| Academics |
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ENGR 090 (E90) Homepage 2007-8 |
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2007-2008
ENGR 090 Projects
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| 2007-2008 ENGR 090 Schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Please note that an unexcused failure to meet any of the schedule deadlines can result in a substantial grade penalty - these deadlines are Hard and Fast, and very important for the timely conduct and completion of your projects. Attendance Policies
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Comprehensive Examination Description |
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| Engineering 90, Senior Design Project,
is the Comprehensive Examination in the Department of Engineering.
The nature of the comprehensive examination has not been substantively
changed since the early 1970's. Students work on a design project
that is the culminating exercise for all senior Engineering majors.
Under the guidance of a faculty member, students investigate a problem
of their choice in an area of interest to them. A comprehensive
written report and an oral presentation are required. Submission
and oral presentation of the Final Project Report in Engineering
Design constitutes the comprehensive examination for majors in Engineering. Engineering 90 actually begins in the fall of the senior year. Students meet regularly throughout the semester to identify a project topic and a faculty advisor, to prepare draft and final proposals, to complete preliminary studies for feasibility, etc., and to order equipment and supplies necessary for the project. During the spring, students meet with their faculty advisors weekly (or more frequently if necessary) for assistance and project updates. Students must submit both draft and final project reports. Further, students are required to deliver formal oral presentations of their projects on the two days following the last day of classes in the spring. All seniors are required to attend these presentations. At the conclusion of the presentations, faculty meet and discuss each of the projects individually, and reach consensus as to which students have passed the comprehensive exam. Grades in ENGR 090 are assigned by the faculty advisor(s) for the project, but the oral project presentation evaluations by all other departmental faculty are included among the considerations that faculty use in determining a student's final ENGR 090 grade. It is important to note that a student can pass ENGR 090 without passing the Comprehensive Exam, and that this situation does occur. Students who do not pass the Comprehensive Exam during their first attempt fall into two categories, though we do not specifically name these categories. A student may fail the exam due to significant shortcomings in his/her design project, and not be permitted to graduate in the spring when s/he was registered for ENGR 090. In that case, the student has the option to return at a later time (the following summer or academic year) and repeat ENGR 090 in order to pass the Comprehensive Exam. In the second situation, a student does not pass the exam because progress on the project is insufficient, but does not dramatically fall short of the threshold for passing the Comprehensive. In that case, the student is offered an option to pass and graduate at the conclusion of the semester during which s/he was registered for ENGR 090, conditional upon meeting terms laid out by faculty in the department. The procedure in this situation is as follows. After consultation with the other departmental faculty, the faculty advisor informs the student (in writing) of the exact nature of the shortcomings in the project, with a proposed plan to meet the requirements during the weeks (typically, three or more) between the oral presentations of ENGR 090 and the deadline for submitting grades for seniors. A second faculty member from the department, with expertise related to the project, joins the original advisor as an additional advisor to the student. In order to pass the Comprehensive Exam, the student must first agree to the terms of the additional work required as laid out by the departmental faculty, and second, convince both advisors that s/he has met these terms. A second oral examination is not usually required in cases where passing the Comprehensive is conditional upon additional work, though the option exists if faculty feel that it would be appropriate. |
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