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Impact of an Extracurricular Activity Funding Program in Engineering Education

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Conference

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Publication Date

June 26, 2016

Start Date

June 26, 2016

End Date

June 29, 2016

ISBN

978-0-692-68565-5

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Student and Other Views on Engineering Leadership

Tagged Division

Engineering Leadership Development Division

Page Count

6

DOI

10.18260/p.25530

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/25530

Download Count

546

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Paper Authors

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Emily Ann Marasco University of Calgary

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Emily Marasco is a Ph.D. student at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on creativity and cross-disciplinary curriculum development for engineering students as well as for K-12 and community outreach programs.

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Robyn Paul University of Calgary Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-5619-5754

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Robyn is a Master's student researching engineering leadership education at the University of Calgary. She graduated from Manufacturing Engineering in 2011 and worked in industry for a few years before returning to school.

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Stephanie Hladik University of Calgary

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Stephanie Hladik is a M.Sc student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary. Through her research she is exploring topics related to the integration of engineering into K-12 curricula. In particular, she is interested in bringing electrical engineering, programming, and the engineering design process into K-12 education. Aside from her research, Stephanie also participates regularly in outreach programs to promote STEM topics in classrooms and beyond.

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Marcela P Rodriguez University of Calgary

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PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering, MSc in Elctronics Engineering, B.Eng. in Electronics Engenieering

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Laleh Behjat P.Eng. University of Calgary

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Dr. Laleh Behjat is an associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include designing computer chips, electronic design automation and developing software for computer hardware. She has won several awards for her work on the development of software tools for computer engineering. In addition, Dr. Behjat has a passion for increasing the statues of women in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Dr. Behjat was the recipient of 2015 Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Women in Engineering Champion Award.

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Lynne Gradon Cowe Falls P.Eng. University of Calgary

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Lynne Cowe Falls, PhD, P. Eng., FCAE, FCSCE, is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, the University of Calgary. She is a co-author of over 30 technical papers and several books in the area of pavement and infrastructure management and most recently of Current Pavement Management. With over 20 years in industry prior to joining the University of Calgary, she is a Vice-President and Board Member of the Transportation Association of Canada

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Abstract

Participation in extracurricular activities improves engineering students’ professional and leadership skills, civic-engagement and engineering abilities. These activities provide students with cultural and scientific immersion, and are an excellent complement to a technical engineering degree. However, students can be restricted in their ability to participate due to limited finances and due to lack of awareness on opportunities.

To minimize this challenge, the *name* Student Activity Fund (SSAF) was developed to promote participation in activities that enhance engineering education and leadership development through a variety of activities. This paper will discuss the details of the SSAF, and provide insight into the levels of impact seen from the program.

Annually, students apply to the fund competition as either individuals or groups. The applications must include proposed budgets, detailed itineraries, and a clear description of how the activity will contribute to their leadership, professional, and personal development. In addition, the students must report back to the fund indicating how the moneys were spent and how they brought their experience and knowledge back to campus. A wide range of activities are eligible, however all activities should be experiential in nature and highly participatory. Some examples of successful applications in the past include the solar car team, educational trips to major cities, group studies abroad, and academic conferences. Activities should complement and enhance classroom learning and the engineering graduate attributes.

Applications are evaluated by a committee of students, alumni and faculty. When the evaluation committee reviews applications they are looking for students who have clearly demonstrated how the activity will enhance their engineering education. Successful applicants must also submit a final report afterwards describing the impact on their learning experience, a reflection on their personal and leadership development goals, and a description of their contribution.

The paper will discuss the evolution of the fund since its inception ten years ago. Data to be presented includes the number of funded students and groups, percentage of applications compared to activities funded, and trends in the funding applications activity types over the years.

When discussing the impact of these activities, we will look at three factors. Firstly, the factor of time will investigate immediate, short term and long term impacts. The second factor, culture, will compare the impact on the individual to the impact brought back to the University community. And lastly, the factor of depth will gain insight into whether the impact is on the surface or if the impact has a much deeper change. All of these will consider both personal and academic growth for the students, their peers, the faculty and faculty members.

The SSAF provides a model for encouraging extra-curricular activities for other schools as it reduces the barrier to these experiences while building student leadership through the application and competition. The paper will also recommend how to further increase the success and impact of an extracurricular activity funding program in engineering education.

Marasco, E. A., & Paul, R., & Hladik, S., & Rodriguez, M. P., & Behjat, L., & Cowe Falls, L. G. (2016, June), Impact of an Extracurricular Activity Funding Program in Engineering Education Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25530

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