Goals

From OlinGCS

Current revision as of 05:59, 12 February 2010

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[edit] Introduction

Since the Grand Challenge Scholars Program is driven by a myriad of factors, a set of core learning goals is necessary to assess whether the program is accomplishing its founding mission. In this section we outline goals for the Grand Challenge Scholars Program at large, goals specific to Olin College as an academic institution, and finally the set of goals for Olin’s social and academic community.

[edit] The Grand Challenge Scholars Program will strive to inspire its participants and others to bring about positive societal change.

[edit] Inspired Program Participants

As is the case with all Grand Challenges, no single person or team will solve them. Thus, the motivation lies in understanding how small, yet useful contributions will undoubtedly lead us towards solutions that will transform lives.

All Grand Challenge Scholars, as members of a wide network of passionate learners and teachers working collectively towards finding solutions to the Grand Challenges will understand how critical their efforts are to the larger whole. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program seeks to produce agents for change, not simply intellectuals who understand the challenges and can apply them to their own work. Inspired participants will possess the motivation to understand and help solve the Grand Challenges.

[edit] Inspiring Others

The Grand Challenges need effective leaders that can operate in multi-disciplinary team environments. Olin’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program should make an immediate impact by looking beyond the college to engage alumni, industry, and other schools in order to grow and connect the community of people working on the Grand Challenges. Long term, the scholars themselves should be leaders who inspire their peers to make an impact on Grand Challenges.

[edit] Bringing About Positive Societal Change

At its roots the Grand Challenge Scholars Program is about improving the human condition and sharing the ability to effect this change to others. Through this Grand Challenge Scholars Program, Olin College and its community of learners must make tangible strides in achieving greater societal change.

[edit] All Grand Challenge Scholars will be prepared to take action based on their insights into the complexities of a Grand Challenge or Grand Challenge Area.

[edit] Prepared to Take Action

The Grand Challenge Scholars Program must expand the ability of its Grand Challenge Scholars to effect change through a variety of means, including but not limited to entrepreneurial thought and action, service learning, and a global perspective on issues of importance.

[edit] Understanding the Complexities of the Grand Challenges

The Grand Challenges are too large to be solved by a single person or team. It will take a global network of problem solvers, working across disciplines and cultures, to make a significant impact on these problems. It is critical that students understand how to approach such large problems and have the tools to immediately make a positive impact.

[edit] The larger Grand Challenge Scholars Program community will understand and value the broad societal implications of their collective work.

[edit] Understanding the Impact and Value of Ones Work

Community members should understand the significance of the Grand Challenges and the value of their contributions towards a solution. It is not sufficient for community members to make small contributions in isolation – they must understand how their work connects to a global effort and see how each small contribution makes a concrete impact.

[edit] Valuing Broader Implications

Olin’s Grand Challenge Scholarship Program seeks to influence industry and change engineering education. Participants in Olin College’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program should understand the importance of reaching out beyond Olin and take an active role in facilitating these interactions. The community of students, mentors, and schools should prioritize the broader societal impact they can make.

[edit] The Grand Challenge Scholars Program will complement Olin College’s institutional goals.

[edit] Strengthen Olin College’s core competencies

Olin College was founded with a set of core competencies to evaluate student progress (see image on right). The Grand Challenge Scholars Program is designed to support these competencies through the five curricular components and the way Olin’s program evaluates and shares student work. As the program evolves, it should strive to align its goals with the changing academic goals of the college.

[edit] Spread innovation in Engineering Education

Part of Olin College’s founding goal is to disseminate our innovations in engineering education. Since the Grand Challenge Scholars Program is based on changing engineering education and working with other schools, it should serve as a way to translate the alternative academic and cultural ideas that Olin College is creating and supporting in a medium that can be implemented in other institutions. Olin should take a leadership role in reaching out and connecting Grand Challenge Scholar schools across the nation to facilitate this community of sharing.

[edit] Strengthen Olin College’s internal and external network

In addition to benefitting students, the Grand Challenge Scholars Program at Olin will also serve to positively impact aspects of Olin’s academic and social community. This program will leverage alumni, professional contacts and peers at other schools to strengthen Olin’s network.

Stronger alumni presence will give students insight into the transition to graduate school and industry and provide the college with a longer-term feedback loop to continually improve Olin’s academic program. Alumni and professional contacts will experience academic enrichment by being closely involved with the active academic community. Peers at other schools will build meaningful connections between Olin students and aspiring scholars at other schools to widen their perspectives, complement their skill sets, and create a network comprised of individuals passionate about similar issues.