Corporate Partners Mentorship Program - Path "A"

Overview

Under this sponsorship pathway, sponsors financially and technically support a proposed senior design project for a team of undergraduate seniors. Senior design projects include a product design cycle following three components: Design, Prototyping, and Verification. 

Senior design projects run on a two semester cycle, which start in August (Fall semester) or January (Spring semester). 

Procedure

  • Sponsors submit a write-up for an interesting project idea that describes the preferred number of students to work on the project. Proposals for the Fall project cycle must be submitted by early April, and proposals for the Spring project cycle must be submitted by early November. 
  • After reviewing and/or rescoping the project proposal, the department recruits students and confirms their committment within two weeks of the project cycle. 
  • Sponsors donate $1,500 per student committed to the project to the department via our website by the third week of the project cycle. Tax documentation will be issued for the donation.
  • ME faculty will hold weekly meetings with the senior design project teams to ensure students are on track to satisfy curricular requirements.
  • Sponsors are encouraged to regularly meet with the senior design project team to provide technical advising specific to the project.
  • Students make multiple presentations throughout the project cycle. Sponsors are encouraged to attend, particularly on the annual senior design conference day!

Specifications

  • This arrangement does not allow having specific deliverables, as the arrangement is to enhance students’ learning experience by donation.
  • *An NDA may be signed between student teams and sponsors. The template for an NDA is available through the Office of Innovation. 
  • The donated amount will be allocated cover the operation of the program and basic equipment & parts. Projects requiring more than 50% of the donation will necessitate additional budget from the sponsor to cover additional costs. 
    • Equipment DONATIONS and other philanthropic gifts must be processed through the Tower Foundation with consultation from the ME Department.
    • Equipment LOANS must be processed through the Research Foundation
  • SJSU policy establishes that the University may NOT claim ownership of intellectual properties developed by students as a part of their curricular activities. Students will be inventors and owners. 
    • Negotiation regarding exlusive licensing or ownership of students' intellectual property is permissible at the discretion of the students.
  • Sponsors may accelerate the progress of the project by offering a paid internship position to the senior design project students. In these cases, the scope of the work accomplished in the internship must exceed that of the senior design project.