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| Home : Volume 31 : Winter 2005 : | |
| Message from the dean | |
Dean Paul Peercy |
| Engineering EXPO, Innovation Days and more: Why so much emphasis on extracurricular, “off-timetable” learning? |
Two of the College of Engineering's biggest student events approach in early 2005. In February, the annual Innovation Days — Schoofs Prize for Creativity and Tong Prototype Prize competitions — was held for the 11th year. From April 14-16, the biennial Engineering EXPO takes over the campus (See the EXPO story). These are two of the more visible extracurricular undertakings by our students, but there are many other extracurricular activities, including vehicle competitions, middle- and high-school outreach, industry visits and a host of charitable activities.
With such a challenging engineering curriculum and many students needing part-time jobs, you may wonder why we put so much emphasis on these extracurricular or, "off-timetable," learning experiences. The bottom line is that they are huge contributors to developing mature individuals and their professional skills. Many of these experiences teach communication, leadership, management and teamwork, as well as giving students opportunities to use their technical skills. Extracurricular options show the potential employer that a student has the full package: an excellent academic preparation along with the interpersonal, business and communication skills that are so valuable on the job.
In addition to our competitions, students may also choose from more than 40 engineering student organizations. Some of them are geared toward engineering interest areas such as biomedical engineering or chemical engineering. Others allow students to make connections with peers, including the Society of Women Engineers and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society that you will read about in the INFINITY section. These organizations also host industry visitors, giving students a chance to network and learn about what real engineers do in the field. Some are also involved in charitable work, such as teaching computer skills to children and organizing food drives.
With so many opportunities, most students can find something that appeals to them personally and will serve them professionally after they graduate. I'm a big believer in the value of these programs — they are well worth the time students spend getting involved. As a result, the students not only become better engineers, but also more engaged, involved and socially responsible members of their future communities.
Sincerely,
Content by perspective@engr.wisc.edu
Date last modified: Tuesday, 26-Apr-2005 17:06:42 CDT
Date created: 26-Apr-2005
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