Technical

These “associate” Technical Directors will acknowledge that time and support will be required, as determined by the Technical Director; this could be significant depending on the importance of the project and the phase of the project.

The role of the Technical Director is extremely important in the learning process of our students and the success of the sponsored project. In order to help the his/her team achieve success, the Technical Director needs to:
• Mentor the team throughout the project, so that students can get a corporate experience.
• Mentor the students with new technology used in their company.
• Guide the team to meet benchmarks.
• Foster teamwork.
• Foster high quality communication and professionalism.
Expectations of the Technical Director
As a Technical Director, you can expect to spend an average of 3-5 hours per week working with your team and also for other support/emails to reports submitted by the team. This does vary, depending on the scope of the project and the number of students in the team, which can vary between 2 and 4 members. Fridays, 2-5pm, is dedicated capstone project time for the teams to work with their Technical Directors, either on campus or at the company facility. Depending on the availability of the team members, other mutually convenient times during the week, can be arranged. Have in mind that each phase of a project may require more or less supervision than another; more will be required during October and November, at the start of the project. .
Some of the tasks expected are listed below: .
•Provide a clear description of the project, with expectations, goals and Best Outcome for the team. See example of the Hayward Pool Products’ “Smart Water Feature Valve which regulated water flow via sensing and remote controls.” Go to “Current Academic Year projects”; it is the 3rd project on the list. .
•Present a 15-minute overview to all students on the 2nd Friday after the Fall Semester starts in early September. Students will contact the Technical Director to set up a kick-off meeting soon after the teams have been formed by the Program Director. They will also provide their resume and “passion statement.” This will occur on the 3rd Friday. This is an important meeting as it is the first opportunity for the team to gather information about the project background, requirements, and functional specifications. The Technical Director should be ready to provide the team with the project goals and initial requirements and define expectations. Work with the team to negotiate and approve a final project specification. .
•Hold regular team meetings
During the course of the project, the Technical Director will meet regularly with the team. Weekly meetings, on Friday afternoon or other times, are required so that the project time lines are met. During these meetings provide students with feedback, suggestions for improvement, and help them manage schedule, budget, etc. Experience has shown that meetings with the team on an as-needed basis, or waiting on the team to initiate meetings, are NOT good strategies. .
•Regularly check the progress of the project
The Technical Director should monitor the progress of the project. Weekly Progress Reports (WPRs) are submitted by the team every Sunday evening, starting in October of the Fall Semester. Feedback on these reports on Monday, is extremely important.
•Maintain open communication with the Capstone Design Program Director.
The Capstone Design Program Director is the primary point of contact to address any issue related to the project. Maintaining open lines of communication throughout the project establishes a good foundation for a successful project outcome. Keep him informed about any major change in the project or any problem with the team. .
•Provide guidance while writing reports and preparing oral presentations
Written and oral communications are emphasized in this course. As part of the course deliverables, the team must submit 2 major Progress Reports each semester and give one final oral presentation, that is graded by the Program Director. The team is required to make a practice presentation to the Technical Director and others within the company. This is for possible improvement, and also to make sure that no material violates the Non-Disclosure Agreement, previously signed by the team members.
•Develop an effective team.
The Technical Director should engage students to work effectively as a team by encouraging them to share their work in a manner that takes advantage of individual strengths, skills, and interests. Sometimes teams need help managing their schedule and workload.
•Participate in assessments.
Technical Directors will be asked to provide scores regarding the team performance and the written Report, as well as the Individual Technical Contributions, of each team member. Other parameters will include: team participation, on-time attendance, project leadership, enthusiasm during team discussions, questions asked, hours worked during the reporting period, etc. A general assessment of the capstone program will be collected through a survey at the end of the year.