A basic shop course was typical in the early days of mechanical engineering studies. However, in the late seventies, the shop course was dropped from the engineering curriculum in most schools for various reasons. The need for a preparatory manufacturing course became apparent after recognizing the lack of modest shop skills exhibited by our students in design-build projects which are routinely assigned in several junior and senior level courses. The traditional manufacturing course, that all students are required to take during the senior year, requires higher-level prerequisites. In addition, being a senior level course, it provides very little opportunity for the students to utilize those skills in other courses. To address this void, a new engineering workshop course has been objectively designed and implemented for the sophomore mechanical and aerospace engineering students, beginning fall 2003. The goals of the course are to develop an appreciation for manufacturing in engineering design, prepare students for follow-up manufacturing course, and develop necessary skills for design-build projects at various levels of the curriculum. The engineering shop course is designed around nine laboratory content modules that introduce the students to the fundamentals of shop safety, measurement, and manufacturing. The present paper describes the development and implementation of the course. The effectiveness of the course in meeting the goals is also assessed through surveys conducted both before and after the course is completed. Long-term success will be measured in the future by a survey of graduating seniors to assess the effectiveness of the engineering shop course in the students’ ability to successfully complete design-build projects assigned in other courses. The modular design would allow this course to be adapted for achieving similar objectives elsewhere.

Students at Saint Louis University have an opportunity to participate in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineering) Aero-Design student competition. The competition challenges students to design, fabricate and fly an aircraft carrying a desired weight in a pre-determined flight pattern. Participation in the project draws students with diverse backgrounds from across the university. A typical design team includes students majoring in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Aircraft Maintenance Management, Aviation Science, as well as students from the College of Arts and Science majoring in non-technical/nonengineering fields.Aside from the obvious challenges of design, analysis, fabrication and flight, the team is exposed to another real-world challenge to engineering design, working in a multidiscipline design team. Students participating on the team may have dramatically differing educational and practical backgrounds. The methods and manners in which each individual approaches a team challenge, whether engineering, application or organizationally based must yield a cohesive group that is focused on the overall success of the team and a positive team experience. Regardless of the abilities of the individuals, in order to succeed, the team must find common ground and establish working relationships with team members of different backgrounds and personality types. The synthesis of multi-discipline talents and efforts is a tool that is used extensively in the manufacturing and industrial world and serves as a precursor to what the student is likely to expect upon graduation. This paper will examine and identify the aspects of collegial efforts exhibited by students participating in a multidisciplinary team competition and the overall benefit to alumni in their professional life who have previously participated in structured multidisciplinary team efforts at

has offered a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautics with a concentration in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering since 1949. 1,2 The degree was developed in an era when aircraft manufacturing was in its infancy and aircraft service and repair procedures were almost nonexistent. The curriculum was designed to provide students practical instruction in aircraft manufacturing and repair techniques as well as the mathematical and classic science instruction of the then current contemporary engineering programs. By today's standards, the curriculum parallels that of an engineering technology program. Over the years, as ABET accredited technology programs continued to submit themselves to rigorous peer review, accreditation evaluations and work toward raising academic standards, the faculty of the Department of Aerospace Technology resisted change and became comfortable in their niche. Much of the resistance to TAC/ABET stems from fear that the word "technology" as part of the degree name will draw an association with a program that graduates technicians and "glorified mechanics". This antiquated philosophy and refusal to deviate from the traditional model has resulted in a department that has not continuously raised classroom expectations, aggressively pursued continuous improvement, and fully utilized the resources of alumni and industry guidance. This paper will describe the self-evaluation process taken by the department faculty, which resulted in the decision to break free from traditional thinking, and strive to meet the current accreditation standards of TAC/ABET.