Learning About Faculty Service Through Scrum: A Ph.D. Students' Perspective

This innovative practice full paper describes the integration of Ph.D. students into departmental operations using Agile approaches, i.e., Serum, Serum is an agile framework originally developed for managing software development projects, but in recent years has been adapted into a framework used in classroom experiences and a management technique for non-engineering project-based work. In this work, Serum was adapted at the department operations level to enhance the efficacy of department projects and processes. A Ph.D. student acted as the Scrum Master for one of the teams. This provided the Ph.D. student with a unique experiential learning opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, significantly enhancing their learning experience. The benefits for the Ph.D. student included the development of soft skills that made them a more well-rounded Ph.D. student and the creation of meaningful relationships with the faculty members on their team which increased their sense of belonging within the department. Additionally, the Ph.D. student gained insight into the intricacies of university operations, which is valuable training for a student who seeks a career in academia. This paper aligns with a desire to improve the experience of engineering and computing education of graduate students outside of the typical classroom and research domains.