(521a) A New Approach to Professional Development of Students By Integrating Aiche Resources in Chemical Engineering Seminar Classes

Seminar classes are an integral part of chemical engineering education at Purdue University and they are taken as required one credit hour courses at sophomore, junior and senior level. Each level course helps students learn more about the chemical engineering profession and introduces them to areas of practice, career choices, professional ethics, safety and valuable skills as they prepare to enter the professional world.

While the traditional format of the seminar class, with lectures on relevant topics is preferred for the sophomore and junior level courses, a new approach to the senior level course was recently introduced to allow for tailored professional development for each student. The goal of the senior level seminar course is to help prepare students for the transition from being an undergraduate student to becoming a successful professional or graduate student. In the new format, the course is offered as individual study, with students taking ownership of their professional development by completing activities (in-person or online) and earning points towards a minimum/maximum threshold in four strategically chosen categories, to fulfil ABET requirements: (1) Career Readiness and Life-Long Learning, (2) Contemporary Issues in Chemical Engineering, (3) Engineering Ethics, and (4) Culture, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

With this new course format, the students have the flexibility to complete a variety of activities for credit, ranging from in-person events, seminars or workshops organized on- or off-campus, to watching relevant videos/recorded webinars, reading articles or books or meeting with mentors. The students are provided with list of resources in each category, and are encouraged to use the resources freely available through the AIChE Academy, including recorded conference sessions, Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE) and other online courses, articles, etc. Students are also encouraged to find other activities in line with their interests and complete them for credit after they are vetted by the instructor.

This presentation will describe in more detail the structure of the course, will present examples of activities completed for credit in each category and will review the feedback received from students on this new course approach.

The feedback received from students is highly positive; the new format allows for flexibility with the time when they complete activities, and the type of activity completed. The list of resources and the types of activities is reviewed regularly and expanded throughout the semester to provide more opportunities for professional development for enrolled students.