1 SUCCCESSFUL ASME STUDENT SECTIONS: INTEGRATION WITH DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS AND GOALS 2003 Region XI-IV Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Meeting Miami, FL April 4, 2003 Walter F. OBrien Department Head, Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech

2 ANALYSIS ASME Student Sections What do we want to accomplish? What do we want to accomplish? Why do we want our students to participate in ASME student sections? Why do we want our students to participate in ASME student sections? –What are the motivating factors for them, and for us? Is it a high priority? Is it a high priority? How do we create the environment in which the ASME Student Section can flourish? How do we create the environment in which the ASME Student Section can flourish?

3 What Does a Student Expect of an ASME Student Section? Socialization Socialization Professional socialization Professional socialization Opportunities for leadership, teaming experience Opportunities for leadership, teaming experience Personal satisfaction with good service Personal satisfaction with good service Personal satisfactions with seeing ones ideas implemented and succeed Personal satisfactions with seeing ones ideas implemented and succeed Interface with ASME and corporate leaders Interface with ASME and corporate leaders Opportunities for personal and group awards and recognition Opportunities for personal and group awards and recognition Receiving personal recognition within the department Receiving personal recognition within the department A feeling of entry into the engineering profession A feeling of entry into the engineering profession

4 Faculty Reasons for Support of a Strong ASME Student Section To enhance the professional development of students To enhance the professional development of students - Engineering professional development - Leadership professional development To build the reputation of the Department To build the reputation of the Department To provide valuable volunteer service in the department To provide valuable volunteer service in the department To identify promising graduate students To identify promising graduate students To identify promising future alumni leaders in To identify promising future alumni leaders in - Programs with industries - Development, or giving To foster corporate relationships To foster corporate relationships Gifts and endowments Undergraduate project support Graduate student and research support

5 Create A Supportive Environment for the ASME Student Section Deal with excessive emphasis on research and scholarship Deal with excessive emphasis on research and scholarship High ranking graduate ME programs have companion high undergraduate program ratings. High ranking graduate ME programs have companion high undergraduate program ratings. A strong ASME student section can be a big part of a strong, highly rated, undergraduate mechanical engineering program. A strong ASME student section can be a big part of a strong, highly rated, undergraduate mechanical engineering program.

6 Create a Favorable Environment- Give ASME student members service opportunities in: Give ASME student members service opportunities in: –Undergraduate recruiting –Corporate relationships –Lunch and Learn Meetings and tours with corporate and government visitors Meetings and tours with corporate and government visitors School pride building activities School pride building activities Have a large number of leadership opportunities Have a large number of leadership opportunities –The VT ASME student section has 26 identified program leaders; link their web site to the departments Bring the students to IMECE and local senior section meetings Bring the students to IMECE and local senior section meetings Support the students in ASME and other design competitions; integrate design-and-build competitions into the capstone design program Support the students in ASME and other design competitions; integrate design-and-build competitions into the capstone design program Assign the ASME student organization office space, with a study lounge if you can Assign the ASME student organization office space, with a study lounge if you can Constantly communicate to the students that they are an important part of department operations, and reinforce with actions. Constantly communicate to the students that they are an important part of department operations, and reinforce with actions.

7 Create a Favorable Environment-Provide a capstone project design lab Develop and sustain a hands-on, product realization, teamwork and leadership based, industry affiliated and supported, full year capstone design program. Teach design, teamwork, planning, and project engineering as part of the program Develop and sustain a hands-on, product realization, teamwork and leadership based, industry affiliated and supported, full year capstone design program. Teach design, teamwork, planning, and project engineering as part of the program Incorporate the latest CAD, NC machine, fabrication and welding technologies; give training to the students in their use Incorporate the latest CAD, NC machine, fabrication and welding technologies; give training to the students in their use Funding of such a lab is very attractive to most alumni and corporations that recruit Funding of such a lab is very attractive to most alumni and corporations that recruit This should be the centerpiece of the undergraduate program This should be the centerpiece of the undergraduate program

8 How Does Such a Lab and Design Experience relate to ASME Student Sections? Educational; combines and applies the learned engineering science Educational; combines and applies the learned engineering science Motivational; students look forward to the Senior year, and may join the department and ASME as freshmen because of existing projects Motivational; students look forward to the Senior year, and may join the department and ASME as freshmen because of existing projects Morale and pride building; ASME students can show it off Morale and pride building; ASME students can show it off In addition, this is very attractive to corporate sponsors and recruiters. Their primary focus in recruiting undergraduates these days is to find good engineers who can step into project and team environments immediately. ASME students can be an important part of the departments corporate interface. In addition, this is very attractive to corporate sponsors and recruiters. Their primary focus in recruiting undergraduates these days is to find good engineers who can step into project and team environments immediately. ASME students can be an important part of the departments corporate interface. The hands-on, lab supported, capstone design project is focused education for just this result. It provides recruiting opportunities for corporate sponsors; they can see their prospects at work, and selectively recruit. This is good for the students, and good for department corporate relations. The hands-on, lab supported, capstone design project is focused education for just this result. It provides recruiting opportunities for corporate sponsors; they can see their prospects at work, and selectively recruit. This is good for the students, and good for department corporate relations.

9 The Link Between the Design Lab and ASME students Done properly, the ASME student program activity and the lab-supported capstone design activity are linked and synergistically attractive to good students and good research faculty, corporate sponsors, and alumni. Pride is generated, and morale is improved. Good employees and good graduate students can be identified at work, corporate sponsorship is encouraged, students are involved, and corporate and alumni gifts are encouraged. Done properly, the ASME student program activity and the lab-supported capstone design activity are linked and synergistically attractive to good students and good research faculty, corporate sponsors, and alumni. Pride is generated, and morale is improved. Good employees and good graduate students can be identified at work, corporate sponsorship is encouraged, students are involved, and corporate and alumni gifts are encouraged.

10 The Faculty Advisor Find a way to reward a good faculty advisor through pay and promotions, and other available perks such as a prime office. Find a way to reward a good faculty advisor through pay and promotions, and other available perks such as a prime office. This is KEY! This is KEY! As a department head, dont accept under-emphasis on quality U/G programs; again, there are almost no top- ranked ME graduate programs that dont have outstanding undergraduate programs. Communicate this to your decision makers. As a department head, dont accept under-emphasis on quality U/G programs; again, there are almost no top- ranked ME graduate programs that dont have outstanding undergraduate programs. Communicate this to your decision makers. An outstanding undergraduate program is supportive of, and supported by, ASME student section activity, and both are good for the departments rankings. An outstanding undergraduate program is supportive of, and supported by, ASME student section activity, and both are good for the departments rankings.

11 Summary-for Successful Student Sections: Clearly identify the reasons why Clearly identify the reasons why -you and your faculty want it -your students want and can benefit from it Resolve for the program to be a focus activity Resolve for the program to be a focus activity Build on the reasons and desires Build on the reasons and desires Create a supportive environment and enable the program Create a supportive environment and enable the program Support and reward the faculty advisor Support and reward the faculty advisor Involve the students in department operations Involve the students in department operations Assess, and expect multiple good results Assess, and expect multiple good results

12 One more suggestion- Consider visiting successful student sections; at the risk of being accused of bragging, Consider visiting successful student sections; at the risk of being accused of bragging, I invite you VT, and when you visit, Ill ask an ASME student leader to be your guide. Walter OBrien

13 A Special Message for CMA and other ASME Leaders What can you do to help the development of strong student sections? What can you do to help the development of strong student sections? –Keep doing what youre doing-opportunities in ASME –Help the student section be more involved in department operations Ask the student section to interface with your company; recruit schools that have strong ASME student sections Ask the student section to interface with your company; recruit schools that have strong ASME student sections Support undergraduate capstone design projects and involve ASME students Support undergraduate capstone design projects and involve ASME students Encourage and support the department head in selling the benefits of a strong ASME student section Encourage and support the department head in selling the benefits of a strong ASME student section