It is an Academic Interest Group 鈥� an organized, publicized, regular gathering of faculty and students who have a common interest in an academic/professional/engineering-related theme (see examples below). As part of the first-year Engineering Residential Community (ERC) in Williams Village, AIGs are one of many pathways for incoming CEAS students to find a group of like-minded peers, gain a sense of belonging and engage their engineering education beyond the classroom. They are designed to be active in some way 鈥� this might include a project, structured interactions, the making of a particular product, organized around an engineering-related competition, speaking a foreign language, reading and discussing the same text, field trips, special guests, etc.听Open to all interested students, they are not directly tied to a class and are not part of earning credits toward graduation.
Possible AIGs could be organized around: Cybersecurity and Hacking, Human Space Flight, Engineering Ethics, Global Development, DEI in Engineering, Socially Responsible Technology, Game Design, Reading Groups, Advocacy Groups, Alternative Energy, Assistive Technologies, Engineering Education, Data Visualization, Entrepreneurship, Sports Analytics, Converting combustion engine vehicles to EVs, ERC installation art projects, etc.听The common denominator is that AIGs bring together faculty and students beyond the classroom to share with each other a themed experience.听
Some might be very focused, time sensitive and designed to be successful for a single year; some might be successful for multiple years and develop structures of student leadership, some might establish an AIG tradition involving both first-year and non-first-year students with leadership being passed from one faculty member to another. Although vetted and supported in multiple ways (see below), we understand that some AIGs might not succeed and that鈥檚 OK; risk-taking and experimentation are part of the model.
One current proposal is weekly Spanish-speaking 鈥淭ertulias鈥� that include language practice, culturally relevant meetings with a themed topic, cooking together in the expansive kitchens within the WV residence halls, Spanish language films, cultural themes, linguistic diversity within the Spanish-speaking world, monthly Spanish Speaker Dinners in the Village Center鈥檚 private dining room (capacity 45) with Spanish-speaking faculty, staff and invited guests, etc.听 This would support native Spanish-speaking students and those that have learned/are learning Spanish.
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AIGs are one of many ways that the first-year academic community will foster belonging, student agency and an inclusive academic culture that transcends structural degree requirements.听AIGs create larger contexts for students to make friends outside of the classroom, find like-minded peers, get to know a faculty member and integrate their engineering education with personal interest as do internships, research, service projects and participation in student organizations. AIGs will not be required and are not designed to cover every student.听
Yes, faculty who are already facilitating interesting clubs, activities, interest groups, etc.听could apply to become an ERC-based AIG.听Or they could continue to function as they have been outside of this framework.
No!听AIGs are not designed to be in competition with any existing group or student organization. They are meant to supplement existing efforts and be particularly focused on first-year students in the ERC.
Faculty AIG leaders will receive a $5,000 stipend per year. There is also a small budget for AIG operation that can be applied for. Currently, there is funding for 10 AIG faculty leaders and approximately $20,000 to be shared between the groups. Note: All first-year students will have meal cards and there are meeting rooms within the Village Center Dining Hall to facilitate meal-based meetings. That is, your AIG could be a weekly breakfast club with the only cost covering the weekly meal of the faculty member.
The larger Engineering Residential Community administrative structure (the ERC Program Administrator, Events Coordinator, etc.) will support scheduling, planning, publicity/information and AIG-related purchasing. There will also be consulting support from the Engineering Residential Community Faculty Director, the CEAS Associate Dean for Education and the ERC Managing Director.
AIGs should last at least one academic year, but the model will best function with a mixture of AIGs designed for one and multiple years. Your proposal should indicate how long you think your AIG should last.
We desire to support groups in such a way that they have the maximal opportunity to succeed. Assessment of AIGs will be part of such support. Like all design processes, we understand that assessment and reconfiguration are part of the path to success.听If AIGs prove to be as valuable as hoped, there is the possibility of seeking more budget to offer more AIGs. As part of our cultivation of a culture of resiliency and persistence, we desire students to be successful because, amongst other good habits, they fail better than anyone else on campus.听In this spirit, we want AIGs to be innovative and risk-taking.
Any faculty member who wants the space, structure and opportunity to impact students outside of the classroom. The ideal AIG leader is someone who cares about students and wants to invest in them in a smaller, more-focused and non-graded context.
There will be an information session about AIGs on Wednesday, Feb. 1, from听3:30 鈥� 4:30 p.m. in the Clark Conference Room (ECAD 109). After this workshop, there will be a clear proposal process. If you cannot attend this meeting or have other questions, please email Rhonda Hoenigman听or Scot Douglass.听
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