How the Entrepreneurial Mindset Supported the COVID-19 Transition in Engineering Unleashed Faculty Development

Abstract

For several years Engineering Unleashed has provided in-person faculty development events focused on expanding an entrepreneurial mindset in undergraduate engineering programs. During Spring 2020, it was decided that ten faculty development workshops scheduled to be in-person multiple-day summer workshops would be delivered in a virtual format due to COVID-19. Workshop teams of facilitators and coaches structured the pivot to remote learning effectively and efficiently, reflecting the entrepreneurial mindset that infuses the workshops. The pandemic created an opportunity to build community and connections using new tools. In this paper we share how the workshop teams of 47 facilitators and coaches restructured their workshops, creating value for the 229 faculty members participating. The approaches developed and lessons learned during this shift are outlined to provide a template for other groups offering remote faculty development programs. We discuss the importance of continuous feedback for improvement and of significant communications between facilitators and coaches. Surveys of faculty participants indicated that learning objectives were met by the remote workshops.