November 2024
First Year Program
Program Mission
The First Year Program (FYP) is a collection of courses, programs, and resources available for first year engineering students to make a smooth transition from high school to college, connect to the College community, explore academic programs, and chart a path to success. There are four courses included in the program: ENGR 100 (Introduction to Engineering), ENGR 101 (Introduction to Computers and Programming), ENGR 151 (Accelerated Introduction to Computers and Programming), and ENGR 110 (Design Your Engineering Experience).
Left: ENGR 100.600 students work on building the frame for their remotely operated underwater vehicle. Right: ENGR 100.850 students work on testing the functionality of their robots in a confined space.
History
The beginning of the FYP dates back to spring of 1997 when the College of Engineering’s plan for curriculum reform, Michigan Curriculum 2000, recommended that the college offer a new course for FY students called ENGR 100 beginning in Fall 1997. ENGR 101 was approved to start at the same time. ENGR 110 was approved in spring 2004 and was offered for the first time in Fall 2004. This two credit elective course originally began as a way to help students choose a major. It has evolved over the years to give students an opportunity to explore all that Michigan Engineering has to offer from majors and career paths to extra and co-curricular activities. Due to an increase in the diversity of first year students’ programming skills, the college launched ENGR 151 in 2009. These courses, along with dedicated academic advising from the Engineering Advising Center, the Common Reading Experience, and a host of other support services now encompass the FYP and the first year engineering student experience.
Current Focus/Objectives
Our current Director of Academic Programs, Rachael Schmedlen, joined us in the Fall of 2021. During her tenure, she has focused on increasing the visibility of our faculty’s efforts through the establishment of the ENGR 100 Section of the Year Award and ENGR 100 section snapshots that are presented during our faculty meetings. She has worked to foster cohesion among the FY courses through spring faculty and staff retreats.
Rachael Schmedlen presents the 2024 ENGR 100 Section of the Year Award to ENGR 100.980 “Rocket Science” faculty – Aaron Ridley, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (left) and Alan Hogg, Program in Technical Communication (right).
A major project initiated by Rachael was the redesign of our ENGR 100 web page, which began in 2022. The goal was to better highlight the E100 section choices by adding short videos, photos, and a consistent description format. The website also provides a list of publications and presentations on pedagogy and engineering education research in E100 from our faculty.
Key Metrics
During the 2023-2024 academic year, ENGR 100, 101, and 151 served roughly 1525 FY students and over half of them elected to take ENGR 110. In the ENGR 100 course, we had 31 technical faculty representing 13 majors, including sections from ADUE (a non-major specific section applicable to most engineering disciplines) and UARTS (an E100 section for Living Arts students). We had roughly 25 Technical Communications faculty co-teach ENGR 100 with our technical faculty. Our FYP faculty also won the ADUE Teaching Awards for the 2023-2024 academic year.
- Frank Marsik won the ADUE Individual Teaching Award for ENGR 110.
- The ENGR 100.850 Robotics Mechanisms instructional team, consisting of faculty Derrick Yeo, Greg Formosa, Kelly Bowker, Nabilah Khachab, Mariel Krupansky and IAs Julie Wu, Gabriela Lopez-Salgado, Thomas Cuddy, Deborah George, Karis Hu, Lani Quach, won the ADUE Team Teaching Award.
Kevin Pipe presents the ADUE Individual Teaching Award to Frank Marsik, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (left) and the ADUE Team Teaching Award to Derrick Yeo, Robotics and Kelly Bowker, Program in Technical Communication (right).
Key Goals for the Future
As we look to the future, the FYP is planning for a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to supporting first year students through facilities, coordination of services, and communication with other areas involved with FY students, such as advising, academic success, and student experience. In addition, ENGR 100 is beginning the three-year Foundational Course Initiative process (FCI) to better understand how the design process, technical communication, teamwork, and professional and ethical values are being taught across sections to identify ways to support ENGR faculty and enhance student learning.
October 2024
Rather than featuring one of our awesome programs, this month we are providing some highlights from the ADUE staff professional development survey that was distributed earlier this year. Many thanks to ADUE staff who took the time to share their input via the survey.
Executive Summary
The report presents the results of the Professional Development (PD) survey conducted among ADUE staff to assess employee satisfaction, career advancement opportunities, and the accessibility and effectiveness of professional development resources within the organization. The survey, conducted from July 1 to July 19, 2024, using the Qualtrics platform, received 44 complete responses, resulting in a 66.6% response rate. The findings offer valuable insights into the workforce’s perceptions and needs as it is related to the professional development training, highlighting areas for improvement and potential strategies for enhancing employee engagement and development.
Employee Satisfaction and Career Advancement:
The survey results indicate that a significant portion of employees are relatively satisfied with their current positions, with 44.44% reporting they are “somewhat satisfied” and 35.56% “very satisfied.” However, there is room for improvement as some employees expressed neutral or negative sentiments. The survey also revealed that while 40% of employees have a clear career advancement plan, a notable percentage are unsure or lack a plan altogether, suggesting a need for more structured guidance and support in this area.
Importance and Accessibility of Professional Development:
Professional development is highly valued among employees, with 52.27% considering it essential for career growth. While most employees feel their current job provides opportunities for professional development, there are concerns about the accessibility and availability of these resources, particularly in relation to financial and time constraints. The report highlights the importance of addressing these barriers to ensure all employees can easily access the development opportunities they need.
Tenure-Based Variations in Perceptions:
The analysis of survey responses by tenure reveals significant differences in how employees perceive professional development opportunities and their role in career advancement. Newer employees tend to place a higher importance on professional development, while long-tenured employees are more confident in their ability to identify these opportunities. However, challenges remain across all tenure groups, particularly regarding barriers to access and the most effective types and timing of professional development activities.
Qualitative Insights and Opportunities for Growth:
The qualitative responses provide a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives and concerns regarding professional development, career progression, and organizational culture. Key areas of focus include the need for more tailored leadership and management training, the importance of addressing structural issues in DEI initiatives, and the desire for more engaging and hands-on learning experiences. The responses also highlight the need for a more inclusive approach to professional development that recognizes informal learning opportunities and integrates professional development into performance reviews.
Overall, the survey results reveal a complex landscape of professional development needs and experiences within ADUE. While there are many positive aspects to the current professional development offerings, there are also significant gaps that need to be addressed. By implementing a more nuanced and comprehensive professional development strategy that aligns with the diverse needs and aspirations of the workforce, ADUE can enhance employee satisfaction, support career advancement, and foster a more engaged and productive work environment.
To address this last topic of pathways we have scheduled a Professional Development Journey session with Brian Cole from Organization Learning on Thursday, November 21 at 2:30. The session will cover a career development guide specifically intended to give ownership and resources to the individual staff member, along with a guide for managers to support their employees. The session will be held via Zoom and will be record. See the calendar invite for more information or contact Tara Smith ([email protected]) with questions. We will continue to identify other opportunities in the future that address topics and concerns identified through the survey.
Looking for more details about the survey results? Here are links to the full Report and Presentation. Many thanks to Victoria Osten, ADUE Program Evaluation Specialist, and her grad student assistant, Hiba Shoaib, for their work on the survey and report as well as the group that met last year to develop the survey that was initiated by Holly Taylor.
September 2024
The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering (CRLT-Engin) represents a partnership between the College of Engineering and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) on Central campus. Established in 2004, CRLT-Engin promotes evidence-based practices in engineering education so that students and instructors from diverse backgrounds and social identities can learn and thrive. By working with individuals, departments, and the College, we cultivate a strong community of engineering educators who strive for excellence in teaching, and innovate in teaching-learning environments.
The goals of our center are to:
- Elevate the culture of teaching & learning in the CoE
- Integrate equity considerations in all CRLT-Engin endeavors
- Leverage collaborations with other units/departments to maximize impactful changes related to teaching and learning at the CoE
- Develop and maintain quality, modular, up-to-date resources for teaching
Left: Grenmarie Agresar, Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives, Tershia Pinder-Grover, Director, and Paty Jaimes, Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in CRLT-Engin (first row), pose with faculty and graduate students who participated in the Equity-Centered Engineering Teaching Circle in May 2024. Right: Audra Baleisis, Associate Director for Core Programs in CRLT-Engin, facilitates a “Preparing to Teach Engineering Courses” workshop during the Michigan Engineering New Faculty Orientation. Photo: Marcin Szczepanski/Michigan Engineering
Our consultants work with instructors, departments, and administrators on a variety of teaching-related topics and issues. One of our biggest programs is our Teaching Orientations, which supports new engineering faculty and student instructors. Some of the other services we provide include individual consultations, workshops, learning communities, and customized programming for departments and units.
In the 2023 – 2024 academic year we connected with:
- 1,576 unique individuals across our center’s programs and services
- 2,510 event attendees
- 995 one-on-one consultation services
We were recently featured in Michigan Engineering News for two decades of supporting innovative engineering education! As part of our 20th year anniversary, we are encouraging folks who have interacted with us to help us celebrate this milestone by sharing their story.
To learn more about our center and read more about the services we offer, please visit our website!
Questions? [email protected]
May 2024
At the Center for Healthcare Engineering & Patient Safety (CHEPS), we strive to enable a healthcare system that delivers the highest quality care in a patient-centric way, supports its providers’ mental and physical well-being, and ensures long-term sustainability. To realize this vision, we apply systems-based thinking and operations engineering techniques. CHEPS employs students from all academic levels and backgrounds—industrial and operations engineering, nursing, computer science, biomedical engineering, pre-med, data science, and more!—to realize this vision. In collaborating with clinicians from Michigan Medicine, Veterans Affairs, and beyond, our students don’t have to wait until graduation to change the world: they start today. And with projects focused on urgent challenges like improving outcomes for high-risk prenatal patients, reducing physician burnout rates, and expanding access to specialty care for new patients, we need them to.
CHEPS was catalyzed in 2010 by the then-deans of U-M’s College of Engineering and Medical School. The goal? To support fruitful partnerships between U-M’s engineering faculty and various health-related colleges and practitioners to develop creative solutions to the world’s many healthcare challenges, especially those related to health systems management, health information systems, medical technology, patient safety, and public policy. CHEPS is led by Amy Cohn, PhD, Arthur F. Thunau Professor in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering and Chief Transformation Officer at Michigan Medicine. When combined with her passion for health equity, Cohn’s identities as a skilled critical thinker and a distinguished educator facilitate her gift for connecting the problems that need solving with the people who can solve them.
While many parts of campus slow down during the spring-summer term, CHEPS grows even busier. Currently filled with 50 full-time students and 10 full-time staff members, our North Campus office is home to brainstorming sessions and working meetings, wall-length whiteboards and physician schedule simulations, linear optimization solutions and literature reviews. To date, we have hosted 9 symposiums, 9 alumni reunions, and over 150 public seminars centered around healthcare improvement. Moving forward, CHEPS hopes to expand what we do best—develop, implement, and disseminate robust healthcare solutions—on an even larger scale.
To learn more about CHEPS’ work to create a healthier world for all, please visit our website.
Questions? [email protected], (734) 763-0799
April 2024
ArtsEngine is an interdisciplinary program that is in service to and directly supported by the five North Campus schools and colleges and the UM Provost’s office. Our current mission is to deepen and enrich the Michigan experience by providing a framework in which curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and passion are engaged through interdisciplinary teaching, learning, research, and community. We do this by promoting, expanding, and enhancing programs and initiatives through which students and faculty develop as interdisciplinary thinkers, outcome-driven makers, and collaborative practitioners across the arts, design, engineering, information sciences and technology.
Artwork produced by the 2022-23 Moldwin Prize Winners
ArtsEngine was created in 2006, called then Arts on Earth, and primarily focused on supporting and promoting faculty efforts that were “arts and…”, such as Arts and War or Arts and Bodies and integrating the arts across all areas of the university. It also commissioned new artworks, held design competitions (such as Work/Play which informed the 2015 redesign of the Gerstacker Grove) and curated “learning studios” intended to encourage “arts-driven” inquiries and research. You can find an article about the Arts on Earth program HERE
Sara “Dari” Eskandari talks to a student at the FEAST Project Fair in Fall 2023; Great Maker Race 2022 and 2023
In 2009 the program was renamed ArtsEngine (with an ‘e’) and turned its attention to developing opportunities for supporting the interdisciplinary student experience, and serving as a nexus for the increasingly important North Campus research, learning, and community ecosystem. That year the living-learning community, now known as Living ArtsEngine, was initiated and the UARTS (University Arts) curricular prefix was approved to allow ArtsEngine to encourage and create interdisciplinary courses with the instructional support of the North Campus schools and colleges. In 2010 ArtsEngine convened a Michigan Meeting on the role of the “art and art-making at the research university, from which the now Provost supported Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) emerged.
In AY23, ArtsEngine supported 23 UARTS courses – including 19 Faculty Engineering/Arts Student Team (FEAST) advancing faculty-led research through interdisciplinary project-based student team efforts, and our UARTS 150/ENGR 100.210 course, Writing and Interdisciplinary Collaborative Design, was a finalist for the Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize (TIP). We awarded more than $20,000 for student-led projects (Student MicroGrants); and gave out more than $40,000 in graduate and faculty research grants (AiiR). We typically support several Art/Sci Residencies every year, allowing students to engage with individual faculty in their labs and studios to create and present new creative work influenced by their cross disciplinary collaboration, and we exhibited almost 50 student artworks from the Science As Art Competition. This year our UARTS 150/ENGR 100.210 course, Writing and Interdisciplinary Collaborative Design, was a finalist for the Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize. We launched an ArtsEngine Faculty Affiliates program, welcoming more than 30 faculty from across the North Campus schools and colleges to engage with us and each other more deeply around interdisciplinary scholarship. Finally we strive to serve as an important convener and partner for the North Campus community through our leadership with the North Campus Deans MLK Spirit Awards and our close collaborations with the Duderstadt Center.
In the next year we will be looking to engage with the North Campus community in creating our next 5-year Strategic Plan 2026-2030, collaborating with the Arts Initiative on connecting them more closely to the Michigan Engineering community, expanding arts engagement research and curricular arts-integrative course opportunities, deepening our partnerships with the Duderstadt Center and expanding collegiate, internship, and career pathways for students looking for a more interdisciplinary educational and collegiate experience.
Living ArtsEngine Student Team that won an MLK Spirit Award for their sculpture paying tribute to Mahsa Amini
To learn more about our program, peruse our Project Gallery, submit to our Find A Collaborator Tool or learn more, visit our website at artsengine.umich.edu.
Questions? [email protected], (734) 615-8738
March 2024
The Honors & Engagement Programs Office, established in 2012, administers the Engineering Honors Program, Engineering Global Leadership (EGL) Honors Program, the Michigan Engineering Common Reading Experience, and and array of leadership development opportunities for students within the Honors Program and within the Michigan Engineering student community more broadly.
Featured Programs: Catalyst & The LeaderShape Institute
Honors & Engagement Programs partners with LeaderShape®, a nonprofit organization, to provide leadership development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate-level engineering students. The mission of LeaderShape is to transform the world by increasing the number of people who lead with integrity™ and a healthy disregard for the impossible.
Catalyst™ is a one-day program focused on helping students develop their own authentic path, connect to groups and causes they care about, and commit to a plan to be a catalyst for themselves and the groups they are part of. This program is designed for students to take their first step toward lifelong learning in leadership through exploration and action. The program supports the development of self-awareness and builds connections as students ignite their passion for topics, projects and issues that are particularly meaningful to them. Honors & Engagement Programs has invited students to participate in Catalyst during January for the past three years (since 2022). We offer four one-day sessions from which students can choose the date that best fits their schedule. Each session engages 20-50 students, from first year undergraduates through PhD students.
The Institute℠ by LeaderShape is a five-day immersive experience that trains students to lead with integrity and make significant contributions to better our world. The program is held at Camp Michigania during U-M’s Spring Break. The Honors & Engagement programs office partners with M-LEAD and the Michigan Leadership Collaborative to offer this program to any University of Michigan undergraduate or graduate student, with around 50% of the participants coming from the College of Engineering. The program also includes students from schools/colleges across campus, such as Ross, LSA, the Ford School, School of Public Health, Nursing and athletics. The experience is designed to provide time and space to foster authentic dialogue and encourage “conversations that matter” including values exploration, dealing with change and ambiguity, ethics, power & privilege and moving vision to reality. Through the program, students develop a vision for a more just, caring and thriving world, and connect with others to create plans for advancing their vision.
The LeaderShape Institute has been offered to University of Michigan students for over 30 years! Originally developed by the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity in 1986 as a means of improving campus leadership, the Institute now serves people representing a wide variety of organizations throughout the United States and internationally. In 1992, the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan invited LeaderShape® to bring the Institute to our campus and facilitate a session of the program exclusively for Michigan Engineering students. This project was very successful and created the opportunity for more organizations to operate “campus-based” sessions of the LeaderShape Institute. To date, more than 78,000 participants from colleges, universities, and corporations across the country have attended the Institute℠. In addition, more than 7,000 volunteer faculty and staff have contributed their time and talents. One of the best known LeaderShape graduates is Larry Page, co-founder of Google, who recalled his LeaderShape experience in a 2009 commencement address, saying, “When I was here at the University of Michigan, I had actually been taught how to make dreams real! I know it sounds funny, but that is what I learned in a training program called LeaderShape.” Page frequently credits LeaderShape with helping him develop a “a healthy disregard for the impossible”.
LeaderShape Institute 2024 – Photo of a small group of participants, “You’re Always Home at Michigania” Sign, Two students presenting on personal leadership styles, Facilitator with two students, Small group huddle, Small group huddle celebration
Honors & Engagement Programs Office Team
More info:
Questions? [email protected], (734) 763-0505
February 2024
The Walter E. Wilson Student Team Project Center (commonly referred to as the Wilson Center or WSTPC) was dedicated in 1999 as a central resource and focal point for college-wide design-build-test projects oriented toward national competitions. Over 25 years of existence WSTPC has quadrupled the number of supported project teams and active student participants, continuing to grow as a focal point for experiential learning within Michigan Engineering and establishing a national reputation as a leader in facilities and support for student project teams.
Since the 2011 Gorguze Family Laboratory (GFL) addition, WSTPC has extended support to curricular and co-curricular projects and to non-competition-based teams focused on sustainability, global health, and entrepreneurship. This broadened approach has fostered WSTPC leadership of an informal U-M network of student design and fabrication spaces, shared training and staffing pilots, and formal management arrangements for the Robotics Makerspace (Robotics Department) and a small 3D printing laboratory in GG Brown (ISD and ME Departments) to promote sharing these resources across the U-M community.
In close partnership with the OSA Engineering Center for Student Organizations and the Multidisciplinary Design Program, WSTPC currently provides 24/7 dedicated workspace, shared tools, training, and logistical and organizational support for 43 student project teams with over 1270 active student members. 6 of the inaugural 1999 WSTPC project teams are still active today (Baja Racing, Concrete Canoe, MRacing Formula SAE, Human Powered Submarine, Solar Car, and Steel Bridge).
WSTPC is staffed by Chris Gordon (Director), Casey Dixon (WSTPC Manager), Alyssa Emigh (Robotics Makerspace Supervisor), Blake DesRosiers (WSTPC Technician), Vanessa Korte (Administrative Assistant shared with MDP), Jared Roy (Engineering Technician shared with ME), and over 30 student lab assistants.
WSTPC is currently focused on expanding capacity to meet the demand from new and established project teams and their growing membership. The pandemic year suppressed this demand but prospective students seek out Michigan Engineering for these opportunities and the growing recognition of the value of experiential learning from curricular programs and from our industry partners is stimulating a resurgence that we are struggling to satisfy.
More info:
Questions? [email protected], (734) 615-6400
January 2024
International Programs in Engineering (IPE) seeks to prepare all CoE students for success in the global engineering profession by creating international programs that meet the specific needs of our students. In addition to the academic opportunities, we also prioritize the cultural impact of our programs that help students gain global and cultural awareness, understanding not only their cultural identity but the values, beliefs and systems of individuals from differing backgrounds.
The IPE office was established in 1996 when a full‐time staff Director was hired to develop institutional partnerships and promote international faculty collaboration. At that time, international activities were placed under the supervision of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education (ADGE). While international activity had always been present in the college of engineering, the IPE office as we know it today, got its start in 2007 under the leadership of Dean David Munson. Dean Munson sponsored an international programs task force to look at the future of international programs in the College of Engineering and come up with an actionable set of recommendations. The task force spent significant time benchmarking with peer institutions, conducting surveys and numerous stakeholder interviews. One outcome of this work was the expansion of the IPE office staff, supervision and oversight was transferred to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education (ADUE) and the International Minor for Engineers was created.
IPE participation has grown over the years from 137 students in 2006-07 to 894 students in 2022-23, including our highest number of students (145) currently abroad for the winter term. Post covid 15 new engineering programs have been created. From Computer Science and Tech Career Accelerator in Prague, Czech Republic to Engineering and Social Justice in South Africa at the University of Cape Town, IPE is focused on diversifying our offerings, including a focus on sustainability. We are also seeking to provide experiential opportunities abroad, including research and practical work experience.
International experiences cultivate resilience and persistence. Exploring different environments and perspectives, especially those outside of our own, helps develop the tools to persevere through setbacks and failures, especially in the face of adversity. IPE will continue to strive towards making international opportunities available to all students regardless of their background or financial circumstances. Each year IPE awards $300,000 in scholarships to support CoE students on our programs.
More info:
- https://ipe.engin.umich.edu/
- https://ipe.engin.umich.edu/international-minor/
- https://ipe.engin.umich.edu/student-experiences/
Questions? [email protected], 734-647-7129
November 2023
The Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS) serves the College of Engineering community by
- providing supplemental learning and holistic academic success support services to students,
- managing the administrative processes of the Scholastic Standing Committee (SSC) to monitor and uphold the academic policies of the College, and
- managing the Honor Code process to maintain academic integrity within the College community.
The Engineering Center for Academic Success (ECAS) is one of the newer additions to the ADUE portfolio. Before joining ADUE, ECAS was known as the Office of Retention and Academic Support Services and had been part of the Office of Student Affairs beginning in 2008. During most of the time within OSA, the office focused primarily on providing supplemental learning support services and managing the M-Engin Academy. Not until 2018-19 academic year did the office assume the administrative responsibilities for the Scholastic Standing Committee and the Honor Council, changing its name to ECAS and joining the ADUE team.
(ECAS Tutoring)
With a student staff numbering approximately 40, each term ECAS records over 2000 student visits to the weekly Supplemental Instruction sessions and over 800 student visits for peer tutoring. With six professional staff members, ECAS accommodates over 1300 student visits each term through academic coaching activities and Honor Code consultations and manages over 800 Honor Code cases and approximately 400 Scholastic Standing Committee petitions each year. In addition, each summer ECAS hires approximately 20 student staff and 8 instructors to implement the five-week M-Engin Academy Summer Program which is now in its 16th year of assisting and supporting 60-70 students annually as they pursue academic, personal, and professional success in the College of Engineering.
(2023 M-Engin Cohort)
As ECAS looks towards the future, we are currently working to implement a process change that will substantially decrease the response time for SSC petitions and have a further impact on Honor Code case processing time, for which we have already made substantial progress. ECAS is also working closely with the CoE Office of Advancement to secure major funding for the M-Engin Academy which will ensure continuation of the program for many years to come.
Questions? ECAS contact link
October 2023
WE ARE THE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Founded by Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen in 2008, our mission has been to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in our students. We believe every member of the U-M community can achieve their full entrepreneurial potential to maximize their positive impact on the world.
WHAT THE CFE DOES
Academic, Experiential, and Career-focused programming that provide:
- Facility with, and fluency in the Entrepreneurial Mindset
- Opportunity to practice and develop Entrepreneurial Skills
- Support for Entrepreneurial Activities
- Access to Entrepreneurial Career Opportunities
Number one Entrepreneurship Program in the Midwest for 2023 by Princeton Review/ Entrepreneur Magazine
- #2 Overall Graduate Program
- #5 Overall Undergraduate Program
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
ENTR courses are open to ALL students from ALL schools and colleges – undergrad, masters, PhD & professional students. Learn more about ENTR
- 60 course sections / yr.
- Instructors are domain experts (Lecturers)
- Minor, Grad Certificate
- Study Abroad
- 3000 Students/Year
- 65% Undergraduate
- 35% Graduate
- 50% CoE Students
ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICE PROGRAMS
100 Students per year participate in these application based programs and growing rapidly
- Entrepreneurial Leadership Program
- CEO/CTO Leadership Tracks
- Perot Jain TechLab Series
- Mobility, Climate, Electrification, AI, Healthcare, Cybersecurity
- Fuel
- Empowering student ventures with comprehensive support
Questions? Contact [email protected]
September 2023
As part of the College of Engineering strategic visioning in 2018, the College researched the impact of experiential learning, surveyed faculty activity related to experiential learning, and scanned the current landscape of experiential learning opportunities for students. In 2020, the College released the Experiential Learning Framework, a framework to encourage students to intentionally explore learning opportunities, meaningfully engage in experiences, iteratively reflect on their learning, and clearly communicate their development of one or more key professional competencies. These competencies are:
The next step was to provide a platform for students to reflect on their development of these competencies through specific experiential learning opportunities. To support framework activities at scale and in order to leverage available learning technologies the College has partnered with the U-M Center for Academic Engagement (CAI) to develop Spire.
When students onboard into Spire, they complete a survey that helps them choose up to three competencies to focus on. Students then add various experiential learning opportunities to their Planner. Opportunities are meaningful experiences – that a student has done or might want to do – during their time at Michigan Engineering. These might be as part of course, a project team/student org, a study abroad experience. As they complete these experiences, they are encouraged to reflect on their competency development for each.
As students gain skills in each competency, they are prompted to “level up” – to synthesize their experiences and development so far and demonstrate their progression through the competency levels of Explore, Engage, and Explain by responding to specific reflection questions. When they reach the Explain level of at least 2 dimensions of a competency, they can earn a badge for that competency that they can share on LinkedIn.
The tool is available to students throughout their undergraduate experience as a resource to reflect on courses and co-curricular activities as they prepare for interviews and life after college.
Currently, there are 1600+ students who have completed the onboarding process. This fall, students in ENGR 110 and 499 are all encouraged to onboard and engage with Spire, and we are also launching a social media campaign that will encourage students to participate.
To access Spire, visit https://spire.ai.umich.edu – faculty and advisors are encouraged to add opportunities they think would be valuable for students. Learn more about Spire in the brief video.
Questions? Contact Laurie Sutch, Spire Program Manager, [email protected]
