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Engineering Projects In Community Service(EPICS)
Spring 2009
Client Description
• Rosalina Aranda– EPICS Program
Coordinator– Has been serving as
Program Coordinator since the program began in 2006.
Problem Identification Process
• Review past progress of previous teams• Meet with client on January 29th, 2009• Identify Available Resources
Team Definition
• As required by the class plan, the team was split into three sub-teams:– Communications– Registration– IT (Information Technologist)
Suggested Modification of Course Plan
• The class plan is usually such that the teams are or should be defined on the first day, but in order to define our team(s), we had to hold our client meeting and then branch off in order to tackle each of the problems we discovered during our client meeting.
Problems
• After our client meeting, we had listed four problems that we would be working on for the duration of the semester. They are as follows:– Update of the Team Descriptions– Improvement of Inter-Client/Team
Communications– Development of team websites– Development of a Prototype for the Registration
System
Updated Team Descriptions
Updated Team DescriptionProblem Description
–When students register for an EPICS team, they are often misled by the description on the registration website.
• Solution:–We wanted to find a way to give students a better idea of what they were signing up for.– E-mailed teams to write a short description about their project.–A few teams responded with a decent description, but many never sent one at all. Mentors were even notified, but no submissions were received.
• Future–We would like to add these descriptions to the registration website so that students have a better idea of what they are signing up for.
Inter Client Team Comm.
•Problem Description: – Lack of effective communication
•Solution: – Decided to use team website. Set up a
folder system on the team website with the assistance of the I.T. team.
Inter Team Client Communication
Project 1
Project 1
Project 2
Project 2
Project 3
Project 3
Project 4
Project 4
EPICS Sub TeamsEPICS Sub Teams
Rosalina Aranda (Client)
Rosalina Aranda (Client)
The System put into use.
•Sub Teams upload weekly reports.
•Client can view weekly reports.
•Posted on
website.
•Made sure all team members had access to uploading weekly reports as well as how to navigate the new system.
•
•Set a weekly deadline of 7:00 pm Sunday nights.
Outcomes•Became a whole team project.
•Helped communication within team, not just communication with client.
Future Work
•May be a helpful asset for other UC Merced EPICS teams .
•Isn’t currently being used to its maximum efficiency, hopefully teams in the future will continue and improve this system.
Website Development
Website DevelopmentProblem Description
Solution• Assist EPICS teams in developing their websites• We had to become familiar with using CMS.• Ranked each of the teams based on the need of improvement of content
and design • We would provide the technological assistance for the website, but
content and planning was to be done by the other teams.• Only decided to assist two teams this semester:– Ropes Course Team– California State Mining Mineral Museum
Ranking
CSMMM Original Website
Ropes Course Original Website
Future Work
• Based on progress of each teams website we will rearrange the ranking accordingly
• Leave any information/knowledge we have gained to next semesters team
Registration System
Problem Identification
• Using the Engineering Process
– Client Meeting
– School of Engineering Meeting
– Registrar Meeting
Registration Problem
Students are not registering into the EPICS courses they are interested in.
Why?
Time Conflicts
Students Only Register for Schedule
Compatible Classes
Space
Faculty
EPICS classes
Student's schedule
Solution A -Time Oriented
Designate 2-3 EPICS classes for
each grade level to guarantee
each grade level several
choices.Freshmen courses
EPICS classesGradeLevels
Solution A – Time Oriented
PROS:
• The time conflicts would be
resolved.
• The EPICS lab would be used
as much as possible.
CONS:
• Students may have trouble
returning to the same EPICS
class the following years.
• EPICS classes will have a
majority from certain grade
levels.
Solution B: Upper Division
Apply the “No Conflict” policy
to the applicable Engineering
Core Classes.
• Examples of such classes include but are not restricted to: ENGR 165, 130, 120, 155.
EPICS classesGradeLevels
Upper Division
Lower Division
Solution B – Upper Division
PROS:
• Resolves the overuse of
“No Conflict.”
• Allows upper classmen more
flexibility when choosing their
EPICS section.
• Increases chance of
enrollment and continuation.
CONS:
• Focuses more on upper
classmen.
• A lot of the upper classmen
students are probably finished
with their EPICS requirements.
Conclusion
• In general, in order to continue our work, it is best that we would have our current team members continue to stay on the team. – In contrast to previous semesters, we have had
more newer members that we would have to retrain, thus our progress would not be continuing in a positive direction every semester.
– It would instead be looping back to the beginning because we do not have enough time in order to complete certain projects.
Acknowledgements
• Foster Family Center for Engineering• PG&E• Dr. Germán Gavilán• Rosalina Aranda