Fall Semester 2009

8:30-9:50 am MWF (OEDK) unless otherwise noted on schedule

Note: When course meets with MECH 407/8 we will meet in Herring Hall

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Z. Maria Oden
OEDK 107
713-348-4156 
moden@rice.edu

Office Hrs: Make an appointment with Dr. Oden via email or at class

Design Technician:                 Carlos Amaro              ca3@rice.edu
Design Coordinator:             Jocelyn Brown             joce@rice.edu

Teaching Assistants:             
Jie Chou                              jie.chou@rice.edu      
Omar Benevides                     omar.benavides@rice.edu
Steve Higbee                           steve.higbee@rice.edu

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

This class is not like the other courses you have probably taken. There is not a single book or a single concept area or set of equations that you need to master to succeed in this class. Many different topics, tools and ideas will be presented and it is up to you to combine those with your knowledge of bioengineering to go through the process of designing a useful product. You are expected to work hard, find your own resources, engage in effective teamwork, be creative, be analytical, and be an independent engineer to succeed in this class. You MUST take both semesters of this course in sequence during the same academic year.

Global Health Technology Students: BIOE 461/2 is a required course for the Global Health Technologies Minor. The BIOE 461/462 students will receive 2 credits per semester, unless they apply and are accepted as a team leader in which case they may receive 3 credits per semester. Meeting dates are shown on a separate schedule. You will be expected to be a full member of your design team and complete with your team all assignments relating to your design project. You will be assigned to a global health technology design project. You MUST take both semesters of this course in sequence during the same academic year.

Engineering Students in the Global Health Technologies Minor: In order to meet the requirements of the GLHT Minor, you must participate on a Global Health related design project. You will also be assigned to be a technical mentor one of the GLHT design project teams. As a consequence you will be attending a few more days of class to view their presentations.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Homework

Homework problem sets will be assigned occasionally. At this time, 5-6 homework assignments are planned per semester.  It is possible that the number of assignments will vary as the course progresses. Most homework assignments will be done independently but a few may be completed as a group. Homework will be due at the beginning of class lecture (8:30 a.m.) on the day it is due. No late homework will be accepted without permission of the instructor before the homework is due. Illness and family emergencies will be dealt with on an individual basis. Grades on other late homework will be reduced 25% per day (including weekends).

Exams

There will be only no final exam in either semester of this class.

Projects

A design and analysis project will be scheduled for the duration of both semesters. The process of developing and building the design project is the primary focus of the course. The project’s topic will be described in detail the in late September. Students will be divided into teams.  Some of the homework assignments will be designed to help students with their design project. During the year, written progress reports, an oral proposal and progress report, an oral business plan, final poster presentation and final oral reports will be required.

COURSE ADMINISTRATION

Grading Policy - The final grade will be based on the following.

Attendance at all lectures is expected from all students- The policy for how attendance will affect your grade is as follows:

• • Students may miss 2 classes for any reason and will not be penalized

  • Students who have job interviews, medical school or graduate school interviews will have those absences count as ½ of an absence. However, these must be cleared with the instructor at least 2 days AHEAD of time.

  • Arriving late to class will count as ½ absence.

  • Extended illness that will keep you out of class for more than 2 days will be dealt with on a case by case basis with the instructor

  • After the first 2 absences, your grade is reduced 2.5 % per absence for the next 2 absences and then 5% per absence after that.

  • You are expected to sign in on the computers at class when you walk in. When there are MECH and BIOEs meeting at the same time there will be one computer for each. You select the date and your ID number and submit. The data I receive are time stamped as to when it was entered- so excessive late entries will be noted.

 

Policies

Class attendance is essential in this course. There are no exams. You are expected to understand the material presented and apply it to your design project. This is not possible without consistent class attendance. The reason class is scheduled to meet 2 days per week on many weeks is to allow you to schedule interviews and other necessary absences the other days of the week. You may have 2 absences for whatever reason without lowering your attendance grade. Arriving in class late counts as half an absence. Medical School, Graduate School or job interviews that are documented 2 days prior to the missed class will also count as half of an absence. This allows each student to have 4 interviews during class dates without a penalty. There are many weeks during the 2nd semester where there is no class scheduled. This is to allow more time to complete your design projects.

Any disputes over grading on the homework or reports should be brought to the instructor. Do not take questions related to grading to the TA's. If the dispute involves other than an arithmetic error in your score, the entire report or homework will be re-graded. Re-grading may result in a net loss of points. Submit the original, unaltered, homework or report along with a written description of what you believe the grading error is. If a classmate's report or homework is being submitted as documentation of the grading error, it is also subject to possible re-grading. Late homework will generally not be accepted except in the case of illness or serious emergency. Contact the instructor before the due date to arrange an acceptable due date. Illnesses and emergencies should be documented with an appropriate excuse.

Honor Code Policy

Students are encouraged to talk to each other, to the teaching assistants, to the instructors, or to anyone else about any assignment in the course that is not specifically designated as pledged. This assistance is limited to the discussion of the problem and perhaps sketching of a solution. Homework is considered as pledged. General discussion is acceptable, but homework problems are to be solved individually if not stated otherwise.


Throughout the semester, you will be notified of the TA(s) that will be available to support your progress various assignments toward completing the design project

Any student with a disability requiring accommodations in this class is encouraged to contact the instructor after class or during office hours. Additionally, students should contact the coordinator for Disabled Student Services in the Allen Center.