At the outset of the Enterprise Program, participation at any level (i.e. students both enrolled and not enrolled in enterprise project courses) was encouraged in order to grow the program. Potential negative legal and ethical implications of this open participation practice have recently been raised however, and must be properly addressed. Allowing for the participation of students not enrolled in enterprise project courses presents increased liability, particularly for those students working in the lab/shop environments. Without the ability to track these students through the appropriate project courses, we are unable to ensure proper training/safety. In addition, by allowing students to participate in enterprise design/manufacturing related activities without enrolling in the associated courses, we are, in effect, allowing these students to take coursework without charging tuition -- obviously an undesirable situation for both the university and for those students who are paying tuition for the same educational experience.

With these factors in mind, the Enterprise Governing Board has established the following Enterprise Enrollment Policy:

"Volunteer" student participation is not permitted in the Enterprise Program. In order for a student to participate on an Enterprise team, they must be enrolled in an appropriate Enterprise project course.

The full policy statement: in a printable version (PDF).