A Guide to Off-Campus Student Project Center Operations. A Manual Based Upon the Model Project Center of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts. Project Report No. 2.

Under a 1972 grant from the National Science Foundation's College Science Improvement Program (CoSIP), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undertook a major educational experiment involving the total reorientation of its educational programs. The encompassing effort is referred to as the WPI PLAN. A major facet of the WPI PLAN involves student project work in off-campus settings, with an emphasis on independent study of real-life problems involving the interaction of technology with society. This manual describes the development and operation of one of WPI's off-campus educational project centers for such activities located in Washington, D.C. The operation of the center, including the definition of program objectives and the program's development, implementation, and evaluation, are presented. Guidelines are indicated for financing an off-campus center. As the concept of the off-campus educational center is considered transferable to other institutions, this guide is intended to facilitate the adoption of those elements of the WPI center applicable to the majority of postsecondary institutions. (BT)