Speed News September 08, 2008

September 8, 2008 ABET Accreditation Policy By Shiraz Ahmad, Senior CECS

Upon entering Speed School, many of you were informed that you were embarking upon a five-year long mission to receive an accredited Master’s degree in the engineering field of your choice. It was also made clear that, without completion of the five year program, it would not be possible to obtain an accredited degree. This was due to the regulation enforced by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) disallowing dual -accreditations on the graduate and undergraduate levels. This has been a great point of contention over the years for Speed School faculty and students alike. In order to receive accreditation at the graduate level, it is a prequisite that the University's undergrad programs also meet the requirements set forth by ABET. Why then should dual accreditation not be granted? This was precisely the question set forth by several influential Engineering organizations, including the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Due to rising interest in this subject, the debate was brought before and voted on by ABET this past Spring.

Edited By: Brian Goessling Email: [email protected]

As of March 28th, 2008, ABET revoked the ban on dual accreditation. According to Dean Mickey Wilhelm, this means that as soon as ABET awards Speed School accreditation for its undergraduate programs students who have received B.S. degrees up to one year prior will also retroactively receive accredited B.S degrees in their major. Dual accreditation will be implemented during the 20092010 school year. The Dean has requested that Speed School be granted accreditation for its Bachelor's degrees without a formal visit from ABET, due to the prior accreditation of our Masters programs. If ABET chooses to require a formal evaluation, then a team will be sent in Fall 2009 and a formal decision will be made by the Engineering Accreditation Commission in July 2010. So, for those students who will graduate post 2008, a new door presents itself. Speed School students who wish to complete school at the undergraduate level will have the opportunity to do so without the looming prospect of an unaccredited degree. And even if you intend to continue on the Masters track, it will be of benefit when applying to companies who look for accredited undergraduate degrees. ABET's new policy, once enforced, will serve as a great benefit to both current and future Speed School students. ■

Sudoku: Easier

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SAE 2008 Baja Team Taken from UofL Baja SAE 2008 Year in Review The 2008 UofL Baja SAE team undertook a huge challenge this year. Not only were we low in members, but we also pursued radically different designs for our vehicle. New concepts in the chassis, suspension, drive train, and steering systems made this the most innovative vehicle to come out of our shop. In addition to innovation, the fit and finish of this year’s vehicle is unrivaled by any other SAE vehicle from UofL. Our program and success would not have been possible this year had it not been for your tremendous support. This year especially our sponsors really came through for us. Past contributors such as the Speed School of Engineering, Cummins, O’Neal Steel and BAE Systems continued their contributions. Numerous new contributors such as Cardinal Aluminum, Podium 1, TW Metals, Holley, Ryder, Suicide Doors.com, Machine Concepts, and W.C. Simms Co. joined the effort as well. Tennessee Unfortunately we were unable to compete at the event in Tennessee this year. A lack of manpower didn’t allow for the flotation and propulsion systems to be fabricated and tested in time. However our design report was graded, and we were 13th out of 95 schools. Illinois Our first attended competition of the year started with a bang, but ended in frustration. The highlight of this competition was our vehicle design. After the report and presentation, we ranked 12th in overall design out of 118 schools. However weather and mechanical problems in our drive train system kept us out of contention in the dynamic events. Our one ray of hope was to finish the endurance race, where half of your points come from. A missing $.38 retaining ring in our drive shafts took us out on the second lap. Even with all these problems, we managed to scrape together a respectable 62nd place. Montreal We knew heading up to Montreal that we had the chance to do something special. Our drive train issues were completely worked out through thorough testing and we had a much better idea of what our vehicle was capable of. Out of the 122 schools at the competition, we finished 25th in overall design, and 11th overall in dynamic events (Acceleration, Land Maneuverability, Suspension & Traction, and Log Pull). Heading into the endurance race we were 15th overall. All we had to do was put up a good result in the 4 hour long race and we would reach our goal of a top 10 finish. For the first 3 laps it appeared as if we

would. Our vehicle was faster than several of the top 10 schools, yet it didn’t last. While approaching the apex of a turn, another car approached our vehicle from behind and hit our left rear wheel. The impact sent our car into a tree, which sheared a rod end off a steering upright, popped the welds in our steering box, and removed the left rear tire from its wheel. The repairs needed to fix these problems took us out of the race for nearly two hours, yet we were still able to finish 11 out of 28 possible laps. Even with the disaster in the endurance race, we still finished 37th. 2009 Season With the lessons learned from the 2008 season, we are extremely excited about our chances for the coming season. We plan to optimize our already outstanding suspension and driveline, as well as take out weight from all subsystems. With these changes as well as extensive testing and recruitment, Top 10 finishes at each competition are very real possibilities. ■

SWE General Meeting What: Society of Women Engineers General Body Meeting Date: September 9, 2008 (Tuesday) Time: 12:30 to 1:00 Location: VOGT 314

Student Council Events Due to a class in the JS Auditorium, Student Council will be holding weekly meetings in Vogt 311. Student Council Meetings run from 12:20 PM to 1 PM on Thursdays. Arriving late or leaving early (especially for classes) is acceptable. Those interested in joining are encouraged to attend. More information can be found at the Student Council website, www.speedcouncil.org, or by visiting the Council Office in JS 105.