ENGR 250: Leadership in Engineering Teams

Upcoming offerings

Fall 2018
Section 1 (second half), Monday 3:10 – 5:30 p.m. with 25 students

Overview

The primary focus of this course is on building and sustaining decision-making teams. Students will explore the interrelated processes of discerning purpose, thinking systemically, developing, reflective judgment, and exercising leadership by mobilizing and setting the direction for adaptive change within a team. Industry based examples and information from engineering and natural resource sciences will be infused into the course. This course is designed to weave together theoretical and experiential threads regarding teamwork using insights gained from readings, case studies, class assignments and experiential activities.

1 credit, over eight weeks

Course learning objectives

By the end of the course each student will:

  • Define and contrast essential components of groups and teams and examine the advantages and disadvantages in working with others in engineering settings.
  • Describe the relationship between personal commitment and common purpose, effort and results, communications and networking, norms and roles, power and influence, cohesion and conflict, decision making and problem solving, shared leadership and empowerment.
  • Explain the relevance of small-group communication theory to the practice of working in small groups and teams in engineering contexts; explain the value of productive team conflict and generate ways to resolve team conflict.
  • Apply acquired knowledge to enhance skills in areas of communications, group dynamics, setting common objectives, achieving consensus in team decisions, and building teams in engineering settings, as well as other areas of leadership development.
  • Improve team-oriented writing, speaking, and listening skills through analysis/synthesis of information provided in readings, lectures, class discussions, and in- or out-of-class assignments.
  • Explain individual role in teams and contributions in teams to external stakeholders.
  • Effectively lead and engage in teams.

Catalog description

Building and sustaining decision-making engineering teams. Students will explore the interrelated processes of discerning purpose, thinking systemically, developing reflective judgment, and exercising leadership by mobilizing and setting the direction for adaptive change within a team. Industry based examples and information from engineering and natural resource sciences will be infused into the course.