In order to graduate globally capable engineers who are not only technically savvy, but socially competent and business smart, Sheridan’s School of Engineering has found both a process and a ‘place’ to meet these goals and align with their vision to create curricula that inspire innovation and creativity. The process: the CDIO methodology that helps graduate “ready to work” engineers. The place: Sheridan’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT). In the fall of 2013 Sheridan unveiled its new visual identity with a tag line that challenges people to "get creative." It's a bold and courageous statement that reflects Sheridan's belief that creativity is, among other things, an essential life skill. Our focus on creativity, which can best be described as 'creativity with purpose' or 'practical creativity,' extends across all programs. It's about challenging students to re-imagine ideas, experiment, collaborate, take risks and build a resourceful, resilient and flexible mind. How realistic and authentic is this Creative Campus philosophy at Sheridan? How did this notion of creativity make its way into our mission, values and strategic goals? For the CDIO methodology to translate into outcomes, students need the creative space to get the real world practice that makes CDIO such a powerful learning strategy. Operating like a research and development arm for small and medium sized enterprises, CAMDT unites engineering students, faculty and community partners to solve real world challenges and produce solutions that benefit the local economy. At Sheridan, CAMDT is not just a physical space, it’s a creative space where the collaboration between engineering students, educators, industry and community partners not only benefits enterprise partners, but helps Sheridan shape engineering education. In travelling down the road to university recognition, Sheridan has engaged its academic community to describe the characteristics that best represent the Sheridan University of the future. It is through this process that the plan for the Creative Campus emerged. The paper reviews Sheridan’s Creative Campus Strategy and draws parallels to the four high-level expectations in the CDIO syllabus.
Proceedings of the 11th International CDIO Conference, Chengdu, China, June 8-11 2015