ME Freshman Day
• Welcome
• Learning community and ME outreach
• ME undergraduate curriculum
• Advising process
• Extracurricular activities – ASME, SAE
• Q/A session
• Lab tour & open house
Some Advices
• Tougher work ahead
– Build solid math & physics foundation
– Learn how to manage time and organize
• Plenty of help available (mentor/tutor
program)
– Ask for, demand for, and take advantage of
• Enjoy the ride
– Maximize your experience
– Learn how to learn
Learning Community
• Definition: a collaborative system where
students and faculty work together to
foster a communal partnership in the
learning process.
• Implement various programs to foster a
collaborative culture of learning in the
classroom and encourage involvement in
structured professional and educational
outreach activities
Learn How to Learn
• Life-long learning: a learning process
•
throughout one’s lifetime with the aim of
improving knowledge, professional skills, and
promoting personal fulfillment. It could be both
formal and informal types of learning, and
should continue throughout adult life beyond
regular school education period
Learning Through Teaching (LTT): Empowers
students with self-learning capability by involving
them in the structured classroom and/or
laboratory teaching process.
LTT Concept
• “Tell me and I may forget, show me and I
may remember, involve me and I will
understand.”
• “Ask me to teach and I learn” - Teaching
is the ultimate learning activity since it
requires the utilization of higher order
learning skills such as analysis, synthesis,
self-evaluation as well as effective
communication
ME Outreach Program
Outreach: A systematic attempt to provide
services beyond conventional limits to
particular segments of the community.
In the present case, we define the outreach
as services beyond routine classroom and
laboratory activities.
Why Outreach?
• Learn how to become an engineering professional.
•
– Technical competency, serve community
– Ethical and professional responsibilities;
understand global and societal relevancy; lifelong learning
Outreach program maximizes this effort through
experiential learning by requiring students to step
outside their classrooms to collaborate with their
peers within the school and to interact with
engineering professionals outside the school
What is the requirement?
• All students are required to accomplish a
pre-determined amount of professional
and/or educational outreach activities
before graduation
• An outreach point system has been used to
quantify the level of achievement (see
point table)
• A total of 6 points is needed for graduation
(over a period of 3-4 years)
Proposed Professional Outreach Activities
Professional Activities
Outreach Point
Professional society: ASME, SAE, AIAA, TBP, NSBE, SWE
President (addl.)
2/year
VP, secretary and other qualifying officers (addl.)
1/year
Regular membership
1/year
Professional activities
ASME town hall meeting and other regional meetings
0.5
Professional conferences (local, regional and national)
2 – organizer, 1 - presenter
0.5 - participant
Professional design competition (SAE, ASME, etc..)
1.5 - team leader, 1 participant
Industry Day design competition
0.5
Take FE exam
2
Passed FE exam (additional)
2
Other activities promoting professionalism and
showcasing universities, college and department
To be approved by the
curriculum committee
Educational Outreach Activities
Educational Activities
Outreach Point
Departmental educational activities
Be a Junior/Senior advisement mentor for 5 Freshmen
and/or Sophomores
1/year
Be an evening tutor (a total of 40 hours)
1/semester
Be an in-class TA (3 lab sessions)
1/semester
Participate in the Freshman Day activities
0.5 – organizer, 0.25 - tour
guide
Member of Student-Faculty Council
1/year
Senior design project open house and presentation
0.5 - organizer
Activities outside department
H.S. design competition judge or organizer
0.5
Challenger Learning Center volunteer program
0.5
Other activities such as local science fair,
community service program, etc.
To be approved by the
curriculum committee
An example of how a typical ME student can earn the required
outreach point (6) before he/she can graduate:
Timeline
Activities
Outreach point
Sophomore
ASME member (or any other society
member)
1
Junior
ASME member
1
In-class TA (one semester)
1
Industry Day design competition
0.5
ASME member
1
Senior advisement mentor
1
Organize senior design open house
0.5
Senior
Total outreach point
6
When this will be enforced?
• As a pilot test program starting Fall 2003
• Everyone will be invited to participate in the
outreach point system  it can be retroactive
to include all outreach activities done before,
special recognition will be given to top
performers within senior group next year
• Expect to be a graduation requirement for all
Freshmen who will enter the program Fall 2004
Mentor Program
• A relationship about building a partnership
between mentor and mentee (protégé) to
enhance the self-worth of both and to
foster growth, goal achievement, and
support.
• Voluntary basis, counting as outreach
point
• Yearly meeting will be arranged
Mentor Guidelines
• Provide monitoring of freshmen to prevent them
•
•
•
•
from becoming overwhelmed; be supportive.
Counseling on study and organization skills and
other survival tactics.
Give information on how to access resources,
both in academic support and life-management,
available for students.
Provide professional advices such as tutoring,
professional society membership, job search tips,
etc..
Provide mentorship in a non-threatening and
non-judgmental manner to both parties.
Mentor Program
• 14 seniors and 22 juniors
• A departmental mentor site will be
arranged for everyone to be involved
• For now, pair freshmen to mentors
through email (email must be provided)
• Comment on program effectiveness for
future improvements
Tutor Program
• Is there a need?
• What subject areas should be included?
– Calculus, Physics, basic sciences, others
• When will be the best time for tutor
program?
• Temporary arrangement
– 5-7:30 PM Monday to Thursday
– Room A226 across from ME main office
Questions and Comments
What can I contribute now?
• Be a Freshman mentor
– Participate in Freshman day activity as a lab
tour guide (Sept. 16 & 18, 3:30 and 5:00 pm)
– Serve as a mentor to 5 freshmen (whole year)
• Be a tutor
– 40 hours during evening (after 5 pm)
– Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, all subjects in
basic sciences, basic-level Pro-E and MathCAD,
and others