ECE Florida’s two undergraduate advisors, Nicole Young and Chip Johnson, have been awarded the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering 2019-20 Staff Innovation Award. Nicole and Chip are the undergraduate Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Engineering (CpE) advisors, respectively. The award cited the effort they spearheaded to create an online Canvas shell for all undergraduate ECE students—a landing page where students can access all the resources needed to be actively engaged with the department.
Nicole and Chip collaborated over a timeframe of approximately six months to develop the jointly administered Canvas page which was envisioned as a central hub for all ECE students. Known as the ECE Advising Corner, the shell contains modules that help students transition to the department, learn about different department and university level procedures, and provides detailed information about technical course specializations within the department. The Canvas shell also helps students connect with research labs and student organizations and provides information about applying for graduate school.
The ECE Advising Corner has vastly improved the academic advising experience for ECE students, making it easier for them to find the information they need to succeed in ECE. Importantly, this innovation has also significantly reduced the administrative burden on the advisors, allowing more time for meaningful interactions with their students. Students are arriving for their advising appointments better informed of what is expected of them. The Canvas page has also allowed ECE students to be more engaged with student groups and research opportunities within the department.
Please join us in congratulating Nicole and Chip for this well-deserved award.