MCHE 1940: ME Design Studio / Professional Practice

Spring 2022
College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Course Description
Students will learn and use the engineering design method through a semester long project. The
professional practice portion of the course will provide an introduction to what it is like to function as an
engineer including the skills needed to succeed as a student and later as a practicing professional. While
the primary focus will be on mechanical engineering, many of the concepts are applicable to any
engineering discipline.

Instructors
Tom Lawrence Ben Thomas
1210 Driftmier Engineering Center 1277 Driftmier Engineering Center
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Classroom Times / Location

Tuesday and Thursday 8:00-9:15am in Driftmier room 1453.

How this Course Supports Student Preparation

Relationship to the ABET EC-2000 Criterion 3 Program Outcomes
ABET has established the following guidelines for how engineering programs should assess the
progress of students during the academic career as well as the success of that engineering
program in preparing engineers to become success practicing professionals in the field.
ABET Criterion 3 Student Outcomes – Revised for 2019
1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying
principles of engineering, science and mathematics [formerly outcomes (a) and (e)]
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs
with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural,
social, environmental, and economic factors [formerly outcome (c)]
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences [formerly outcome (g)]
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations
and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering
solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts [formerly outcomes
(f), (h) and (j)]
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide
leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks,
and meet objectives [formerly outcome (d)]
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret
data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions [formerly outcome (b)]
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning
strategies [formerly outcome (i)]

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

Rev. 1 - Modified 01/05/22
This course is broad in scope and is designed to help you develop in 5 of the 7 outcomes; each of the 1-7
outcomes listed above are addressed to some extent in this course except outcomes 4 and 7. This
course has the following set of ‘Course Learning Objectives’ that establish the goals set for this course
and how we will assess the effectiveness of this course in meeting the program outcomes.

Course Learning Objectives and Assessment Method Matrix

Assessment
Student Outcomes Assessment Method
Criteria*
1. an ability to identify, formulate, and
o Project report
solve complex engineering problems by
2, 3, 6, 10 o In-class statistics assignment
applying principles of engineering, science o Economics quiz
and mathematic
2. an ability to apply engineering design to
produce solutions that meet specified
needs with consideration of public health,
2, 3, 6, 10 o Project report
safety, and welfare, as well as global,
cultural, social, environmental, and
economic factor
o Project report
3. an ability to communicate effectively o Peer-reviews
1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
with a range of audiences o Elevator Speech
o Employer investigation essay
4. an ability to recognize ethical and
professional responsibilities in engineering
o Project report
situations and make informed judgments,
1, 2, 6, 7, 10 o Employer investigation essay
which must consider the impact of o Economics quiz
engineering solutions in global, economic,
environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a
team whose members together provide o Project report
leadership, create a collaborative and 3, 4, 8 o Peer reviews
inclusive environment, establish goals, plan o Group meetings with instructors
tasks, and meet objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct
appropriate experimentation, analyze and o Project report
2, 10
interpret data, and use engineering o Design notebook
judgment to draw conclusions
o Project report
7. an ability to acquire and apply new
o Design notebook
knowledge as needed, using appropriate 2, 8
o In-class statistics assignment
learning strategies o Economics quiz

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

Rev. 1 - Modified 01/05/22
 Assessment criteria
1 - Understand the concept of what engineering is and appreciate the impact of mechanical engineers on today’s
society
2- Develop the ability to define, formulate, and solve engineering problems
3 -Work effectively within a team and evaluate teammate performance in a professional manner
4 - Learn effective methods for communication in a professional setting including writing an engineering
report.
5 - Begin to appreciate the breadth and depth of opportunities available for a mechanical engineering professional and
the skills needed for success in today’s global market
6 - Gain a basic fundamental understanding of engineering economics and project management
7 - Understand the expectations of the competencies when transitioning into their professional practice, professional
licensure, and practical experience
8 - Understand what it takes to succeed in an engineering
program
9 - Become better prepared for the process of finding and obtaining an engineering position
10- Quantify design performance through
experimentation

Course Prerequisites or Co- Requisites: ENGR 1920, ENGR 1120, and ENGR 1140

Required Course Supplies

o 1 bound notebook (at least 8"x10")
o 15$ contribution to project materials

Topics Covered
• Engineering design methodology
• Communicating an idea/design
• The various roles of mechanical engineering in society
• Career paths and how to obtain a professional job in engineering
• Engineering economics and project management
• Professional licensure

Course Grading
Attendance and participation 10%
• Attending class either online or in-person is mandatory. In preparation for a professional
position in the real world, absences are only allowed in cases of illness, emergencies, or special
circumstances. If you know in advance that you must be absent an email is required in order to
be considered excused. The email should be sent to both instructors and should include “MCHE
1940 attendance” in the subject line. There will be no opportunity to make up missed
assignments, quizzes, or classroom exercises unless approved in advance. A student may be
withdrawn from the course by the instructor without notification if excessive absences are
incurred. For this course, “excessive absences” is defined as absences from 8 meetings.

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

Rev. 1 - Modified 01/05/22
 • Students are expected to actively participate in the classroom sessions.
• Leaving early will count as an absence.
• Students can be penalized beyond the 10% allocated for attendance for
excessive absences.
• The attendance grade will be determined by the number of unexcused
absences as defined by the table shown right. For example, if 6 unexcused
absences are incurred, then the resulting attendance score will be -1/10.
This amounts to 11 percentage points lost from the final course grade.

Pop quizzes, homework, and elevator speeches 20%

• Pop quizzes will not be announced. If the student has an excused absence on the day of a pop
quiz, they will receive a grade of 85% or the class average, whichever is higher. Elevator
speeches missed due to excused absences must be completed when the student returns to
class.

Design Project 60%

• Students will participate in a semester long design project worth 60% of the total course grade.
Project grades are based on the quality of deliverables (such as the reports, design notebooks,
and presentations) and peer evaluations.
• Students are required to produce design notes/reflections for each project in their design
notebooks.
• Further details will be provided with the assignment.

Professional Preparation 10%

• This portion of the grading is focused on key aspects of your professional growth. Assignment
details will be posted separately.

Missed / late assignments

Homework assignments that are not completed on time with be counted as zero. If an in-class
assignment is missed and the reason is considered excusable by the instructor, the student can make up
the assignment. It is the responsibility of the student to communicate early with the instructor, find out
the missed assignment from other students in the class, and to submit the makeup assignment within
two weeks of returning to class.

Submitting work
All submissions will be uploaded to eLC. Assignments and project reports must be organized and done
in an acceptable manner. The general policy of the College is to dedicate at least 30% of the grade on
written materials to the quality of written communication. Important to note: In industry and the
workplace if you cannot effectively communicate your results to your supervisor, clients, or co-workers,
then you have not completed the task and in essence it never happened.

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

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Grading scale
This course will use the +/- grading system, with the scale as shown below. Grades will be uploaded to
eLC. Students are responsible for notifying the instructors of grading disputes within 2 weeks of the
post date.
Grading Scale
A 94 -100 C+ 77 - 79
A- 90 - 93 C 74 - 76
B+ 87 - 89 C- 70 - 73
B 84 - 86 D 65 - 69
B- 80 - 83 F 64 and
less

Engineering Professionalism Policy & Academic Honesty

Engineers make great contributions to society. Engineering is a very satisfying profession that provides
many rewards but is demanding and requires hard work. The engineering profession is governed by a
code of ethics that have developed alongside the rigors of the practice and its many contributions to
society. Engineering students are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of professionalism
and professional practice. Engineering faculty at UGA expect students to act in a professional manner at
all times.

As a University of Georgia student, you have agreed to abide by the University’s academic honesty
policy, “A Culture of Honesty,” and the Student Honor Code. All academic work must meet the
standards described in “A Culture of Honesty found at: https://ovpi.uga.edu/academic-
honesty/academic-honesty-policy.

Lack of knowledge of the academic honest policy is not a reasonable explanation for a violation.
Questions related to course assignments and the academic honesty policy should be directed to the
instructor.

Signing the attendance sheet for another student is a violation of the academic honesty policy.

Consulting with the instructors

Whenever possible, ask questions during class or office hours. If you have a question, it is very likely
that your peers would benefit from the answer. Although you are welcome to ask questions through
email, it is much more efficient for the instructor to answer a question once during class than to answer
the same question multiple times through email. In the subject line of any email communication, please
include your name and course number in the subject line. Each instructor has around 300 unique
students in various course sessions, and we really can’t afford the extra time to search for what course
the question is about. This particularly comes up when a student will be missing class due to sickness,
etc.

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CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

UGA adheres to guidance from the University System of Georgia and the recommendations from
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) related to quarantine and isolation. Since this may be
updated periodically, we encourage you to review the latest guidance here. The following information
is based on guidance last updated on December 29, 2021.

Face coverings:
Following guidance from the University System of Georgia, face coverings are recommended for all
individuals while inside campus facilities.

How can I obtain the COVID-19 vaccine?

University Health Center is scheduling appointments for students through the UHC Patient Portal
(https://patientportal.uhs.uga.edu/login_dualauthentication.aspx). Learn more here –
https://www.uhs.uga.edu/healthtopics/covid-vaccine.

The Georgia Department of Health, pharmacy chains and local providers also offer the COVID-19 vaccine
at no cost to you. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, please go
to: https://georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

In addition, the University System of Georgia has made COVID-19 vaccines available at 15 campuses
statewide and you can locate one here: https://www.usg.edu/vaccination

What do I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms?

Students showing COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and get tested. You can schedule an
appointment with the University Health Center by calling 706-542-1162 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5p.m.).
Please DO NOT walk-in. For emergencies and after-hours care, see
https://www.uhs.uga.edu/info/emergencies.

What do I do if I test positive for COVID-19? (Isolation guidance)

If you test positive for COVID-19 at any time, either through a PCR test, an Antigen test, or a home test
kit, you are required to report it through the DawgCheck Test Reporting Survey. Follow the instructions
provided to you when you report your positive test result in DawgCheck.

As of December 29, 2021, when an individual receive a positive COVID-19 test: Everyone, regardless of
vaccination status, should:

• Stay home for 5 days.

• If you have symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house
and return to class.
• Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

What do I do if I have been exposed to COVID-19? (Quarantine guidance)

If you have been exposed (within 6 feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour
period – unmasked**) to someone with COVID-19 or to someone with a positive COVID-19 test and you
are:

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

Rev. 1 - Modified 01/05/22
 • Boosted, or have become fully vaccinated within the last 6 months (Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) or
within the last 2 months (J&J vaccine)
o You do not need to quarantine at home and may come to class.
o You should wear a mask around others for 10 days.
o If possible, get tested on day 5.
o If you develop symptoms, get tested and isolate at home until test results are received,
then proceed in accordance with the test results.
• Unvaccinated, or became fully vaccinated more than 6 months ago (Moderna or Pfizer vaccine)
or more than 2 months ago (J&J vaccine) and have not received a booster:
o You must quarantine at home for 5 days. After that you may return to class but continue
to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
o If possible, get tested on day 5.
o If you develop symptoms, get tested and isolate at home until test results are received,
then proceed in accordance with the test results.

** “Masked-to-masked” encounters are not currently considered an exposure; this type of interaction
would not warrant quarantine.

You should report the need to quarantine on DawgCheck (https://dawgcheck.uga.edu/), and

communicate directly with your faculty to coordinate your coursework while in quarantine. If you need
additional help, reach out to Student Care and Outreach ([email protected]) for assistance.

Well-being, mental health, and student support

If you or someone you know needs assistance, you are encouraged to contact Student Care & Outreach
in the Division of Student Affairs at 706-542-7774 or visit https://sco.uga.edu/. They will help you
navigate any difficult circumstances you may be facing by connecting you with the appropriate
resources or services. UGA has several resources to support your well-being and mental health:
https://well-being.uga.edu/

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is your go-to, on-campus resource for emotional, social and
behavioral-health support: https://caps.uga.edu/, TAO Online Support (https://caps.uga.edu/tao/), 24/7
support at 706-542-2273. For crisis support: https://healthcenter.uga.edu/emergencies/.

The University Health Center offers FREE workshops, classes, mentoring and health coaching led by
licensed clinicians or health educators: https://healthcenter.uga.edu/bewelluga/

Monitoring conditions:
Note that the guidance referenced in this syllabus is subject to change based on recommendations from
the Georgia Department of Public Health, the University System of Georgia, or the Governor’s Office. For
the latest on UGA policy, you can visit coronavirus.uga.edu.

MCHE 1940 Spring 2022

Rev. 1 - Modified 01/05/22