[Nick Seidl]

I have noticed that many teams mentioned in this thread make a point of setting attendance/contribution and academic requirements for the students on the team. Setting standards is a great way to let students know where they need to stand. But simply putting these measures in place or making it a stick and carrot scenario is not enough. Having been a team mentor for two years, and being an education major (technology education to be exact), I have learned that the next step is assuring every student feels that they have something valuable to do. Do just tell them "hey, quit slacking, and go do something." Rather, go yourself and find something for them to do, and make sure they realize the significance of their task to the success of the team. Keep on them about this too, don't just give them direction once, and expect them to keep going. Some students just need a little more motivation than others. I don't know how large some of your teams are, but I can tell you that this is obviously more difficult to do on larger teams. Also, newer students are less likely to be as motivated as some of the veterans on the team, but is important to keep them interested, and realizing potential student leadership in these students for a few years down the road when they become the backbone of the team.