Integrating the Social Change Model and Engineering

• In Event: The Social Change Model: Best Practices of Application Across Diverse Universities and Settings

Short Description

This presentation will detail how the SCM conceptual framework guided the creation of a program for engineering students. Designed to help students develop the leadership skills important to the work of engineers, the program intentionally provides opportunities for engineering students to think about the role of social change in addressing engineering challenges.

Detailed Abstract

The International Leadership Association’s Guiding Questions (2009) recommends the use of a conceptual framework to develop leadership programming. Rosch and Anthony (2012) identified the Social Change Model (SCM) as one of the most widely used leadership model in higher education. The SCM framework facilitates critical thinking about issues of civic responsibility and social change through the leadership development of individuals, groups, and communities (Astin, 1996). This framework provides a unique opportunity for engineering students to think about the role of social change in the challenges they address in their work. This proposal focuses on the use of SCM to develop a curricular and co-curricular leadership program within engineering.
The Engineering Mind
Engineers have become known as the builders of our world, offering solutions to societal issues grounded in a very strategic way of thinking (Madhavan, 2015). At the request of the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) compiled a list of 14 Grand Challenges facing engineering in the 21st century, with many directly impacting human society, including learning, energy, medicine, infrastructure, and access to clean water (NAE, 2010). Madhaven (2015) argued, “Engineers help create solution spaces—suites of possibilities that offer new choices, conveniences, and comforts—that redefine our standard of living” (p. 11). The applied thinking of engineers gives them the ability to visualize structures that do not yet exist, skillfully create designs under pressure, and make rational decisions about solutions (Madhavan, 2015). The mind of an engineer sees the world in a systematic way in which develops solutions to societal issues in our world, much like leaders do to address challenges of social change.
Using SCM as a Conceptual Framework
Leadership programs can integrate the way an engineer thinks with the tenants of social change for a unique approach to engineering design solutions. The Social Change Model (Astin, 1996) was created with the idea of preparing students with the skills needed to lead effectively in an interconnected and complex world. Leadership consists of development in areas of the individual, groups, and communities with attention to the Seven C’s of Change: Consciousness of Self, Congruence, Commitment, Collaboration, Common Purpose, Controversy with Civility, and Citizenship. Focusing on these three areas lead to positive social change in the areas of the world that students engage.
The Social Change Model has been used as a conceptual framework to create a program in engineering focusing on the social leadership issues in the field of engineering. A series of four academic courses plus a student organization focused on the leadership development of engineering students, provides them with many opportunities to engage with the three building blocks to leadership learning: build knowledge, engage in experiences, and reflect on leadership development (Harvey & Jenkins, 2014).
Individual Perspective
The introductory course of the program involves the individual leadership development of engineering students, aligning with the individual perspective of SCM. Content focuses on the understanding of SCM’s C’s of Change that include consciousness of self, congruence, and commitment. Students engage in activities that encourage reflection of self strengths, values, and personality types. They reflect on the congruence of their actions and values, and make a commitment to their personal goals and philosophies.
Group Perspective
The second course engages the development of team leadership, aligning with the group perspective of SCM. This class focuses on the C’s of Change including collaboration, common purpose, and controversy with civility as the C’s of Change. Students, together as a team, analyze and evaluate an engineering team operating in industry. In class activities help students create strategies to develop a common purpose, engage in effective collaboration, and mitigate conflict and controversy in a group. Students identify a number of strategies to apply to the teams and groups they work with in other classes and jobs.
Community Perspective
The third course involves SCM at the community level with the application of student organizations on campus. Citizenship is the C of Change addressed in this course. Students integrate the individual and the group to engage all students effectively in the student organizations they are involved in. As a member of a student organization, students are asked to think about the role of strategic planning in organizational impact, organization mission and vision, and the engagement of all students based on the mission of the group. Students generate strategies to be more effective in their student organizations and the industry organizations they work in.
Capstone Experience
The fourth course is a capstone course culminating all aspects of SCM. Students meet with the Dean of Engineering discussing leadership topics pertinent in engineering. Industry leaders discuss current issues and their experiences in the field. Engineering case studies are used to challenge students to think deeper about problem solving and their impact on society. Students use their experiences and knowledge of leadership to solve current engineering challenges collectively.
Co-Curricular Experience
The engineering leadership student organization provides students a co-curricular opportunity to engage in leadership development based on SCM. The mission of the organization is to provide members, at all levels of engagement, from general member to executive member, experiences to practice and develop their leadership skills. Students are divided into groups in which they are charged with event planning for the larger organization. Events include social, outreach, fundraising, and leadership development events. The co-curricular experience creates a safe environment for experimenting with knowledge, experience, and reflective practices important for leadership development.
Conclusion
The Social Change Model was used to create a curricular and co-curricular experience of engineering students to develop leadership skills important to the work of engineers. Many of the challenges facing the engineering world directly impact humans (NAE, 2010), providing a unique and important opportunity to integrate the thinking of engineers and the social change model. Curricular and co-curricular activities created for engineering students provides them with the knowledge, experience, and reflective space to develop their leadership capacity (Harvey & Jenkins, 2014).

Participant

• Katherine L Friesen, Iowa State University