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Session ____

Directed Mentoring: A program of Industry-University Collaboration to Revitalize Electric Power Engineering Education

Satish J. Ranade, Howard A. Smolleck

Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New Mexico State University

Abstract

Many electric power engineering programs today face a challenge in attracting quality students. One reason is that the power industry has little visibility among freshmen and sophomore engineering students. As a result, few students think of power engineering as a career choice, and they often defer even the required power class(es) until their senior year, in consequence of which a decision to specialize in the field becomes difficult. Similar problems plague other engineering career tracks as well.

The program of Directed Mentoring at New Mexico State University (NMSU) was initiated in 2001 with a goal of increasing the visibility of electric power engineering and attracting students to the power area. Students work with faculty and receive financial aid during regular semesters, with the opportunity of employment with sponsoring companies during summer or co-op phases. They work closely with engineer-mentors from both faculty and industry to develop a broad understanding of real–world power engineering, in a carefully- coordinated program of student activities.

This paper describes the philosophy and concept of the directed mentoring program as established at NMSU, discusses its implementation and its first year, and cites some experiences and successes achieved thus far with its first group of students.

1. Introduction

Electric power engineering programs today often face a challenge in attracting quality students. One reason is that the power industry has little visibility amongst freshmen and sophomore engineering students. As a result, very few students even think of power engineering as a career choice, and many put off taking power classes (if they take any at all) until their senior year. We have often heard talented and motivated students to lament that they cannot take more electric power courses because they are about to graduate; their motivation to the power area and their realization of it as a viable major career path came too late.

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Ranade, S., & Smolleck, H. (2003, June), Directed Mentoring: A Program Of Industry University Collaboration Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12569