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Practitioner Involvement in an Undergraduate Engineering Program

Practitioner Involvement in an Undergraduate Engineering Program. Kunchi Madhavan, Ph.D., P.E. Professor Gene McGinnis, P.E. Chair and Assistant Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Christian Brothers University. In the beginning….. 1988 AM.

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Practitioner Involvement in an Undergraduate Engineering Program

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  1. Practitioner Involvement in an Undergraduate Engineering Program Kunchi Madhavan, Ph.D., P.E. Professor Gene McGinnis, P.E. Chair and Assistant Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Christian Brothers University

  2. In the beginning….. 1988 AM • CE Faculty saw the need for Practitioner Involvement in the program • Senior Design Project • Adequate but not stellar Senior Projects • Typically students would not complete their senior project in a timely manner • Expected Benefits of Practitioner Involvement: • Faculty felt that Practitioner participation would be beneficial to the students and the faculty • Practitioners would be a key source for projects • Students could intern with their Practitioner • Practitioners could provide “real world” experience • Provide exposure to software and equipment not typically available in an academic institution • Provide exposure for CBU to the public Win-Win Proposition!

  3. CE 315/431/432 Capstone Design Sequence • CE 315 Junior Project • Taken second semester of Junior year • Seminar class, Pass/Fail, Zero Credit • Practitioners from different areas of civil engineering talk to the students to familiarize the students with their specific discipline • Students listen to presentations by senior students regarding their project • At the end of the semester students are required to: • Have identified their senior project • Develop a proposal for their senior project • Identify their practitioner and faculty advisor • Make a presentation to the CE faculty and have their proposal approved

  4. CE 315/431/432 Capstone Design Sequence • CE 431 and 432 Senior Design Project (4 hours) • Student requirements: • Complete one design alternative for CE 431 and another alternative for CE 432 • Submit a final typed report at the end of CE 431 and at the end of CE 432 • Make oral and written progress reports during the year • Practitioner involvement: • Provide data • Lead students through the design process • Provide software • Review design calculations • Evaluate final oral and typed report • Recommend final grade for the course

  5. CE 315/431/432 Capstone Design Sequence • Results of Practitioner Involvement: • Many of the students work for their practitioner during their senior project sequence • Many are hired full-time after graduation • “Real world” design experience on actual projects • Exposure to software not available in an academic setting • Reduces the work load for the faculty advisor • Markets our students and university to industry • Provides valuable feedback for Institutional Effectiveness and ABET • Students and practitioners enjoy working with each other

  6. CE 100 Introduction to Civil Engineering • CE 100 Introduction to Civil Engineering • Freshman seminar course • 1 hour per week, pass/fail, zero credit • Team taught by faculty and practitioners • Open to CE majors and unspecified engineering majors considering civil engineering. • Students are introduced to the different areas of civil engineering: • Structural engineering • Geotechnical/Geoenvironmental engineering • Environmental/Water Resources engineering • Traffic/Transportation engineering • Special topics are also introduced: • Professional licensure • Engineering Ethics • Career exploration and resume writing

  7. CE 100 Introduction to Civil Engineering • Practitioner Involvement: • Guest speakers for each area of civil engineering • Job opportunities • Professional responsibilities • Current projects • Provide Field Trips • CBU CE alumni panel • Networking for summer jobs and internships • Mentoring program

  8. CE 100 Introduction to Civil Engineering • Benefits of Practitioner Involvement: • Helps students with their career choices • Provides students with a well-rounded view of civil engineering • Introduces the students to professional responsibility and engineering ethics • Increases their chances of getting a part-time or summer job with an engineering firm • Helps retention of students in the CE program • Provides mentoring for students

  9. Other Opportunities for Practitioner Interaction • CE Advisory board attends senior design presentations • Guest lecturers for special topics in civil engineering • Adjunct Professors from industry teaching classes • ASCE West Tennessee Branch meetings • ASCE Tennessee Section meetings

  10. In Conclusion: • Practitioner Involvement in the CE program at CBU has been vital to our success • Has had a positive impact on recruiting students • Win-Win for students, faculty and practitioners • Has resulted in increased donations to the CE department

  11. Any Questions?

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