Course Description: This course serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas from a variety of technology disciplines as students work on real-world problems facing local industry. Students will be introduced to an industry challenge through reading, lectures, and site visits and will be directed toward technical and other resources, and then will create potential solutions. Participants will be required to prepare technical memos outlining their solution and will be required to present their work to representatives of the industry involved.

Text: Readings will be announced.

Email: Each student in this course must have and use an email account. We will use email for communication of course content, activities, and findings.

You may find this course to be quite different from others you have taken. The Monday class meetings will be an opportunity for us to share information and schedule activities. There will be little or no lecture. I reserve the right to assign homework and give tests, but none are scheduled as of now. You will write memos and reports and give presentations on your work, and your course grade will be based on the quality of that work and on how well you communicate it (much like in the workplace). You will evaluate your own work and the work of teammates.

Application of written and oral communication skills will be vital to student success in this course. Students will need to research potential solutions on their own (in teams). Computers will be used for calculation and design, as well as for word processing and presentation. The course is intended to facilitate the transition from the community college to the workplace or to further education. It is expected to strengthen the sense of community and reinforce technical, communication, and teamwork skills.

Course objectives: Upon completion of the Technology Interdisciplinary Capstone, students will be able to:

Important information about academic integrity: Everything you submit should be your own work and your own words. You should feel free to use information and ideas from any book, article, website, and so forth (and you may quote from these word for word if you must mark all quotations with quotation marks and clearly indicate the source of all words, ideas and information which are not your own). In many cases you will be encouraged or even required to work with other students. What you submit in those cases should acknowledge the contribution of others.

You will not be given credit for work that is not your own. In the case of willful or repeated violations, students may be subject to disciplinary action.

Note on disabilities: If you have a hidden or visible disability that requires classroom or test-taking modifications, the College will make reasonable accommodations. If you have not already done so, you may wish to see Chris Scarborough, Learning Specialist, in the Student Services. His number is 892-5751. To receive accommodations, you must inform the College of your disability and provide documentation as necessary. Three Rivers and I are committed to helping all students succeed. Please feel free to discuss any aspect of this course with me.

Revised 1/26/2009