Junior/Senior Engineering Clinic – Spring 2014
General Information 
Supervisor:		Tirupathi R. Chandrupatla P.E. and Hong Zhang
Office: 			235 Rowan Hall
Office Phone:		856-256-5342
Email:			chandrupatla@rowan.edu  
Administrative support:	Ms. Barbara Wynn, 856-256-5311 (email: wynn@rowan.edu)
Technical support:	Mr. Chuck Linderman (linderman@rowan.edu) and 

Course Work:		T and Th 12:15 – 3:00 pm [ 5.5 hrs / week ]
Outside Work: 	4 hrs /week – minimum expectation, but may fluctuate weekly depending on project tasks 

Course Description 
The clinics are designed to provide students with professional training and experiences before leaving Rowan and beginning your engineering career.  Skills such as project management and technical communication are a key part of becoming a successful engineer.  Please use this opportunity to improve these skills and areas of weakness.  

Student Centered Learning & Leadership 
I expect your student team to lead and propel the project forward, hence the phrase: “student centered learning and leadership”.  My preference is not to be your program manager; I want that leadership role to come from within your team.  If not, then the experience will become like many of your other project-based learning experiences.  I want you to learn how to become independent and resourceful engineers.  Think of me as a consultant to provide guidance and suggestions and an educator who is responsible for ensuring your learning, both technically and professionally.

Commitment 
All team members must be committed to the clinic project and follow through on tasks.  You should be working during the designated class period and outside as appropriate.

Motivation
Nearly all firms and companies rely on evaluations of their employees to maintain high performance standards. Typically, requiring individuals to set yearly goals (typically called Key Job Requirements) and gauge their success based on the criteria defined by core behaviors or values provided by the company.  Many of these are in the peer evaluation.

Secret to Success
To succeed in the clinic (and beyond) refer to the peer evaluation form for insight.  Additionally, a clear set of objectives and approach always helps.  Establish timelines, deliverables and divide the responsibilities.  A committed team member will to go the extra distance to exceed expectations set by their colleagues or superiors. There should be no surprises that these are also highly sought qualities by potential employers.

Typical Project Activities
Here are some of the basic activities of a clinic project:
1.	Initial introductory meeting
2.	Kickoff meeting
3.	Information gathering (conversations with sponsor, literature review, etc.) and problem statement refinement
4.	Designing, re-designing, and prototyping (virtual and physical)
5.	Testing, re-testing, and reporting.
6.	Progress report meetings and problem solving meetings
7.	Final report writing and presenting.

Typical Work Week Tasks
1.	Write a test protocol and ask for feedback from team members.
2.	Setup an experiment with team members.
3.	Summarize literature review findings on a particular aspect of the engineering problem.
4.	Begin pilot testing of designs.
5.	Present a status update at a Progress Report meeting.
6.	Weekly Progress Email (concise using a bulleted or numbered structure)

Course Grading 
Your grade will be based on:
1) my perception of the team and each individual’s performance of the following:
•	Project management: progress reports, weekly meeting summaries, effective use of your team member talents
•	Design, Testing, and Analysis: careful use and application of engineering science
•	Technical communication: clear and concise problem statements, test protocols, test results, weekly progress emails, and reports
•	Professionalism:  the ability to work effectively within your team, with vendors, and with your sponsor
2) peer evaluations of your contributions done at midterm and final

Remember that doing all of the work you are asked to is a requirement to earn a C grade or better.  Earning an A in engineering clinic is difficult, really going the extra distance taking charge and thinking independently.  Sometimes it’s not a matter of talent or skill, rather available time with current course loads.

General Policies
Email - Please communicate with concise language, using a professional tone and style. Please number your specific questions instead of embedding them into block paragraphs.  I will check my email on a fixed frequency and respond quickly.  If I do not – please resend a gentle reminder.

Missing Project Times or Meetings - If you expect to miss a project time or meeting.  Send an email to your team, copying me explaining why you will miss the meeting and what you plan to do to make up the time.

Midterm or Final Reports - I expect to see a final draft  in my INBOX one week before the report is due or presented.  I need at least that amount of time to review the document and provide helpful feedback.  When you present material you are a reflection of you, your team, me as well as Rowan University.

Internal Written Document Reviews - Documents such as protocols, test reports, and literature review summaries should be shared internally before they are delivered to me.  The final draft delivered to me should reflect the “collective wisdom” of your team.

Follow Through is Everything - Your ability to first understand a task and second take it to completion are critical for your team’s success.  If you find you CAN NOT complete a task or that there will be a DELAY in task completion, PLEASE communicate that to your team and to me immediately.

Academic Integrity - I value integrity.  The damage to your reputation that results from academic dishonesty is hard to overcome.  Matters of academic misconduct will follow guidelines stated in the “Rowan University Student Handbook.”

Academic dishonesty unchallenged becomes professional dishonesty.  The damage from this dishonesty in the workplace goes beyond reputation; it has serious consequences for your freedom, your health and the well-being of the people and the environment around you.  

Accessibility Note – Rowan University
Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have an impact upon your work in this class, please contact me. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to receive official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer questions regarding accommodations or assist you in your pursuit of accommodations. We look forward to working with you to meet your learning goals.