What people choose to put on public display can say a lot about the individual. As I am an engineering major I decided to go to the engineering building to learn more about my professors by examining what they had posted on their doors. Most professors had very little on their doors. None of them had comics and if something was posted on their door it was usually regarding office hours. This could represent that perhaps the engineering faculty is less open about their personal lives. It is also possible that they are trying to convey a certain level of professionalism to their students. However it is also likely that it could simply be policy or customary to not place decorations or comics on their office doors.
Since looking at the professors doors may have been somewhat inconclusive I decided to look at the various bulletin boards throughout the halls in the engineering building. I specifically looked through the mechanical and the electrical engineering hallways. These boards are open to the public to post to. While it may be hard to determine who posted what, these boards still reveal information regarding the engineering culture at CSU which is a reflection of the professors in charge.
A vast majority of what was posted had to do with study groups. It is likely that a lot of these posting were made by students and student organization. This shows that the engineering culture at CSU understands that the coursework can be challenging and is supportive of other students. There were a variety of postings, some serious and some a little more comical. Whether they referenced a funny quote, star wars or simply gave information on a study group they all left an impression that help would be given if it was asked for.
A great deal of other posters had to do with various clubs and projects that occur through the department of engineering. Both the electrical and mechanical engineering departments had up pictures of different projects (primarily senior design projects). Various other honors groups or engineering clubs also advertised themselves on the walls throughout the engineering hallways. This demonstrates how the college of engineering encourages students to get involved in a engineering club or activity. This probably allows for more hands on learning which ultimately enriches the students learning experience.
On poster that I found was interesting a poster for Beta Night Club in Denver. I found that this poster was in almost every hall that I went into. Perhaps the college of engineering is attempting to make engineers more social as well!
These public boards make it hard to determine who is responsible for posting what content. However I think that these few observations can be used to draw some conclusions about the engineering culture as a whole. It appears that engineers are ready to help each other academically and enjoy getting involved in extracurricular clubs but they still no how to go out and have a good night every now and them.
Summary pg 123-127
The open letter to the Chancellor of UC Davis is an interesting read that deals with the police brutality that occurred on the UC Davis campus when students were protesting the increase in tuition and various other issues. The author of this letter Is Nathan Brown who is a professor at UC Davis. I think that this is important because it shows that even the faculty at UC Davis are upset by this issue. It is also important to note that Mr. Brown does not hold the police as responsible for the incident as he holds the chancellor. Mr. Brown even goes far as to say that the chancellor is the "Primary threat to the safety of students at UC Davis" (p127). While this open letter is very important it is important to note that this is a short letter that does not fully disclose all of the events that occurred that day making it hard to come up with a fair un-biased opinion on the event and the letter.
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