1. Keeping master's students involved in translation project after graduation (for those who don't go on to PhD)
1.1. What about a post-master's fellowship? Pay rate could be similar to RA, but much less than research engineer position.
1.1.1. Good idea, but is it possible?
2. Facilities and Staff
2.1. 1. Faculty too spread out/Need for optimal office space
2.1.1. Need office space that promotes collaboration/conversation
2.2. 2. Lab space (Rusty Hut) suboptimal
2.2.1. Idea for replacement: Create CFI funded Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics. Also change to Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (dual degree).
2.2.2. Lower Mall Research Centre available?
2.2.3. Need more space for new hires
2.2.4. Can we envision spaces to support research clusters?
2.3. 3. Classroom space
2.3.1. Need classrooms for 160
2.3.1.1. Need classrooms that are set up for team-based learning, active learning, etc. (e.g. movable tables and chairs rather than tiered lecture hall).
2.3.2. Computer labs unnecessary
2.3.2.1. Develop a culture of everyone having a laptop?
2.3.2.1.1. Would need to make it a requirement for the program
2.3.2.1.2. Need substantial numbers of power outlets in students spaces/classrooms (not currently the case)
2.3.3. Need dedicated Mech 2 Space
2.3.3.1. Related to cohort size/dividing into two sections, etc.
2.4. Need for business development person
2.4.1. Coordinating industry engagement
2.4.2. Grant development and writing
2.4.2.1. Look at CFRI model for successful grants development office?
2.4.3. Would likely need to be a mid-career person
2.4.4. Chris McK says he's never been in an organization >25 that didn't have one
2.5. Get our space requests on university lists
2.5.1. Jen is working on this
2.5.2. Potential for joining the BEE building (BEME?)
2.5.3. Raise $30M
2.5.3.1. Hire business development person
2.6. Too few technicians? (important)
2.6.1. Proposal to add instrumentation technician
2.6.1.1. Hong leading this proposal
2.6.2. Do we have data re: typical ratios elsewhere?
2.6.3. Is there a need for more technicians to support research?
2.6.3.1. How do we monitor this?
2.6.4. Invest in automated system for students checking out equipment? (Reduce technician time/load)
2.6.5. Stores person for students (UG and grad) to get parts? - reduces technician time
2.6.5.1. APSC level?
2.6.5.2. UBCCard-based, or separate card (speed chart code) for grad students for parts payment
2.6.6. Teaching support machinist - reduces load on other machinists (teaching, tools, equipment, etc. for student shop) - priority for shop
2.6.7. More professional research staff? (Continuity, takes care of lower level grad student needs (otherwise going to technicians))
2.7. Use of funds invested in CHBE mortgage
2.7.1. Should this money be designated for a particular purpose?
2.8. Potential of situating program at Granville Island - NAME? Industrial Design?
2.8.1. Other unorthodox possibilities - Chris noted that 1000' ship available for $2M.
2.9. Active lobbying for facilities needs (Dean, Provost, President)
2.10. Need flexible work space for students (work benches, meeting space, whiteboard development space, etc.)
2.11. Machine shop is small, does not meet codes
2.11.1. Student shop facility that is separate from support machining shop (move support shop and expand student shop)
2.11.1.1. Rusty Hut replacement?
2.11.2. Machine shop size is limiting factor in enrollment growth. Suggest to double student shop size...which means staff size too.
2.12. Undergraduate equipment (instrumentation equipment, etc.)
2.13. IT support?
3. Teaching
3.1. 1. Grad course offerings
3.1.1. What kind of course training do we want our graduate students to get?
3.1.1.1. Manufacturing
3.1.1.1.1. FEA
3.1.1.1.2. Controls
3.1.1.1.3. Linear Vibrations
3.1.1.2. Fluid Mechanics
3.1.1.3. Thermodynamics
3.1.1.4. Heat Transfer
3.1.1.5. Dynamics / Advanced Kinematics
3.1.1.6. Linear Elasticity
3.1.1.7. Mathematical Methods
3.1.1.8. Experimental Methods
3.1.2. How many graduate courses should we be offering, which ones, and how often?
3.1.2.1. Some can be cross-listed as 4th year electives to increase enrolment
3.1.2.2. Can we collaborate across departments? Eg, with CIVL, ECE, MTRL
3.1.3. How can we design grad courses to continue across sabbaticals? Team teaching?
3.1.3.1. On the other hand, if every grad course can be taught by at least two faculty, we're either redundant or not teaching courses that are as specialized as we could be.
3.1.4. Should we reduce the course requirements of our graduate program?
3.2. 2. Undergrad cohort size
3.2.1. What is the ideal size for our undergraduate program?
3.2.1.1. Where is the data to show the demand for more MECHs (Engineers Canada, others...)
3.2.1.2. Where do our undergrads go after graduation?
3.2.1.2.1. Are they prepared for industry?
3.2.1.3. Is there evidence that 'receptor organizations' need more engineers?
3.2.2. How can we accommodate more students in our shop / labs?
3.2.2.1. Teaching in the summer?
3.2.3. What are the bottlenecks to cohort growth? (shop space, lab space, admin support, classrooms, faculty load,...)
3.2.3.1. Machining at BCIT for some?
3.2.4. How does this influence our reputation (and reputation-based ranking)?
3.2.5. Separate mechatronic degree? (Separate 2nd year stream - 260/280/etc. Reduce strain on Mech 2) Computational applied mechanics?
3.2.5.1. Are the options we have the ones we should have?
3.2.5.2. Two streams didn't work in ECE (?)
3.2.5.3. Honours mech? (Appealing to students interested in Eng Phys)
3.2.6. Mech 2 - how important to students (if they did a different stream)? Could we use aspects? Could we have them intersect? Could we start at a different time (two cohorts, out of phase)?
3.2.6.1. 220 mornings, 221 afternoons (and the opposite for another cohort)
3.2.6.2. Summer after first year, require mechatronics option students to start Mech 2 early?
3.2.7. Drawing from the top of the first year cohort currently - we may end up going down the list for general mech. Or, may attract IGEN, ENPH with mechatronics.
3.3. 3. Length of PhD program
3.3.1. What's the appropriate length for a PhD program?
3.3.1.1. How long do students take now?
3.3.2. Should we consider trying to shorten PhD and incorporate a short postdoc?
3.4. 4. Possibility of increasing number of international students
3.5. 5. Place of MEx programs
3.5.1. Should we offer MEng programs? Who do they serve?
3.5.2. Yes, MEng programs all students to get specialized technical skills, brings money to the department to cross-subsidize graduate courses, and brings more students through our programs - some of which are very good. The programs should be technical in nature to be consistent with PhD and MASc course needs.
3.6. Internationalization of undergrad/grad experience
3.7. Teaching commitment - current 3 courses/yr, 5-6/yr for Ed Leadership track (ECE is moving to 2.5)
3.7.1. Can we eliminate some of our smaller courses?
3.7.2. Can we rely more on industry mentors in MECH 45X?
3.7.3. More TA support? More admin support? (Reduce work hours per course?)
3.7.4. How do we spend our time for teaching?
3.7.5. Eliminate similar/related courses? (e.g. multiple fuel cell courses)
3.7.6. Can we get data on how science and others have managed to get to 2 courses per faculty
3.7.7. Grad student requirement to teach in other departments (Science)?
3.7.8. How important is it to have tenured/tenure-track faculty teaching our core courses?
3.8. Evidence shows lecturing is not a effective mode of teaching, yet we do not have time to "get out of this rut"... how do we address this with our limited time?
3.9. Master of Engineering Science concept
3.9.1. Proposed by Elizabeth
3.9.2. MEL level of tuition
3.9.3. Focused on mathematics-heavy disciplines
3.9.4. How could we make this attractive compared to an MASc?
3.10. Recruitment
3.10.1. How can we encourage better applicants?
3.10.1.1. How good are our current applicants?
3.10.1.1.1. 136 PhD applicants in 2011 -> 77 in 2015
3.10.1.1.2. 15-30 offers; 11-15 acceptances, though often not the very best applicants
3.10.1.2. How do they compare to the applicant pool at our comparator institutions?
3.10.2. How can we identify the best applicants?
3.10.2.1. Can we get some initial data/metrics/opinion from the grad secretary (she's the first one to see the files)?
3.10.3. How can we successfully recruit the best applicants?
3.10.3.1. How many accepted applicants do we lose? Why?
3.10.3.2. How do we know what recruitment activities are likely to pay the best dividends?
3.10.3.2.1. Different approaches needed for domestic vs international
3.10.3.2.2. Peter Cripton leading this initiative
3.11. Grad stipend
3.11.1. How can we offer students a competitive stipend that covers cost of living?
3.11.1.1. What are other universities offering?
3.11.1.2. What are some potential sources of additional stipend funding?
3.11.2. Could GSI money be used to supplement graduate stipend instead of being used for entrance scholarships?
3.12. Grad housing
3.13. Qualifying exams
3.13.1. Do our current qualifying exams work well?
3.13.2. What to do with students who fail?
3.13.2.1. Possibility of a Certificate in Graduate Studies to recognize course work prior to failing?
3.14. Opportunities for teaching stream faculty to engage in education leadership
3.14.1. How to free time for these new expectations?
3.14.2. How to provide support for networking/dissemination/research activities
3.14.3. How to provide personnel (trainees) to support projects?
3.14.3.1. Chair in Design Engineering (future)
3.14.3.2. Undergrad/MEng students?
3.14.3.3. Partnership with education re: grad students?
3.14.4. Lobby for UBC/National funding for Eng/STEM education research?
3.15. Opportunity to cross-hire with MATH
3.15.1. MATH has lots of profs but few students because of service offerings
4. Hiring
4.1. -1. self-assessment of the department: who / where are we? "What is the mechanical engineer of the future (e.g., 20 years)"
4.2. 0. defining a goal: who / where do we want to be?
4.3. 1. We should explicitly write out our hiring policy! - "happiness chart"
4.4. 2. Fundamental basis for hiring?
4.5. 3. Breadth of ads?
4.6. 4. Pushing for CRC positions
4.7. Hiring plans
4.7.1. Optics/Precision manufacturing
4.7.2. Design/Industrial Design
4.7.3. ASME Report: Energy, BME, Nanotech
4.8. Balance between research and teaching stream faculty
4.9. Handling applicants from under-represented groups
4.9.1. Consider diversity in all forms
4.9.2. Should we resurrect/continue our Rising Stars visiting lectureship program?
4.10. Considering cross-departmental hires
4.10.1. Opportunity re: Math & Computational Eng
4.10.2. to be encouraged but considered on a case by case basis
5. Research
5.1. Where our graduates go
5.2. 1. Role of/need for research clusters
5.2.1. What benefits would we get from clustering?
5.2.2. What grants would clustering let us pursue?
5.2.3. What clusters should we define?
5.2.3.1. Manufacturing/Mechatronics/MEMS/Nano
5.2.3.2. Forest Products/Processing
5.2.3.3. Clean Energy/Buildings
5.2.3.4. Biomedical Engineering
5.2.3.5. Transportation/Autonomous Vehicles
5.2.3.5.1. Who are the potential industrial partners?
5.2.3.5.2. Walter is leading a CFI in this area
5.2.3.5.3. Five existing teams in this area (Snowbots, Thunderbolts, Open Robotics, Sailbot, UAS
5.2.3.5.4. Possible focus for Seaspan 2 chair
5.2.3.5.5. Cleared for NCE proposal on transportation
5.2.3.6. Complex fluids
5.2.3.7. Computational mechanics
5.2.3.8. Others?
5.2.4. If we set up clusters, how can we remain open to emerging areas?
5.2.5. Clusters can allow non-academic lab-support project managers to be hired and increase lab productivity for HQP
5.2.5.1. Need to intervene at 3rd-year level to allow students to apply for NSERC fellowships
5.2.6. Clusters can help solve the issue of groups spread out across numerous buildings
5.2.7. What about faculty who don't fit into one of the clusters?
5.3. 2. Promoting undergrad participation in research
5.3.1. Should we consider a formal undergraduate research experience program (perhaps building on MECH 493)?
5.3.2. Can we encourage top students to take on NSERC USRAs earlier?
5.3.2.1. Do we know how many of our students take these on?
5.3.3. Can we get students doing research projects and participating in research seminars/research days no later than 3rd year?
5.3.4. Add a formal component to introducing undergrads to research
5.3.4.1. Use Course Review Meeting to identifying promising 3rd-year students.
5.4. 3. Course load for PhD, & GKE create a 1-yr delay to start their research.
5.4.1. GKE issue resolved now, and literature review replacement is at least research-oriented. The credits required is not that much, but when students take only 1 or 2 courses a term, the coursework expands to fill an entire term (at least for many students)
5.5. MECH's position/reputation within APSC
5.6. MECH's reputation nationally and internationally
5.7. Diversity of graduate student applicants
5.7.1. Can we recruit more students from Canada, USA, Europe, ANZA, Japan?
5.8. Participation in international scholarly activities
5.8.1. Need to enhance research conversations
5.8.2. Only a fraction of faculty currently chair conferences. How to incentivize this and grant reviews?
5.9. Need to enhance research culture
5.9.1. Should we have research area seminar series (with faculty member explicitly charged with organizing)?
5.10. Engagement with industry
5.10.1. What industries in BC, Canada or beyond might be good partners for MECH?
5.10.2. Can we figure out how to leverage grants like CRD to provide funding for additional professors (younger, new collaborators) other than the main person initiating the grant?
5.11. BC Science/Technology Chair opportunities
5.11.1. Could we collaborate with MTRL/CHBE on chairs?
5.12. Departmental investment (Gwynn)
5.12.1. What could we spend money on?
5.12.1.1. Lab space ($$$)
5.12.1.2. Office space ($$$)
5.12.1.3. Grant support ($$)
5.12.1.4. Seed grants ($$)
5.12.1.5. Increase startup packages for experimentalists ($$)
5.12.2. Recurring expenses
5.12.2.1. Travel grants
5.12.2.1.1. Support for large grant applications (teaching release) ($$)
5.12.2.2. PhD/PDF fellowships
5.12.2.3. Sessionals?
5.12.2.4. Support staff?
5.12.2.5. Technicians
5.12.2.6. More TA hours
5.12.2.7. Seminars
5.12.2.8. Graduate research symposium
5.12.2.8.1. Could we fund likely NSERC fellowship winners to come to our symposium as a recruiting tool? We once had a visiting grant we made available to NSERC winners.
5.13. Focus on collaborating with entrepreneurial-type design companies
5.14. PhD program length. How to reduce to entice more students to apply?
5.15. Funding from NSERC (1 yr MASc) and PhD is too short to support current usual length of a grad degree.
5.16. Stretch goal for MECH: a superstar grad student should be able to get a Phd post-BASc in 5 years.
5.16.1. Not really much of a stretch now; data on time to completion would be great to have
5.17. Departmental support for research: how to increase?
5.18. Faculty 'top-heavy' (low priority): largely reversed
5.18.1. Are there any foreseeable problems?
6. Tasks
6.1. Add issues
6.2. Prioritize issues
6.3. Add specific questions
6.3.1. What is our vision for this issue?
6.4. Identify data needed, suggest process to answer questions (working group, staff, etc)
7. Misc
7.1. Increase u-grad int'l enrolment (double it?) to raise funds for a new building and new facult
7.2. Partnership with UBC-O
7.3. Government engagement
7.4. Opportunities to generate money
7.4.1. Continuing ed / non-degree courses (Chris said he gets enquiries that he doesn't have time to respond to)