A Comprehensive Leadership Development and Assessment System for Engineering Students

In this paper, we describe the development, testing, and scaling of a leadership development program specifically designed for engineering students and faculty. Such leadership development seeks to catalyze college-wide culture and performance and enhance student success. Program design, content, and process are described. The program combines a system thinking approach, visual models, and principle-based leadership to grow leaders and systems thinking ability concurrently. The program has been tested in small group cohorts, an engineering undergraduate program, and a college-wide co-curricular offering. Our research seeks to assess the effectiveness of the program framework and content as well as the nature and audience of delivery. A process for training faculty is described. The program layers development in learning, practice, and mastery levels similar to Six Sigma programs. Techniques for student retention and assessment are detailed at each level. The program is organized to allow student leaders to perform program assessment, improvement and sustainment. Program expansion to faculty and staff is planned in order to facilitate college-wide leadership culture.