Your Gift to the Mechanical Engineering Department
Did you know that the number of Mechanical Engineering majors at SCU has tripled in the last two decades? The growth has accelerated recently, and we anticipate the growth rate to continue in the next few years. That's great news! The challenge is an urgent need to increase our equipment capacity for the hands-on experience so essential to the Mechanical Engineering competencies of our students. Doubling the number of lathes and milling machines and acquiring industrial scale 3D printers and CNC machines is the immediate need to educate our students to cope with the rapidly changing world. We are grateful for our new SCDI MECH Labs, so that we have space for this equipment!
We are kick starting this process with the MECH Challenge: reach 50 individual gifts by April 12th (SCU’s annual Day of Giving). Your contribution, no matter the size, will have a direct, immediate and lasting effect. Seed gifts and support from the School of Engineering will also supply part of our needed updates of $500,000. A group of donors, including our industry advisory board members, made a challenge grant of $3,000 when we reach 50 individual gifts on Day of Giving.
Please join us by making your contribution on or before April 12th. Click the button below or mail a check (payable to “Santa Clara University”) to SCU. Either way, please make a note or memo “MECH - Day of Giving.” Check if your employer offers matching gifts to add extra value to your donation. Thank you for your support and generosity to the next generation of Mechanical Engineering innovators.
Other ways get involved
- Industry Partner: Senior Design Projects *see more information below
- Research Projects
- Mentor. Co-advisor. Reviewer. Judge
- In-kind. equipment. materials. lab work. services
- Provides summer internship prior to senior year
THE WHY:
Senior Design Project is a requirement for graduation. A senior design team is formed by students in mechanical engineering, and other engineering disciplines. This takes on a year-long capstone project, putting their problem-solving skills to the test and collaborating to take an idea from concept to design to prototype.
We want companies to discover solutions to problems through an alternative path and foster new talents. You will have access and work closely with a team of students, getting to know their abilities and work ethics and your involvement in their project will guide and prepare the student for an elevated performance to be a future employer in a company. With your experience, you can help shape the next generation engineer, provide project overview and information, and review and advise project progress.
THE WHAT:
By giving new engineers a chance to work on a real-world problem, students gain comprehensive experience that reflects all aspects of industry practice, including how professionals communicate ideas, how barriers are overcome and solutions found, how intellectual property impacts day-to-day engineering operations, and how ethics influences engineering decisions.
What a project sponsor does?
- Providing project overview and information
- Close and constant meeting with student teams and faculty advisor
- Reviewing and advising project progress in scope, analysis, simulation, testing, etc.
- Co-coordinating purchases of materials and equipment
- Providing funds to the project is not mandatory
What information needed about a project idea or proposal?
- Company info
- Proposed project title
- Suggested Start Date (month/year)
- Project purpose: Describe the problem/opportunity with the current product or situation. Pictures are encouraged and in general the more information provided the better.
- Functional requirements: What must the product or research achieve? What are the project objectives and specifications for the final product/process?
- Deliverables: What is expected by the company at project completion?
- Special Resources: Are there special resources needed? For instance: facilities, material, software, expertise, etc.?
- Huddles: Describe the technical barriers/challenges of the proposed project. Will there be any need for novel approaches to solving the problem?
- Proprietary Information and Confidentiality Requirements: What aspects of the project cannot be presented to the public? Any patents involved?
- Areas of expertise the student team will likely need and estimated team composition: Typically 3-6 persons per team, comprising students mainly in mechanical major, but can include Computer Science, Electrical, and general engineering majors.
- Estimated Materials Cost of the Project
| Monthly | |
|---|---|
| April |
Companies provide project ideas/proposals, and work with SCU to develop the idea into possible project. Discuss project outcomes and deliverables. IP issues rectified |
| May | List of preliminary projects announced in SCU Junior Convocation |
| April/May | Some student teams are formed, in consultation with faculty members and company’s technical representative. |
| Summer | Summer internship opportunities |
| September |
Student teams submit Project Proposal to Mechanical Engineering Department for review and approval. Teams work on project, maintain close and constant meeting with faculty advisor and company technical representative. |
| October | Student teams develop and submit Project Proposal to Mechanical Engineering Department for review and approval |
| September - May | Student teams work on project, close and constant meeting with faculty advisor and company technical representative |
| May | Senior Design Conferences |
| June | Submit thesis |
Please click the following button to initiate our future collaboration to improve our quality of education in the Mechanical Engineering Department.