Brief summaries/abstracts and final reports of the five Strategic Initiative Grants that will bring together teams of faculty and/or staff to identify and explore promising ideas to advance the strategic goals of the University and College of Engineering:
First-Year Success: Personalized Student-Faculty Engagement
Team Lead: Tim Raymond
This initiative addresses the critical need for first-year students to establish a sense of community and belonging. Students often struggle to find connections at multiple levels (departmental, with professors, with peers), and this is exacerbated by gaps in areas like math, study skills, and motivation. By facilitating early, individualized interactions between students and faculty, we can provide personalized support and guidance, fostering a stronger community and improving student retention and success.
Final Report:
Enhancing Community and Support for Bucknell Computer Science Majors
Team Lead: Alan Marchiori
The Computer Science Department at Bucknell includes three majors with different entry points and timelines. Arts and Sciences students start courses in their first semester, Engineering students begin in their first spring, and BA students may not declare until their sophomore year. As a result, introductory courses vary, with students entering through different paths, leading to no common core classes in the first year. This results in a fragmented community among first-year and sophomore students. To address this, our Strategic Initiatives Grant aims to develop extracurricular activities to build a cohesive CS community, emphasizing events like Grace Hopper in Philadelphia 2024 to connect students, faculty, and alumni.
Final Report:
(Re?)Defining Engineering Design in the College of Engineering
Team Lead: Stu Thompson
It has been a few years since there was a good discussion of engineering design in the college. This group will explore what design means to faculty, departments, and the college and look to create connections where they should exist. The group will also take an inventory of existing design-related opportunities, evaluate these, and think about new opportunities in this space.
Final Report:
Enhancing the College of Engineering Graduate Program
Team Lead: Ben Wheatley
We will work on aspects to improve the College of Engineering Graduate Program. The proposed work is aligned with several of the College and University strategic plan initiatives as it is student-focused and supports collaborative research. Currently, the graduate program receives financial support from the institution, but is not designed or implemented in a way to leverage our strengths or efficiencies. The goals of the proposed project are to (1) explore and recommend a new graduate curriculum; (2) establish clearer expectations of graduate students; (3) investigate mechanisms to improve faculty engagement; (4) explore opportunities to create a distinctive identity; and (5) improve the sense of community among graduate students.
Final Report:
Time Well Spent: Surveying Faculty Workload to Prioritize High-Impact Educational Experiences
Team Lead: Kelly Salyards
High-impact educational experiences take time—both to develop and to implement. Faculty time is one of the most precious resources at this institution and is often cited as one reason prohibiting us from providing more impactful educational experiences for our students. We will identify a broad list of the formal and informal (invisible) expectations and obligations that faculty engage in. Focus groups will be used to assess the perceived value of each of these activities and how they align with the College’s Strategic Goals. A final report will summarize this data to inform College leadership and ensure time for faculty to engage in impactful practices and new initiatives.