Transcript No Slide Title

Group Projects
Class of 2010
Logistics
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Information Sources
Group Project Guidelines
http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/services/student/index.html
Past Reports and Briefs
http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/research/group_projects.asp
Brief Template and Example
http://www.services/students/index.html
2nd year Presentations this Friday April 3rd, 3pm
Double Tree Resort
Your 2nd year Peers
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Administration
Group Project Committee (09-10)
•
•
•
•
•
Christina Tague, Group Project Chair
John Melack
Cathie Ramus
Jim Frew
Amy Burgard
 Staff Group Project Coordinator
 Your first point of contact for all matters related to group
projects
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Registration
You should be registered in 401A (Tague) for spr 09
If not, do this before end of week or you’ll need an
approval code
401B (fall 09) & 401C (win 10)
Multiple sections; register in the one with your
advisor
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Meetings
Meet at least once/week
Students are responsible for scheduling meetings and
securing meeting space (not advisors)
Bonsai Room & Visitor Center are designated group project
meeting spaces
Visitor Center available during business hours
Bonsai available at all hours
Students reserve rooms for group project meetings in
these spaces using Corp Time
Corp Time Scheduling Instructions (on services)
http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/services/student/StudentSchedulingofRooms
_000.htm
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Meetings (cont.)
Be good peers…
Check availability before scheduling
Never schedule on top of an existing reservation
Always remove reservations if you won’t be using the room
and remove it as soon as you know
Staff will not schedule group project meetings in other
rooms unless Bonsai and Visitor’s Center are booked or
it is a special stakeholder meeting (in this case send
email to scheduling@bren)
Please use scheduling@bren to reserve any rooms or
media (i.e. video projectors, conference phone etc) and
do so reasonably well in advance
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Money Matters
Each group gets $1,300 plus up to $200 for printing
Includes all costs including poster and briefs
Printing allocations made to individual group members
Can “buy” more printing
Appoint a financial manager (FM) by Thursday 4/9 and
inform Amy Burgard (aburgard@bren) via email (group
nickname, manager name and email)
Mike Best will arrange meetings with each manager
(perhaps groups of managers) and educate them about
financial matters
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
$$$
FMs should study information about finances in handbook
Get to know the Bren School’s Financial Staff
Connie Fourqurean (connie) = purchasing
Frank Soares (fsoares) = travel and payroll
Mike (mbest) = extramural and gift funds, proposals,
financial statements, questions, problems, training
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
External Funds
While obtaining additional funding may be desirable, we
generally don’t pick projects that can’t be done on the
base budget provided by the School or funding
promised by the client.
You are not encouraged to spend a lot of time trying to
raise funds at the expense of doing the project!
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Contracts/Grants
Contract/grant = money given to University for a specific
deliverable(s)
Proposal to funding organization is written (with Mike
Best’s coordination)
Must be faculty principle investigator (PI); PI ultimately
responsible
Proposal must have budget, budget justification, clearly
articulated deliverables, start and end date
Must be approved by the Office of Research before
submission (takes at least 1 week)
ONLY the Office or Research can accept contract and grant
money; you can’t do this on your own!
OVERHEAD RATE = 50%!!!!
i.e. $100 yields only $50 of real capital
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Gifts are Best!!!
Donor writes check to UC Regents stating that it is a gift
Can be no deliverables; no signed paperwork; can be
general stipulations… “to support research about alien
life on Mars”
All gifts coordinated by Jennifer Deacon (jennifer@bren)
Most federal agencies and many other public agencies can
not make gifts
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
The Golden Rule
If you want the gold, you have to speak
with Jennifer first
Do not under any circumstances, even if faculty tell you to,
talk to anyone about a giving a gift without first talking
with Jennifer Deacon!!!
Active fundraising by students without Jennifer’s guidance
is not appropriate
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Summer Internships
If internships promised, identify one group member to be
the summer internship coordinator (IC)
Decide EARLY who is going to do the internships
IC works with Dave Parker for help coordinating
internships
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Work Stations
One computer for each group in Commons (13 total)
Computer assignment map will be posted in
Services/Group Projects
Exception: Eco-Ent projects will be in BH 2027 until we
create more stations in Commons (although that
probably won’t be during your time here)
Obtain keys from Frank Soares
Move-in date = Monday, April 27th
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Computer Resources
Each group must appoint:
Web Manager (IM)
Data Manager (DM)
Inform Amy Burgard (aburgard@bren) by Thursday, 4/9
Compute staff will hold a mandatory training meeting for
DMs and IMs in the near future
Much to learn about computing related to group projects
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Website
Each group must create (by end of spring quarter) and
maintain a web site
At a minimum the following is required:
Names and email of all group members
Group email address
Names and email of advisor(s)
Final project proposal (completed at the end of spring)
All GP computers will have Adobe Suite installed
Website design workshop to be held in spring quarter
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Grading
Grades
Letter grade assigned for 401A by Tague
IP (In Progress) grade at end 401B
Letter grade assigned at end of 401C by
advisor
Letter grade replaces previous IP grade
B or better required
Separate grades
Often the whole group gets the same grade but this
is not required
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Evaluation Criteria
401A
Tague will outline in her class, Basic Course Outline is available
on Gaucho Space – make sure you have access to ESM 401A on
Gaucho Space (https://gauchospace.ucsb.edu/)
Log in using your University ID
401B & C
Understanding of relevant published literature
Critical perspective on quality and shortcomings of prior work
Understanding of both social and natural science dimensions of the
issues
Originality of analysis, problem formulation and scope of work
Relationships with outside advisors and stakeholders
Resourcefulness
Punctuality
Communication skills
Participation Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Peer Evaluations
Completed at end of each quarter
These are taken into account in assigning grades
If you don’t identify probs., they can’t be solved
S (09) submitted to Tague & faculty advisor
F (09) & W (10) submitted to faculty advisor and
GP Coordinator
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Faculty Evaluations
401A reviewed at the end of spring
GP Advisor Evaluations – Completed at end of
project
Extremely important that every group member
participates and provides thorough and
informative feedback
Why not end of spr & fall?
Past students recommended against this because
many uncomfortable doing so mid-project and when
it is difficult to be anonymous
Communicate serious mid-project advisor
issues to Amy, anonymously if need be
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Faculty Advisors
Monitor progress, provide technical assistance/expertise, and
evaluate project and assign grades
Project leadership/mgmt and quality of final products is YOUR
responsibility
NOT project managers, more like a consultant
Attend a regular meeting
Provide advice but generally reactive; you need to take initiative
No two advisors alike
Expect variability in engagement, expectations, responsiveness,
and feedback
May be quite hands off
All expect you to take charge
Turn around time needs vary but NEVER expect under 1 week
Schedule initial meeting with advisor NOW and explore how they
will interact with you
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
External Advisors
Groups are expected to obtain the counsel of outside advisors (at
least two) who may have interest in the projects, data, or
deliverables
You are responsible for identifying them, developing professional
relationships with them and maintaining professional contact
Outside advisory committee often includes another Bren faculty
member
Interact with them with absolutely the highest standards of
professionalism
Don’t have a meeting without an agenda
Prepare minutes
Send thank you notes
Meet deadlines and keep promises
Never share negativity
ACKNOWEDLEGE them frequently, privately and publicly (if they
welcome this)
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Structure of the Group
Democracy vs. efficient organization
This is a situation where democracy is overrated
Someone needs to be in charge or chaos will rule
Laura’s advice: designate a project manager!!!
Give manager authority to be the ultimate decisionmaker (not tyrant)
Rotate role?
Must designate a financial manager, data manager, and
web manager
May want to create other roles as well (get advice from
2nd years)
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Problems
Primary responsibility for problem solving lies with
students
Avoid complaining; propose solutions
It’s possible you’ll have slackers or pseudo-slackers
Involve advisor after thorough efforts by the group to
solve problems
If serious unresolvable problems (this is rare), go to Amy,
Christina and/or John; they will involve group project
committee if appropriate
Written documentation essential if administrative solution
ultimately required
PS There is an campus ombuds office:
http://www.ombuds.ucsb.edu/index.html
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Use of Human Subjects
MUST follow very strict procedures and may
need to obtain approval from the human
subjects committee if human subjects will be
used in research
This even applies to CONDUCTING SURVEYS!!!
It's potentially a very big deal not to be in
compliance
This will be covered in detail in 401A, and a
representative from UCSB Office of Research
will present on human subjects approval
process
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Deliverables
See Group Project Guidelines for Specific
Deadlines and Timelines
Deliverables will be covered in more detail in 401A
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Spring/Fall 2009
Spring 2009
 Draft and Final Project Proposal
 Other deliverables required by Tague
 Proposal Review Meeting
 Written proposal review summary
 Peer Evaluations
 Group website
Fall 2009
 Progress review meeting (mid-quarter presentation)
 Written Progress Report
 Peer Evaluations
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Winter 2009
Winter 2009
 Project Defense
 Final report
 Abstract and acknowledgements for presentation
program
 Brief - 4 page summary of highlights with
graphics
 Poster
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Public Presentation
Date TBA; Group projects officially end winter
quarter so it could be as early as the end of
finals week; likely the second week of spring
quarter
Will likely be in a different next year—hopefully at
Bren
Not the same as defense talk because different
audience
Don’t “dumb down” but tailor it to a diverse
audience more interested in substance and
findings and less in details of methods
Poster session & reception follows
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
What you need to start doing
IMMEDIATELY
READ the Group Project guidelines
Schedule meetings
Define roles (FM, DM, WM, IC) and email relevant parties
Start developing your group; learn about each other; do
something together
Educate yourself about your project
Collect papers and reports and read about your project
You can’t get started and you can’t do a good job if you
don’t know the current state of knowledge
Get clients funding commitments firmed up (working with
advisor and appropriate Bren staff)
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Helpful Resources
Writing skills
Writing Center (writing@bren)
Individual and group tutoring
Research skills
Janet Martorana (martoran@library)
Librarian assigned to Bren
Holds weekly office hours here at Bren
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
Cautions
The work belongs to ALL group members
Everyone must be listed as authors in all presentations and
publications even if you’ve adapted it
Make sure references to others work/data/models are
thoroughly referenced
There may be problems sharing datasets or products with
outside clients because of licensing agreements; explore
this well in advance with Jason.
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB
WoWs
Avoid having group project become all or overly consuming and
not taking advantage of all the other important learning
opportunities at Bren
This may or may not be extremely challenging (more likely may)
You may or may not have issues with group members, advisor of
clients; it’s all good
This is one of the best preparations possible for your future
career (ask any alum or employer)
You will face the same sorts of challenges (and harder) in your
job; appreciate the opportunity to practice now
This is an educational experience—”a practice not a perfect”
Relish the process as well as the product
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB