Automotive Insight.
In an interview, Ratliff said Virtual Services provides com¬puter-aided design work for automotive OEMs and many au¬tomotive suppliers in Michigan and northern Ohio. He said CMU’s program is the only degree program in the country for automotive design engineers.
“One of the areas I talked about was as the Asian car companies or transplants have come to the United States, many of them have set up their engineering and design centers right here in Michigan,” Ratliff said. “They have really raised the bar in terms of what type of experience they are looking for from an employee or contract person who is doing automo¬tive design.”
He said that in the past, most designers were not college educated, but Asian automakers in particular are looking for individuals with post-graduate degrees or, at least, an under¬graduate degree from a four-year university.
Swiecki said the most valued knowledge he gained from the event is the importance of leveraging what Michigan needs to do to shore up its automotive industry, “which is taking advantage of what we do best sophisticated design and engineering capability.”
“Much is made of the inter¬national competition and the low wages we find overseas, and I think this is our best re¬sponse”
Al Zainea, CMU director of undergraduate programs, said the event went very well, noting that CMU decided in 1995, based on trends in the state and automotive industry, to offer a vehicle design program.
“By 1997, we were able to of¬fer the first set of courses in vehicle design, and the program has been a big success ... We’re moving the program to the next level with more engineering related courses; and also having the opportunity to work with automotive industry partners for more technology based courses.”
Information about the CMU Troy Center and its programs is available by calling (877) 268-4636 or by e-mail at Troy.Center@cmich.edu.