Engineers left frustrated over exchange

A foreign exchange scheme that, in previous years, had often allowed a student from each department in the Faculty of Engineering to study for a year at the University of California has this year drastically reduced its places. As a result of a decrease in the number of students at the University of California who wish to participate in the project only two places were available this year for Imperial students.

The programme is open to students in their final year – who apply in autumn of the preceding year. The University of California curriculum involves to those studied at Imperial and students must also complete an “independent research project”.

A third year mechanical engineering student, told Felix that he “applied for the program and went through a motivational letter stage and then an interview stage in front of three lecturers from the mechanical engineering department and was selected mid-November”. He was told that he “might have another interview at faculty level” but that on the last day of term was told that he “won’t be going”. He added that he was “deeply upset about this” and that, so far, he has “been unsuccessful in trying to gather reasons for why the faculty has chosen the other departments’ members and not mechanical engineering (especially since it is the biggest in terms of size) without further interviews or selection procedures”.

Dr Pat Leevers, Mechanical Engineering Director of Courses, responded that the Department was “to say the least, disappointed in the outcome of this year’s U Calexchange scheme”. He praised the candidates who “had put time and effort into preparing strong applications” and expressed “bitter disappointment” at how the student who was selected by the department was “unsuccessful at the Faculty level, where the odds of success seem to diminish each year”. He added that the Department would “certainly now be looking at alternative options to the present Faculty-wide scheme”.

Doug Hunt, Imperial College Union Deputy President (Education), commented on the exchange programme saying: “It is quite hard to get more than 2 [places] as we need students from UC wishing to come here to be able to send more there. Currently that isn’t happening though. Only way of creating more places at US universities is having more US partners but this is more admin for the College and departments.”

American students have offered insight into the possible reason for the decrease in incoming applicants. It may be due to Imperial offering only year long exchanges. Other universities offer single terms. As the system in the USA works on credits, it could mean that students from the USA are less prepared to leave for an entire year as it would require harder work when they returned. This would be because year away could harm their credit choices more than just a term abroad. At the time of going to print Adrian Hawksworth, College Assistant Registrar (Placements), who until recently had been in charge of the programme, was unavailable for comment.