Applied Projects

Fleming College, Peterborough, Ontario, offers a service where computer and engineering technology students do full-term project work or assignments that may be useful to your enterprise - at no salary cost. The enterprise sponsor is one who provides the setting for a real-world problem to form the basis of the student project. Faculty mentors may add additional activities depending on the expected learning to be achieved. It is a yearlong process with three phases.

1. Establishing
   College faculty establish enterprise sponsorship and other project activities.

2. Planning
   Student teams form and select a project. Mentors guide student teams with planning activities (a specific course).

3. Executing
   Mentors guide student teams with executing the project full-time (no other courses).

What are the Benefits?

Some enterprises have back-burner projects that are non-mission critical but can add value to their products and/or services and be a learning experience for students. Projects can involve a combination of information/database, simulation, network/security/firewall/computer forensics, internet/intranet/e-commerce, electrical, electronic, electromechanical, robotic, control, and automation systems. Students can design, test, and evaluate a mock up of a proposed or alternative system that enterprise is planning to commission. They might also undertake operational activities in order to test, improve, or document systems.

Benefits and Costs

Dedicated student teams under faculty supervision perform in a rigorous academic program. This ensures that students achieve the levels of skill, knowledge, and attitudes required for graduation. There is no salary cost. However, we ask that sponsors bear other costs for incidentals, such as travel, preparation of reports and presentations, and program expenses. Sponsors retain spending authorization. The sponsor must also commit to nominal contact time with the students for site visits, status meetings, technical reviews and final presentation.