Implementation of an undergraduate engineering curriculum to prepare 21st century leaders

Abstract

We have created a three-year leadership curriculum for undergraduate students enrolled in the Opus College of Engineering at Marquette University - a medium-sized, private, urban, religiously affiliated university. The objectives of this people-focused, technical leadership program are to: (1) develop engineers who are able to address 21st century global challenges; (2) prepare individuals to lead, not only through innovation and technical expertise, but also through their ability to motivate, engage and guide people and organizations who represent the full range of diversity across the human spectrum; and (3) educate and develop the leadership and character of outstanding engineering students, who are able to lead technical teams in solving problems. In this paper, we present curriculum design, early results and recommendations from first year assessment of the program and plans for future programmatic elements and assessment. Students are accepted into the leadership program during sophomore year. The curriculum is designed to follow an intentional sequence of experiences that meet students' developmental readiness and needs over the three years in the program. In each year, the student cohorts explore one of three themes of the program (leading oneself, leading with others, or leading technology and innovation) through a combination of three formal leadership courses, a variety of experiential learning opportunities, and the completion of a capstone project. Upon completion of the program, students will have a concentration in engineering leadership noted on their transcript. Formal coursework is designed specifically for undergraduate engineering students. The courses explore topics including: self-awareness and emotional intelligence, leadership styles and theories, servant leadership, team dynamics, motivating and guiding others, diversity in the workplace (cultural, gender, etc.), communication, conflict management, ethical leadership, leading change, leading technology and innovation, market analysis, product development, entrepreneurship, and strategic and financial planning. A variety of assessment methods were employed in the first year. A pre- and post-test leadership inventory was administered to students to during the first course. Results of this qualitative assessment were analyzed using a rubric developed to measure growth in perceptions and attitudes. In addition, students wrote reflection papers about practical leadership experiences during their industry internships, using the guiding principles and themes of the program to illustrate what they learned. Students also synthesized their observations of industry leaders after shadowing each of two C-Level leaders. Early results from assessments conducted after the first year in the program indicate students are developing significant self-awareness, building life-long skills and habits that will serve them well as they assume greater leadership responsibility. Early results also indicate the necessity of creating challenging experiences for students to critically examine their personal leadership capacity, skills, values, and awareness in order to foster growth and development. Observing and reflecting on others' leadership practice is also a valuable process for building awareness of one's own leadership capacity and efficacy.