ME Freshman Day

1
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

2
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

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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

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Learn How to Learn

• Life-long learning a learning process
  throughout ones 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.

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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

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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.

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Why Outreach?

• Learn how to become an engineering professional.
• Technical competency, serve community
• Ethical and professional responsibilities
  understand global and societal relevancy
  life-long 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

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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)

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Proposed Professional Outreach Activities
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Educational Outreach Activities
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An example of how a typical ME student can earn
the required outreach point (6) before he/she can
graduate
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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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
• 5-730 PM Monday to Thursday
• Room A226 across from ME main office

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Questions and Comments
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What can I contribute now?

• Be a Freshman mentor
• Participate in Freshman day activity as a lab
  tour guide (Sept. 16 18, 330 and 500 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