We understand the Drexel Engineering Senior Design experience is likely something you have eagerly anticipated as you have progressed through your academic program. Given the shifting nature of life these days, coupled with internal and external regulations that are dictating the modalities for our labs and facilities, here is the plan for senior design that we feel we can support, fairly and consistently, across the college. Following are the baseline expectations that will not change this term nor in the event we return to campus, allowing you to complete your senior design experience with confidence when we don’t always know what the future may hold:
- Per Provost Jensen’s recent announcement, undergraduates will not be allowed access this fall to labs or studios. This includes research and senior design labs, as well as the Machine Shop.
- Students should not be creating physical, comprehensive prototypes. Instead, you should plan on creative, extensive modeling of your project using digital modeling tools (Ansys, MatLab, etc.). I appreciate that it is disappointing not to be able to build the physical manifestation of your ideas; however, it is not unusual for design engineers to do their work as part of interdisciplinary teams based across an organization (and sometimes across state and national borders) and without handling equipment or building their devices personally.
- Suggested guidance for managing your work over each term:
- Fall: evaluating the engineering need and impact–review of state-of-the-art identification of specifications and standards, and consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors; writing and presenting your proposal.
- Winter: building the simulations and evaluating design choices and parameters.
- Spring: completing the analysis of the simulations, solidifying and presenting your final design.
Your faculty will provide details on conducting final presentations closer to the date. We will also share additional guidance regarding spaces and resources as new information becomes available. Again, our goal is to deliver the best remote senior design experience possible in a way that is fair and equitable across the college–so even as campus plans may shift and more offerings may be in person, these requirements will not change. Your faculty may decide to incorporate value-added activities (think panel discussions, guest speakers, etc.) to enhance your experience, but these will be on a limited and case-by-case basis and senior design this academic year will remain remote. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact your department senior design coordinator.