Integrating Formal and Informal Engineering Learning through a Residence-based Educational Approach Scot Douglass Director Engineering Honors Program Faculty-in-Residence University of Colorado, Boulder Keywords: informal learning, vertical integration, student leadership development, educational culture, first-year experience, residential academic program, persistence

Why? Formal and Informal Objectives Students are each other’s greatest educational resource, but they need contexts and encouragement to live that out Key Factors, Resources & Problems We’re a large public university Many of our students are really good at math and science but have no tactile relationship to engineering The Engineering curriculum is too restrictive for language, philosophy, cultural courses Full-time students spend hours per week in the classroom; the other 154 determine the quality of their education Incoming students need to enter an educational culture that expects more than good grades; returning students need to be asked to own and create that culture Create sustainable cultures of excellence Promote organic vertical integration Create social networks of learning Craft a culture that is “Ambitious without being competitive” Craft cultures of collaborative student initiatives (projects, causes, interests) Ask students to be accountable for each other; create contexts that support that Future engineers, especially leaders, need more than the formal curriculum could ever provide them Foster & support unique student initiatives Provide real leadership opportunities

When? 2006CU launches a new Engineering Honors Program. Founding Director Scot Douglass envisions creating an Honors Culture not dependent on Honors classes 2007EHP pilots a residential component in Hallett Hall. A team of 6 student leaders live in Hallett with the goal of creating a community that believes in the residential college model and the value of an intentional Honors culture 2009EHP moves into the newly renovated Andrews Hall: faculty apartment, computer lab, two classrooms, dedicated study spaces, a large common room. In a CU culture where less than 1% of first-year students chose to live on campus beyond the required first year, 80% of the entering class of 2008 stay on campus to live in Andrews in 2009 and 20% of the entering classes of choose to move back on campus. Andrews stabilizes at 50-55% non-1 st -year students ( ) 2013Professor Diane Sieber launches the Global Engineering Residential College: a language immersion (Spanish, French, Russian currently) residence hall with a focus on the globalization of engineering, language and cultural fluency 2015Professor Dirk Grunwald explores starting a new multi-disciplinary Residential College organized around the “Computational Life”

Where? Formal education takes place in a literature-philosophy course required of all incoming EHP students and through smaller sections of the fundamental math sequence. Informal education takes place in special events, research networking, cultural events, a dedicated MakerSpace, funded student projects not associated with classes, integration of students from all majors and years, service, leadership development, educational outreach, student symposia, organic study groups, faculty presence, retreats, supportive workshops, living together… The scope of our Residential College model is the entire student experience. Art Night Open Mic Night Grand Orrery Project Leadership RetreatStudent Symposium on “Home”

What? What has worked really well? Finding ways students want to invest, developing a sustainable Honors culture, vertical integration, faculty-in-residence, having minimal requirements and maximal opportunities, creating a context for organic community to flourish Theory of Change : students are their own best resource – developing student leadership – student buy-in – projects not required by classes – focus on intentionality – faculty presence – vertical integration – crafting a culture of risk taking – crafting a culture of opportunity, collaboration, individuality and community – doing everything “on the slant” – providing concrete ways for students to give back – focus on the now and the good choices that need to be made today – embracing the daily hard work of change Student Leadership Andrews community leaders Leaders who promote specific things: research, international engagement, intramurals, recruitment 34 recitation leaders for 17 recitations of 4-5 students for the required 1 st -year course Only 4 required big events : Fall Breakfast, annual retreat, Spring Cultural Event, Spring Banquet Informal Projects: Andrews Hall Grand Orrery, furniture design and construction for Idea Forge, Victorian Reading Room, Andrews Coffee Bar, etc. Non-required Events: Open Mic Night, student symposia, research nights, Art Night, alumni run events (JPL, BASF, SpaceX, etc.), movie premieres Critical Encounters: one common required first semester course taught by the Director

Prognosis? FOEE DESIRES: (1) Clarification of Informal Educational Objectives; (2) Ideas for new themed Residential Colleges; (3) Ideas for non-curricular projects and initiatives LARGER PLAN: The College of Engineering would like to create themed and non- themed vertically-integrated residential programs for all CEAS students NEXT STEPS: Create Computational Life Residential College; expand Global Engineering Residential College CHALLENGES: (1) integrating multiple “stakeholders” (Res Life, Facilities, Housing IT, “traditionalist” colleagues who don’t see the value of this model; (2) CU culture of not living on campus beyond the required first year; (3) the uniqueness of Engineering’s Residential College model when it comes to uniform,” one size fits all” policies and resource allocation (4) Res Life and Housing not accountable to academic oversight (for profit auxilliaries) Assessment: track academic performance and persistence; participate in college-wide surveys; track residential hall return rates and behavioral statistics; track event attendance