Integrating Leadership Education into the Undergraduate Engineering Experience

This paper contributes a description of efforts to infuse leadership concepts into undergraduate engineering programs. There is a strong national push for enhancing the undergraduate engineering educational experience. A short overview of the need and current practices is provided. A case study of the Engineering Leadership & Innovation Institute is provided. A detailed concept of operations is provided. The mission is to create a burning desired and confidence to create, innovate, collaborate and deliver world-changing solutions. This mission was developed through a review of other engineering leadership institutes, review of the literature, and guidance from industry. In the Engineering Leadership & Innovation Institute, a concept of operations is being implemented which provides awareness to all students while providing avenues for other students to self-select a deeper understanding. This concept of operations is developed to reinforce key skills (create, innovate, collaborate, and deliver) and support a student's accountabilities for becoming a leader (Learning the Most from Their Engineering Courses, Joining the Journey Expanding Their Resources, Experimenting with Creating and Innovating, Learning from Experiences, Gathering With Other Engineers & Disciplines, Learning from Leaders/Courses, Gaining Work Experiences, Reflecting on Themselves and Their Experiences). This paper provides the foundation for further impact assessment in the future. A person responsible for developing and running an engineering leadership effort can use this paper to identify potential approaches for their institute.