The Rhetoric Program at the University of Iowa

Abstract

The International Engineering Service Program at the University of Iowa (UI-IESP) has evolved immensely since 2003. The UI-IESP changed significantly in response to increases in financial resources from grants and gifts and through the creation of the Design With the Developing World (DWDW) service-learning course. Taught since 2006, the DWDW course has provided 185 students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams to propose solutions to problems faced by people in the "developing world". Since 2013, improvements to the DWDW course include a change in instructional format, the utilization of the Field Guide to Environmental Engineering for Development Workers, the integration of experiential workshops, and the UI-IESP partnership with Kobriti, Ghana. The Kobriti Partnership recently culminated in the construction of a solar-powered groundwater pumping system by the people of Kobriti with the assistance of a UI-IESP team that included three former DWDW students, a university shop staff member and a university research staff member. Using reflections written by students, the research staff member and the corresponding author, the UI-IESP was determined to be effective overall. Critiques of the UI-IESP highlighted the lack of a national affiliation, the use of a single advisor, the small international scope, the perception that the DWDW course was unable to fully prepare students, and the need for redundancy in communication planning. Lessons learned include "knowing by going", being resilient, embracing unknowns, respecting indigenous knowledge, and always seeking partners. Best practices include diverse training for students, partnering for the long-term, identifying responsible parties, partnership reciprocity, and utilizing resources from the university, EWB-USA and/or ESW.