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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Basic Information
Full Name:
UC Email:
College:
Major:
Title of Project:
Thematic Area :
Project Start Date:
Project End Date:

Sarah Cunningham
cunninsf@mail.uc.edu
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Mechanical Engineering
Scotland Study Abroad
Global Studies
March 11, 2015
March 21, 2015

Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
This project is a study abroad trip to Scotland with the class Effectiveness in Technical
Organization. Through the course and the study abroad experience, participants will develop
skills and knowledge that will allow them to be more effective in this global work environment.
The course is completely online and is available to most CEAS students. The travel component
takes place over spring break. We will be traveling to Glasgow, Edinburgh and the highlands of
Scotland. We will spend time at local universities, industries, and cultural attractions. The goal
of the course is to help students develop professional skills such as communication, teamwork,
leadership, and cultural competence. In addition to technical skills, engineers must also have the
capability to effectively communicate ideas, manage projects and tasks, and contribute to work
groups globally.
Itinerary:
Wednesday March 11
Fly Cincinnati to Edinburgh. Depart 4:30 pm Arrive Edinburgh 6:45am 3/12
Thursday March 12
Arrive Edinburgh. Coach Hire to Cairn Hotel
Shower and gentle sightseeing (National Museum; Calton Hill)
Group dinner
Cairn Hotel
Friday March 13
Coach hire to FMC technologies morning
Coach hire to U Edinburgh afternoon
Evening out with U Edinburgh students
Cairn Hotel
Saturday March 14
Free day in Edinburgh
Cairn Hotel
Sunday March 15
Coach hire to highlands with stops at Doune Castle, Glen Coe, and Fort Augustus.
Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.
Group Dinner
Inverness Hostel
Monday March 16

Muir of Ord Distillery tour morni

Visit to AWS Ocean Energy
Free time in Inverness
Inverness Hostel
Tuesday March 17
Coach Hire to Glasgow
Quick tour of Stirling and Wallace Monument
Wier Manufacturing
Belgrave Glasgow Hotel
Wednesday March 18
U Strathclyde; meet with students and faculty
Advance Forming Institute
Belgrave Glasgow Hotel
Thursday March 19
Free day in Glasgow
Belgrave Glasgow Hotel
Friday March 20
GSK visit
Free time in afternoon
Group dinner
Belgrave Glasgow Hotel
Saturday March 21
Coach hire to airport
Flight departs at 8:00 am
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
In this experience I will be participating in global society and gaining a better understanding of
the role of a global citizen. This trip also gives the opportunity to recognize the interdependence
of world economics, political systems and the environment in engineering. The main goal of the
class is to develop professional skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and cultural
competence.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
A.
This project contributes to my personal, academic and professional goals. I am interested in this
trip because it combines two of my passions: engineering and travel. It has been my goal to
travel as much as I can and experience as many cultures as I can. I find it amazing that I have this
opportunity as a freshman to go to Scotland. I believe this course will be not only a lot of fun, but
also will be an excellent learning experience in relation to engineering and communication in
different cultures. This course focuses on both engineering skills and professional skills that are
necessary for the work place.
B.
My professor provided several resources to learn about appreciating different cultures and
finding ways to help others. Several of these resources include TED talks about cultural
judgment, and making a difference in the world.
This guy's blog affirms the idea that we are really all the same at the heart of it all by
recording individuals stories and photos: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Freerice.com is a website that helps end world hunger ten grains of rice at a time. For
every trivia question answered they donate ten grains of rice: www.freerice.com
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells her story of how she became interested in other
cultures through reading and warns others not to judge an entire culture based on a single
story: http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story
Nathalie Warne speaks about her involvement in the Invisible Children Project. At the
age of 17 she a nation wide campaign with Invisible Children to rescue Ugandan children
from Joseph Konys child armies. She speaks to encourage young people everywhere to
make a difference in the world:
http://www.ted.com/talks/natalie_warne_being_young_and_making_an_impact

4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity

I already know that most of the students on this trip are upperclassmen, so I will likely be the
youngest of the group. But despite my age I am confident that I have unique contributions to
bring to the table. Unlike many engineers I love art and I am interested in the art and architecture
of different cultures. I have visited several other countries including England, Canada, Mexico,
Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Through my travels I have acquired familiarity of a wide variety of
cultures and architecture. I am excited to see how they relate to the art and architecture in
Scotland.

5. Reflection
When it comes to travel, reflection is important to process and recollect everything done on the
trip. It is easy to forget details of a busy schedule. In my travels, I have found that the easiest and
most effective way to reflect on a trip is to journal each day, writing down the days activities and
what I thought and felt throughout the day. Adding tickets or stickers from where I was helps
bring back memories of the activity. Some potential questions to answer include:
What did you do today?
What was difficult about today?
What is something you dont want to forget?
What do you want to do differently tomorrow?

6. Dissemination
I would like to share my experience with other engineering students thinking about going on this
trip and with anyone who is interested in learning about this trip to Scotland. To do this I will be
contributing to a website my professor has set up for the trip. I will choose one place or cultural
attraction that we visited to reflect on and explain to others. This will include historical
background, pictures, and interesting facts about the place we visited.

7. Project Advisor
My Project Advisor will be Eugene Rutz, the faculty member teaching the course and leading the
trip to Scotland. He is an Academic Director, and the Master of Mechanical Engineering
Programs in the College of Engineering & Applied Science. Before working at UC, Professor
Rutz has worked in a number of industrial settings. Currently he manages the Colleges
eLearning opportunities, the ACCEND programs. He has led this trip since 2013.

Contact Information:
Tel: (513) 556-1096
Email: Eugene.rutz@uc.edu
Office: Rhodes 635

Budget
The cost for this program is $2,345. The program is also eligible for a block grant in the amount
of $600, therefore bringing students financial liability on OneStop to $1745 + tuition costs/fees.
Included in the program cost:
Housing / Accommodations
Airfare
In-Country Transportation
Some group meals
Most museum entries and activity fees
CISI Emergency medical and evacuation insurance
Not included in the program cost:
UC Tuition/Fees
Most meals
Personal spending