The students are nominated by professors and mentored by two faculty facilitators.
Past teams have worked on projects involving sustainability, improving traffic patterns, medical records, pandemic planning, drunk driving, urban ecology, riverside landscapes, and issues of health and nutrition for local governments, NGOs, and corporate sponsors.
The make-up of every team is interdisciplinary, with members selected from sciences, social sciences, engineering, and humanities.
Since the Technology Clinic’s founding in 1986, the course has offered its participants rewarding experiences through projects that emphasize problem-solving, interpersonal, and consulting skills.
While much of the exploration is done outside the classroom, the team meets at least twice a week to share information, discuss ideas, and determine assignments for subsequent weeks—everyone makes different contributions each week.
This requires both independence as well as a dependence on the group to devise imaginative solutions for the client.
Enrollment in Tech Clinic, usually offered in two sections each year, is very competitive. Students rate it among their most interesting and valuable experiences at the College.