• January 11 – Cincinnati
• February 8 – Indianapolis
• March 1 – Chicago
• March 8 – Detroit
• March 15 – Cleveland

For more information, visit AutoRama online.

OWOSSO, Mich. – Baker College of Owosso held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 21 to launch its new state-of-the-art Auto/Diesel Institute of Michigan (ADI).

Rising enrollment, increased workforce needs and enhanced reputation led to the 11-month construction and grand opening of the 43,000 square-foot facility located on 11.8 acres on S. M-52. The new facility will welcome approximately 450 students when fall classes start on Monday.

“The opening of the new Auto/Diesel Institute facility establishes Baker College of Owosso as a national-level provider of high-quality service technicians in both the auto and diesel areas,” said Peter W. Karsten, Baker College of Owosso president. “The additional capacity provided in this high-tech facility will allow us to attract students from geographical areas across the United States.   Baker College of Owosso is pleased to continue to invest in Shiawassee County and the mid-Michigan area to educate and train the workforce for tomorrow.”

The new ADI facility includes two fully equipped automotive labs, three diesel labs, four engine and transmission labs and three lecture classrooms. Programs offered at the ADI include automotive service and diesel service certificate and associate degrees, and the new automotive diesel service management bachelor’s degree program that was added fall 2011. Future potential programs include alternative energy and collision repair.

“We recognize the importance of proper training when it comes to diesel repair,” said Chris Boyd, human resource manager, Precision Motor Transport Group (PMTG). “With the demand for qualified diesel technicians on the rise and the supply on the down slide, PMTG is very excited to see Baker College of Owosso’s new ADI facility. Over the last two years PMTG housed several internship students and provided a place
of employment for five graduates.”

The project’s contractors included TMP Architecture, Inc., Bloomfield Hills; Morgan Construction Company, Flint, construction management; and several local subcontractors.

Student enrollment in the diesel service technology program increased 320%–from 70 students in 2007 to 294 in the 2011-12 academic year. The automotive services technology program includes an additional 151 students enrolled in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Baker College is Michigan’s only college to receive master accreditation for diesel service by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).

For more information about enrolling in the ADI, please contact Mike Konopacke at mike.konopacke@baker.edu, or call the Baker College of Owosso admissions office at 989.729.3350 or 1.800.879.3797.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a nonprofit higher education institution, serving more than 40,000 students on 12 campuses and in three satellite locations. Baker grants certificates and associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, health sciences, education and human services, and various technical fields, as well as a doctorate of business administration. As a career college, the Baker College system is pleased to report that 97 percent of its available graduates are employed. For more information about Baker College, please check out our website at www.baker.edu.

All car and motorcycle entries will be accepted from 9 a.m. until noon on May 20. There is no registration fee. The first 100 entrants will receive free food vouchers, dash plaques and goodie bags. The awards ceremony will be held at approximately 2:45 p.m.

Complimentary water and popcorn will be available for all attendees. Other food and beverages will be available for purchase. A disc jockey will be on site to provide music and entertainment. Several guest speakers will be on hand to talk about a variety of car and motorcycle-related topics.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view many makes and models of motorcycles and automobiles, including a 1940 Ford coupe, a 1911 Whiting, an assembled open roadster, a 2011 Golgotha Sanctified motorcycle, a 1942 Harley Davidson, a 1923 T Bucket, and a variety of classics, modified models, rat rods, tuners and low riders. The day’s events will also include guided tours of the CTT facility by Baker College students.

Admissions representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide additional information about all of the programs offered at Baker College.

In addition, there will be an opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship to Baker College of Flint. Participation is simple: pick up a bingo-type card upon arrival; get the card stamped at designated booths; turn in the completed card at the admissions booth by 2:45 p.m. A random drawing will select the winner. The lucky person need not be present to win. The scholarship is transferable, is good for any program that Baker College of Flint offers, and may be used for tuition and books.

Other activities will include vendor booths and a fundraiser sponsored by the Vehicle City Gearhead Club. For a $20 donation, show participants will have their car placed on a chassis dynamometer to measure the vehicle’s horsepower, speed and quarter-mile elapsed time.

This year’s vendors include:

• Custom Gas Pump Creations
• Wood Cars by Jim
• Flint City Speed Shop
• HogSnot Performance Lubricants
• Trikes of Oxford
• Miche Purses
• Jewel Kade Jewelry
• Purple Magic
• Amsoil Advanced Lubricants
• Tupperware
• Topes Tiki Hut
• Fleece Blankets & More
• Discount Jewelry Palace
• Funtastic Inflatables
• Synergy Sales
• Care Professional Detailing Products
• Christian Motorcycle Association
• Hogs in Ministry
• Victory Biker Church
• Breast Cancer Awareness for Life
• American Bikers Aiming Toward Education
• Adopt a U.S. Soldier
• Allstate Insurance
• Buckfire and Buckfire, Motorcycle Lawyers P.C.
• William A. Murphy, author of “Riding Across Michigan”

For more information about the Car and Motorcycle show at the Baker College of Flint Center for Transportation Technology, please email or call Phillip Whitmer at 810.766.2260, or Aileen England at 810.919.5078.

William Kersten, President of NATEF, expressed his congratulations in the notification letter:

“Although many educational institutions strive for it, only a small percentage achieves this accreditation. Both the educational and automotive communities should be proud of your commitment to quality Medium/Heavy Truck training programs.”

Baker College of Owosso is the ONLY COLLEGE in the State of Michigan that is NATEF accredited for Diesel Service.

We have successfully shown our strong commitment to excellence in diesel service training for all eight areas for NATEF Master Accreditation. These areas are Diesel Engines; Suspension & Steering; Brakes; Electrical/Electronic Systems; Preventive Maintenance; Drive Trains; Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning; and Hydraulics.

The Auto/Diesel Institute (ADI) is a division of Baker College of Owosso that was started in 2008. The Diesel Service Technician program has been enthusiastically embraced by the both student enrollment market and the employers’ hiring our work experience and graduating students. A new $6 million ADI Building is currently being constructed adjacent to the Baker Owosso Welcome Center to allow us to expand our strong reputation to markets outside of Michigan.

The new facility will include two fully equipped automotive labs, three diesel labs, several engine and transmission labs as well as several lecture classrooms. Programs offered at the new facility will include automotive service and diesel service certificate and associate degrees, and a new automotive and diesel service management bachelor’s degree program. Future potential programs include alternative energy and collision repair.

The diesel service technology program at Baker College of Owosso, which began in 2007 with 70 students, has grown to 290 students in the 2010/2011 academic year, while the automotive program currently has more than 170 students. The Auto/Diesel Institute of Michigan brand was started by Baker’s Owosso campus in 2008.

“By providing well-prepared graduates, we quickly established a strong reputation for meeting the employment needs in the automotive and diesel technology fields,” said Karsten. “Enrollment growth and our out-of-state marketing efforts have resulted in the necessity for additional space for both programs. Our new ADI facility will accommodate current program growth, additional equipment and tools and the ability to add new programs to meet the requirements of an ever-changing job market.”

After Baker College of Owosso officials purchased the 11.8 acres of undeveloped land, they engaged the services of TMP Architecture to design the new facility for the auto and diesel programs.

“TMP brought award-winning design excellence to the project, as well as a long history of project experience in the higher education field,” said Karsten.

Baker College of Owosso subsequently invited construction firms from Shiawassee, Genesee, Ingham and Saginaw counties to participate in the competitive bidding process.

“In August, we selected Morgan Construction as the construction manager for the new building project,” said Karsten. “Headquartered in Flint, they provided the most competitive pricing and brought considerable higher education experience and knowledge of Baker College’s expectations to the project’s construction services.”

It is anticipated that project subcontractors will be local firms from the mid-Michigan area.

The project’s target completion date is August 2012.

For more information, visit AutoRama online.

“Recertification by PTDI ensures that our students continue to receive training that is current, complete and applicable to the industry,” said Tim Baker, director of trucking at Baker College of Cadillac. “Our truck driving students stay ahead of the competition, as many carriers accept only graduates from a PTDI-certified program.”

The truck driving certificate program is offered at the Baker College of Cadillac Center for Transportation and Technology. The new facility, which opened fall 2010, is located at 4800 S. Morey Rd., halfway between Lake City and McBain. Baker’s truck driving program trains individuals for entry-level positions as local or long-distance drivers of tractor/trailers, heavy trucks, dump trucks and tankers. Courses are designed to prepare graduates to sit for Michigan’s Commercial Driver Licensing Class A examination.

“The employment outlook is good, as the nation depends on the trucking industry and the services that it provides,” said Baker. “According to labor statistics, there will be a 9 percent growth in truck driving jobs between 2008 and 2018. This represents approximately 291,000 new jobs.”

A first-year driver may earn, on average, $43,500 per year with benefits. PTDI-certified programs are currently offered at 67 schools in 29 states and Canada. Baker College is the only school in Michigan to offer the program. In addition to the Cadillac campus, Baker’s Flint and Port Huron campuses also offer PTDI-certified truck driving programs.

Initially PTDI-certified in 2005, the Baker College of Cadillac truck driving certificate program is offered during spring and fall quarters.

PTDI is a national, non-profit organization established for two purposes: 1) to develop uniform industry skill, curriculum and certification standards for entry-level truck driver training and motor carrier driver finishing programs, and 2) to certify entry-level truck driver training courses at public and private schools and driver finishing programs at carriers for compliance with PTDI standards.