Major Awards
- 2007 Alan Blizzard Award The Alan Blizzard award is given by the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education to a Canadian university program where student learning is enhanced through collaboration in teaching. The Award requires a program to demonstrate that students are actively engaged in the learning process. The program must also provide tangible evidence that the effectiveness of student learning has been increased.
- 2006 Alfred Scow Award A UBC Alumnus, Judge Scow was the first Aboriginal person in British Columbia to graduate with a Bachelor of Law degree, and in 1962, he became the first Aboriginal lawyer in B.C. He served as a judge for the Provincial Court of British Columbia from 1971 to 1992. His tireless efforts to support First Nations students contributed to the establishment of the First Nations House of Learning.This UBC Student Development Award is granted to an undergraduate program or department that has contributed to student development in honour of his commitment to UBC and demonstrated vision, integrity and dedication to social justice.
- 2005 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Curriculum Innovation Award This ASME award is given for curriculum innovations for undergraduate, graduate or continuing education that have demonstrated a significant advancement in engineering education and have the potential for significant impact on meeting the changing needs of the engineering profession. The innovation must also have the ability to be adapted by many schools in an affordable and effective manner and show a high likelihood of being widely adopted.Mech 2 made UBC the first Canadian University to receive this award.
Testimonials
Video Testimonials
- Mech 2 Perceptions and Experiences: A streaming video (.wmv format) featuring six Mech 2 students speaking about what they experienced in the program.
- Mech 2 Reflections: A streaming video (.wmv format) featuring six Mech 2 students reflecting on what they learned and how they changed as a result of Mech 2.
Student Testimonials
I love the personal interaction with professors, TAs, other staff and a broad range of students. On the whole, we are one of the most co-operative groups at the University. Comparing Mech 2 to my experience in science puts this into perspective. I usually didn’t attend class in science because there was no real incentive and not much social interaction. In Mech 2, the support network is amazing and the training is unique and powerful.
I really like the project course [MECH 223]. The stuff learned was REALLY interesting and very useful and very practical. It isn’t just theory but it really relates to daily life.
[I like] the amazing method of getting people involved with each other in groups. Almost everybody know the rest of the class and has worked with them at some point.
MECH 220 is a really good course to have as it gives useful experience to many who wouldn’t previously have had it. Also, the outings such as rock climbing and kayaking are great. [I like] the excitement of the teachers. A lot of my other engineering friends from other faculties don’t like their teachers as much as people in Mech; the program itself makes the profs closer [to the students].
I love [the projects], they are fun and educational… I like how the whole Mech 2 group is like one big team. Its much more fun than last year for me, I have made a lot of friends this year.
I really like the team projects (MECH 223). I think the experience gained from these projects is very relevant to my engineering degree. The tutorials are also essential. I particularly learn much better in smaller classrooms.
I found the first project to be such a great learning experience and confidence builder… [it] made me really excited to be in Mech.
I really like the setup of both semesters… I really think the two design projects at the beginning and end of the second semester are good experience, and help prepare us for our co-op terms.
I like how the things we learn in math are related to the things we do in the other classes. The materials covered in math are also timed very well so that we would have the required techniques to do the problems in the other classes. I also like the competition in MECH 223. To see our project work and compete with the other teams made all our hard work worthwhile.
I love integrating all the courses to avoid overlapping material and wasted time. I also love how I go to most classes, labs and lecture with the same people. Mech 2 is really my second family for the time I spend every weekday away from home. In the MECH 220 practicum course. I learned SO much in a short month. I also love the hands on learning experience in contrast to the sitting-in-lecture-hall-while-trying-to-stay-awake approach to learning.
Emeka cites Mech 2 as the highlight of his academic career at UBC:
Mech 2 was the best experience. It helped me learn the discipline necessary to balance seven courses with varsity football and volunteering posts. It helped me understand, interpret and apply the classroom concepts—to truly learn. Mech 2 brought it all together for me.
