September
September
Team Forming
Team Forming
Announcements will also be made in the 2023-24 Program bCourses.
Week of September 5: All teams matched and students should meet to launch projects.
Week of September 18: 270C Teaming & Project Management starts. Students work on Project Canvas Workbook collaboratively outside of class.
Sept 25: Designate a Point-of-Contact (POC) on Project Canvas
Sept 28 @ Noon-1pm: On a industry-advised team? Join Jennifer Mangold for Zoom Office Hours #1. RSVP required >>
Looking for campus resources (i.e. Software Packages & Trainings)? VISIT RESOURCES.
The nature of advising meetings differs based on the project.
Some capstones may start-off with a learning curve: e.g., doing background reading; analyzing existing project documentation; developing necessary technical skills, etc.
Other projects will have you plunge right into the work: e.g., defining the problem; identifying stakeholders and resources; defining objectives and major tasks, etc.
Typically, students meet with their advisors once a week. If you're on an academic project that's primarily advised by a postdoctoral researcher or a PhD candidate, you need to meet with your faculty advisor / principle investigator once a month, or on as needed basis.
Keep track of all your capstone work in the shared drive Project Working Folder. Details to be shared through student's berkeley email.
1. Introductions - 10 min
Have each person: (i) share their name and pronoun; (ii) what excites you about the project; (iii) professional goals.
2. On-boarding - 20 min
Do you need to complete paperwork (e.g., NDAs) for your project advisor(s)?
Do you need resources to get started working on the project (e.g., access to AWS/machine shop, etc)?
Is there existing project documentation (e.g., final reports from previous teams)?
What are your preferred collaboration tools (e.g., Slack)?
Teams are expected to meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with all team members and project advisor(s). Ask your project advisor(s) what works with their schedule.
3. Set goals for next week - 10 min
Some capstones may start-off with a learning curve: e.g., doing background reading; analyzing existing project documentation; developing necessary technical skills, etc.
Other projects will have you plunge right into the work: e.g., defining the problem; identifying stakeholders and resources; defining objectives and major tasks, etc.
1. Set a regular meeting time - 10 min
Use bCal to schedule your weekly advising meeting.
If you're working with a postdoctoral researcher or a PhD candidate, you need to meet with the faculty advisor once a month. Schedule these meetings as soon as possible.
2. Share the date for your next capstone integration deliverable - 5 min
In the fall, your capstone integration deliverables will be graded as a part of E270C: Teaming and Project Management.
Your Project Canvas, deliverable #1 is due Oct. 24.
1. Introductions (10 min)
Continue learning more about each other.
Discuss your professional goals in depth.
What roles will you be applying to?
What are the skills that these roles will likely require?
What skills do you already have?
How will this project help you to develop new skills?
2. Scheduling (5 min)
Set a regular meeting time.
Share your bCals.
Make sure that your bCals are up to date.
3. Review the following sections of the handbook (10 min)
4. Discuss / work on whatever action items you set during your first advising meeting
Team Building (10 min)
Other ideas: Grab lunch together, try an outdoor activity, etc.
2. Discuss best practices for running meetings (10 min)
Check out these resources:
3. Setup your Collaboration & Project Management Tools (20 min):
Collaboration tools support teams to accomplish a common goal or objective. They can be either digital (slack, email, jam board, miro) or non-digital (paper, post-it notes, whiteboards).
Share your experience: What collaboration tools have you used in the past? What did you like about them? What didn’t you like?
Our Advice: Avoid using messaging apps and email. Use a platform like Slack (free version): it will keep all of your project communication transparent and easily accessible.
Project Management tools support the progression of a project and may include task or to-do lists to track productivity and next steps, workflow to track progress through stages of the project.
Share your experience: What project management have you used in the past? What did you like about them? What didn’t you like?
4. If applicable, discuss resources on best practices for online collaboration (10 min)
Resource: Using Zoom During Capstone Team Meetings.
1. Team Building (10 min)
Starting meetings with an icebreaker will lighten the mood and allow your team to get closer. Social connectivity is important for mental health, and it will be nice to become friends with each other!
2. Discuss your roles (10 min)
We have found that the following are roles typically found on high-functioning capstone teams:
Team Leader: (a) initiates actions necessary to achieve project objectives; (b) regularly checks-in, motivates, and coaches teammates; (c) takes the lead on setting meeting agendas (in consultation with the project manager).
Project Manager: (a) uses a project management tool in order to manage team’s progress; (b) regularly updates the team as to its progress; when there’s a need, modifies the project plan; (c) advises the team leader on setting meeting agendas.
Point-of-Contact: (a) coordinates capstone check-in meetings with Fung Institute staff (Jennifer Mangold and Claire Trias), GSIs, and instructors; (b) leads scheduling and logistics efforts for Spring semester capstone integration classes; (c) ensures that everyone on the team understands platforms used to manage capstone projects.
3. Discuss Team Norms (10-45 min)
Option 1: Use “Norms of Engagement” play from Atlassian to codify your team’s values.
Option 2: Share your best and worst teaming experience. What team norms and behaviors contributed to your past teams’ success? Based on your conversation, delineate your capstone team’s norms.
Option 3: Discuss the following questions: How will you ensure equal participation during a meeting? How will you ensure that work is distributed fairly? How will you make decisions (e.g., consensus, voting, authority)? What happens if people have differing opinions on the quality of work? Take a look at the Forbes’ list of 4 “Not-So-Basic Team Norms.”
4. Set a Monthly Social Date (20 min)
Even though your group may be meeting frequently, it is important to have time dedicated to getting to know each other personally. This has been shown to reduce conflict and enhance overall team satisfaction and productivity.
First, decide on a day and time. The social should be at least an hour long. Decide what to do. There are many things your group can do for the social. Some examples: have lunch together on zoom; work out together; take leads teaching each other new skills (e.g., cooking); play a card or board game!
Each team needs to have a point-of-contact and written down in the Project Canvas. Their primary role is to coordinate meetings and logistics with Fung staff (Claire Trias, Jennifer Mangold, Kelli Cline).
What is Project Canvas? This is a collaborative visual tool that teams will work on throughout the academic year for communication and project overview purposes in required core leadership courses ENGIN 270C Teaming & Project Management (fall) & ENGIN 270K Coaching for High Performing Teams (spring). This should be saved in your Project Working Folder.
We are excited that the capstone projects have launched and hopefully you are getting settled into your classes as well. In the past, students were required to meet with me (Jennifer) if you were on a capstone project with an outside organization/industry advisor. To create more community and learning across the teams, this year I'm hosting office hours/webinars. To kick this off I've schedule two office hours/webinar sessions in September and October for all capstone teams that are industry advised.
Required for all Industry Advised Teams: Register for one of the office hour/webinars that I will be hosting in September and October.
RSVP to receive Zoom link: Capstone Industry Advised Office Hours #1
Note: If you're unable to join the September office hours, please attend the October 3 office hours. See October timeline.
In August, students used DocuSign to Acknowledge MEng IP Policy as part of the New Student Onboarding Forms packet. Please note that this document is for the university; it is not an NDA or an IP agreement.
Capstone advisors may ask you to sign additional documentation. If applicable, sign NDA/IP agreements provided by your advisor.
If you have any questions about IP documentation, please reach out to Laleh Shayesteh <lalehs@berkeley.edu>
As MEng students, you're eligible for a variety of software packages you may find helpful for capstone projects.
You also have access to in-person trainings, and online resources all of which may provide value for your projects.