An Engineering Design Team is an approved extra-curricular group comprised of current UBC students who design (and potentially develop a prototype of) a device or product (e.g. a robot or a vehicle).
Students often participate in these activities with a common goal of gaining relevant design, competition, teamwork, and leadership experience. Teams often choose to enter a regional, national, or international competition with their device, to represent UBC Engineering and put their hard work to the test.
Official design teams must be approved by the Engineering Design Team Advisory Committee.
Relationship with the Faculty of Applied Science
Teams are an integral part of the Faculty of Applied Science and are provided access to space and resources within the Faculty. In order to qualify for team status, teams must be approved by the Engineering Design Team Advisory Committee. Each team is required to have a university bank account (“Worktag”) registered with the APSC Dean’s office or with their host department. Each team must have at least one Faculty Advisor whose interests are relevant to the team’s work. The Faculty of Applied Science may provide temporary and semi-permanent project space (if available), access to machinery and manufacturing equipment, as well as funding opportunities under the Professional Activities Fund (PAF), EUS referendum funding and general faculty funds. The Faculty oversees and manages the affiliation requirements (like the SuperApp), mandatory trainings, and parameters under which a design team can operate.
Student Code of Conduct
All students involved with engineering design teams must follow the UBC Student Code of Conduct found in the Academic Calendar. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct is grounds for team termination.
Team Structure and Operation
Teams’ internal functions are independently operated. Teams are required to nominate a Team Captain and a Safety Officer to oversee their operation. Teams may create additional executive positions to suit their individual needs. Teams may develop their own internal governance documents to serve the needs of their team and to ensure continued success. Teams meet and work during the week as well as on weekends. Work hours are agreed upon internally, to conform to student schedules and resource availability. Teams are required to fill out (relevant parts of) the Super Application on a yearly basis to maintain their EDT status and apply for funding opportunities. The Super Application is released no later than the start of the fiscal year (September 1st ) and is due by September 30 .
Recruiting
Teams rely on recruiting new members to ensure the long-term success of their projects. Some teams choose to interview interested students to make sure candidates are committed to the team, however teams are not required to interview candidate students.
Events
The largest recruiting event is the annual Imagine Day Main Event where clubs and organizations from all walks of life set up booths along main mall and recruit new members. Instructions to register for an Imagine Day booth will be sent out annually, often during the summer. If you have not received an email, but you would like to sign up for a booth, contact the Student Teams Coordinator (team.engineering@ubc.ca) for information on how your team can sign up. The Faculty of Applied Science also hosts several events each year, such as the Engineering Open House, which often serve as excellent outreach opportunities for teams. The Student Teams Coordinator will send information about these events as they approach, so make sure your contact information is up to date.
Online Presence
Besides attending public outreach events, many teams are very active online. Social media sites can be a great way to show off your work, your team’s culture, and your team’s goals. Teams often also have blogs or websites with lists of current members, contact information, and project updates. If your team would like to create its own WordPress site, UBC Blogs (blogs.ubc.ca) is an excellent resource that provides students with an easy to set up webpage, 29 free themes to choose from, and free hosting!
Digital Signage
The Faculty of Applied Science has several locations, including the EDC atrium, Kaiser Atrium, Kaiser 2nd Floor Lounge, and Macleod Atrium, where Teams may utilize large screens for digital advertising. Students in the Faculty of Applied Science can display approved ads free of charge. If you would like to promote your team using the monitors throughout UBC and Engineering Buildings, follow these steps:
- Review templates and tips for creating digital signage on
- UBC’s Digital Signage site: http://digitalsignage.ubc.ca/current-clients/content-guidelines/, and
- APSC’s Digital Identity site: http://apsc.ubc.ca/apsc/visual-identity.
- To display your signage in Engineering buildings, please contact advertising@apsc.ubc.ca. If the ad gets the approval of the APSC Communication Department, please allow 2-4 business days to upload to the system. More information on digital signage and public outreach can be found in the News and Publicity Section
Succession Planning
Nearly every student here at UBC aspires to one-day graduate. And while some students stick around longer than others, it should come as no surprise that the current executive members of a team will likely no longer be the executive members a few years down the line. While some teams change leadership more often than others, it is important to consider leadership succession to ensure that your team survives even once you are gone. This could include essential project information, team administrative information (e.g. email or blog accounts), contact information, detailed information on current and past sponsors (including sponsorship amounts), and experiential advice.