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Session 0555

ASEE Student Chapters: Lessons Learned from the First Five Years Eric Mulkay, Sara McComb, Robert Kiesow, Douglas Boyd, William Oakes, James Jones Schools of Engineering Purdue University

Abstract The objective of this paper is to document the successes and struggles of the first ASEE student chapter during its first five years. The first student chapter of ASEE was formed at Purdue University in the spring of 1993. The primary function of the student chapter has been to provide seminar series for both the undergraduate and graduate engineering student populations. Implementation of these programs has required an engineering-wide organizational structure of graduate students. This paper documents the successes and struggles of the Purdue chapter of ASEE, highlighting issues such as chapter organization, communication structure, program funding, graduate and undergraduate seminar series, and a newsletter over the first five years. This retrospective of the first five years offers both the perspectives of participating graduate students and the faculty advisor. The three most important lessons learned are 1) delegate responsibilities broadly, 2) develop effective communication protocols, and 3) seek startup funds. For students and faculty interested in starting a new chapter, it is recommended to start small, find a committed core of interested graduate students and a faculty advisor, and solicit initial startup funds from your school or college. Introduction The objective of this paper is to document the successes and struggles of the first ASEE Student Chapter during its first five years. The first student chapter of ASEE was formed at Purdue University in the spring of 1993 (Hamaker, et al., 1993) with a three fold mission: (1) to mentor graduate students interested in engineering education, especially those considering academic careers, (2) to educate undergraduate students about graduate school, and (3) to encourage underrepresented groups such as women and minorities to seek advanced degrees and academic careers. As with any pioneering effort, there have been many challenges and barriers to overcome during the formative years of the Purdue ASEE student chapter’s existence. This paper seeks to document the successes and lessons learned through five years of experience as a student chapter. The following paper is organized with three main sections. The first section describes the infrastructure of the chapter and addresses issues such as organization, funding and communications. The second main section illustrates three of the most successful programs undertaken by the chapter, namely two sets of seminar series and a semiannual newsletter. Finally, the last section gives the advice and perspective of a faculty advisor. This section is specifically included to address the questions and concerns of other faculty who might be interested in helping students establish a student chapter at another university.

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McComb, S., & Kiesow, R., & Mulkay, E., & Boyd, D., & Jones, J. D., & Oakes, W. (1998, June), Asee Student Chapters: Lessons Learned From The First Five Years Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--6927