Practitioner Involvement in an Undergraduate Engineering

Program

Kunchi Madhavan, Ph.D., P.E. ProfessorGene McGinnis, P.E. Chair and Assistant Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringChristian Brothers University

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any Questions?