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Session 2525

ProCEED: A Program for Civic Engagement in Engineering Design

Nathaniel W. Stott, William W. Schultz, Diann Brei, Deanna M.Winton Hoffman, and Greg Markus

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Michigan/ Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan

Abstract

This paper highlights the success of the ProCEED (Program for Civic Engagement in Engineering Design) recently started at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The program is aimed at giving mechanical engineering students access to the community in a way that engages their engineering skills to provide valuable contributions to the surrounding community. The program was also aimed at fostering student leadership roles within the department by allowing Pi Tau Sigma, The National Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, to take the lead role in the program. Students involved in the program help solicit projects from the surrounding community for development and prototyping in the senior design course, ME 450. Students in the course benefit from the projects by learning to interact with community sponsors, usually without technical training. Students also benefit by learning how to use their engineering skills to solve everyday problems in a community service capacity. This paper will provide an overview of the current course structure in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Michigan, how the ProCEED program fits into this existing course structure, the goals of the program, community education resulting from the introduction of the program, projects that have resulted from the program, sustainment and expansion of the program, and finally an evaluation of the program by an external source.

1 - Introduction

Medical and legal professionals often use their skills to benefit the community by engaging in pro bono work. University of Michigan College of Engineering students also engage in pro bono work in the form of extracurricular community service. Unfortunately, this service rarely requires the technical skills engineering students have to offer. Problems lie in (i) identifying community needs requiring engineering skills, (ii) providing a forum for selecting the service, (iii) integrating the service into an academic environment, and (iv) building a strong infrastructure for long-term success.

ProCEED is the University of Michigan’s initiative to instill community service awareness in mechanical engineering students and to foster community leaders within student organizations through civic-based design projects in the mechanical engineering senior capstone design course,

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Stott, N., & Markus, G. B., & Brei, D., & Winton Hoffman, D. M., & Schultz, W. W. (2000, June), Pro Ceed: A Program For Civic Engagement In Engineering Design Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8637