SCOPE Sponsorship
Typical Timeline for SCOPE Project Development
Nov-Apr
Engage in project proposal discussions for next year
Feb-Jun
Project outline finalized and LOU signed
Aug-Sep
Project teams formed; Kickoff new academic year
Sponsors benefit from:
Innovative and unexpected solutions to real-world, real-time problems from a talented team of creative young engineers with strong engineering and design skills.
Preferred recruitment opportunities.
Student teams’ access to technical expertise of faculty advisors and subject matter experts.
Strong program structure to support each team’s work, including project management training, reporting and feedback loops, access to Olin’s state-of-the-art facilities, and a dedicated, professionally equipped workspace.
Confidentiality agreements to protect sensitive interests.
Sponsor ownership of all intellectual property developed.
SCOPE Policy of Confidentiality
The relationship between the student team and the liaison is meant to be similar to that of a “real-world” engineering team consulting to a client.
The primary purpose of SCOPE is to provide a powerful educational experience to Olin engineering students, with an important secondary goal of providing value to the SCOPE Sponsor.
It is important that the sponsors, students and faculty come to an understanding about specific confidentialities at the outset of project work. This should be discussed at SCOPE Kick-Off Day, which represents the first meeting between the team and the Sponsor at the beginning of the program in September.
Sponsors should be aware of several components of the SCOPE program:
The sponsor liaison attends SCOPE Kick-Off Day (a Wednesday in early September) to meet the team, discuss the project, set a communication schedule, and provide the critical background information needed by the students to develop a project plan and begin work. We welcome any others from the sponsoring organization to join us for this important meeting.
Throughout the academic year, SCOPE project teams participate in design reviews, describing the progress of their work and requesting feedback. These sessions are attended by other SCOPE students that have been paired for the academic year, as well as several faculty members and sometimes a Subject Matter Expert (SME) with industry experience. These individuals will be required to sign confidentiality agreements if they are in place for the project.
In most cases, the SCOPE team visits their sponsor’s facility during the course of the program. The sponsorship fee includes one full-day visit (with one or two overnights for long-distance visits as approved by the SCOPE Director); if the sponsor requests longer or more frequent visits, these will be paid for by the sponsor.
At the end of the academic year, each team presents its results on SCOPE Summit Day, an open-house celebration of student work. These presentations are open to the public. Sponsors will have an opportunity to approve the material included in the presentations and posters for SCOPE Summit.
As a center of learning, Olin College must bear in mind that the educational value of the SCOPE experience is paramount. This need not be inconsistent with a reasonable policy of confidentiality. Indeed, the educational value of the SCOPE experience is enhanced by the overtones of confidentiality because all professional practice requires judgment in dealing with customer confidences. SCOPE can provide a safe and supportive climate for teaching students how to make these judgments. The faculty can extend these student opportunities to include developing professional attitudes on the rights of the respective parties.
SCOPE Sponsors agree to:
- Work with the SCOPE program to develop and generate a Project Statement for a suitable project.
- Appoint a liaison to coordinate with the SCOPE team. This individual should plan to be available for a scheduled weekly call with the student team, and occasional “emergency” calls.
- Provide specialized technical consultation, guidance, equipment and materials as needed to support the project.
- Provide a sponsorship amount of $60,000 to Olin College.
Olin College’s support of the SCOPE team includes:
- Each team is provided with a dedicated workspace and access to Olin facilities, shops, and technical experts.
- Each team is appointed a faculty advisor, who meets weekly with the team to offer guidance and identify any potential problems.
- In addition to the faculty advisor, each team is supported by a complement of subject matter experts (SMEs) who have a base of knowledge that is helpful for the team’s project. The SME group is made up of other faculty, students, and occasionally an industry volunteer. Each SCOPE team presents project reviews throughout the academic year, which are an opportunity to provide status updates on technical work, request advice on areas of difficulty, and outline next steps, as well as hone presentation skills. SMEs attend the project reviews to offer advice, identify potential trouble spots, and provide feedback.