MEMO

Grand Valley State University

DATE: 28 July, 1998

TO: Seniors on last co-op semester

FROM: Dr. Fleischmann, Faculty Co-op Coordinator

SUBJECT: Academic requirements of the last co-op

Welcome to your senior year and your last co-op assignment! By now you are familiar with the routine of keeping journals with at least weekly entries, reading an assigned book, and providing some written material to us. We (the Faculty) have spent some time researching possibilities for that last book. Since this is your last co-op semester and also your senior year, we have been searching for a book that will "add a little polish" to your preparation for a career in engineering. This year we have decided to do something entirely different and concentrate on ethics. This time you will have a choice of one of the 6 following novels written by Michael Crichton: Jurassic Park, Lost World (sequel to Jurassic Park), The Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, Congo, or Airframe. In each novel Crichton addresses some issue related to science and/or engineering. The first 4 novels address mainly an ethical issue in interaction with social issues. The last 2 novels address technical issues but more "technology in interaction with society" issues as well as ethical issues. In your report identify the central issue and possible related issues if you see more than one. State the issue and show how he develops it in the story line. Discuss what conclusions you are drawn to, and also make connections from the issues you identify to engineering practice. ( i.e. how could this issue affect you as a practicing engineer.) If you can find it, also comment on what Mr. Crichton seems to be saying about our society as it interacts with the technical community. You should be able to write at least 3 pages on this; make the book report 3 to 15 pages. If you choose Jurassic Park, Lost World, or Congo - the movie does not count, however you may want to compare the movie to the book. In Jurassic Park I found the movie to totally miss the ethical point of the book and certain details were entirely different. (I didn’t see Congo or Lost World.) What does this say about the value of entertainment in our society? All 6 books are available in popular bookstores so I did not special order them. You may even want to read all 6 and just pick one to report on!!!?? I have read ( and immensely enjoyed) all 6 books so I will probably handle most of the book report grading. I look forward to your serious review.

The evening meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec 1 at 5:30 in the evening in the projects lab.(EC 616) In summary, the academic requirements for co-op this year are:

a.) The journal with at least weekly entries

b.) Reading the assigned book and writing your analysis as discussed above

c.) Attendance at the end of semester meeting which is set on Tuesday, Dec. 1

at 5:30 in the evening, in the projects lab

THE DUE DATE FOR WRITTEN MATERIALS IS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11. This will give us enough time to evaluate your materials for the grade.

Things are busy here right now, so I do not have the faculty assignment list. The faculty member who completes your site visit and reviews your journal is your resource for advice and guidance - should you need it. That faculty member may or may not be your faculty advisor....these are two different systems of advice/guidance and you should feel free to use both. As always, your assigned faculty member for this co-op term will read your journal and do the site visit. If the other faculty members have not read the book which you choose to review, I will grade your book report.

I hope that this will be an exciting and interesting semester for each of you - a semester filled with positive learning experiences. As usual we do also recommend reading widely. Try some non-technical material as well as technical. Also try to take in a cultural event or two and keep up in current events. ( I am still reading Steven Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People and I highly recommend it ...Two co-op employers and Dean Kindschi recommended it to me- also Max DePree’s Leadership is an Art, Leadership Jazz, and Leading without Power...) I am also reading and enjoying the Redwall Series of books by Brian Jacques...and I have taken up a new hobby - stained glass. I would like to encourage you to build your connections in the arts wherever you can. Certainly try to cultivate a few areas in which you can claim success other than engineering. It is not only important to you as it makes you a balanced and "well rounded" person, it is also important as a fallback if and when things do not go well in your career. Setbacks and deadends are actually fairly common among engineers and this resiliency will help you to bounce back and to learn from your experiences...and ultimately make you a better engineer.

**Reminder** This is not too early to start thinking about senior project. If something comes up at work that might be a candidate, make a note of it and possibly even bring it to our attention and your employer’s attention.