Engineering – at its core – is a service and helping profession. As such, serving society requires in-depth knowledge and appreciation of the various cultures, differences, and experiences that make up our world. Appreciating, understanding, and accepting the collective experiences of all of the populations we serve will undoubtedly result in better engineering solutions.
In college, you will connect with people who are different from you. Listen to them. Learn from them. You will be amazed at the depth of knowledge you will receive if you learn and listen. As an engineer, learning and listening are two critical elements to understanding others. Simply put, engineers cannot afford to lead society toward solutions that do not take into account the social environment around them.
As you consider the Inclusive Excellence competency, you can work through the Complete Engineer Competency Growth Model: Exposure - Engagement - Transformation (below).
Exposure
Student is open to learning about inclusion. Student demonstrates knowledge of the value of differences and participation in experiences to increase understanding.
Examples where further growth can happen:
- Visit/familiarize oneself with services/programming offered by resource centers on/off campus.
- Attend events organized by resource centers/other groups.
- Meet someone from a different state or country than you.
Engagement
The student engages in self-initiated participation in experiences that may challenge their perspectives. The student can articulate their own identity and culture and how it connects to others. Students can identify opportunities for growth.
Transformation
The student demonstrates growth or additional understanding and perspectives. The student actively works to create an environment that leads to creativity and innovation in their own spaces and where others may feel included.
Students are exposed to developing this core competency by taking one of these courses:
City Campus - Lincoln (L) / Scott Campus - Omaha (O)
- Freshman Engineering Seminar: ENGR 10 (L) / 100 (O)
- Achievement Centered Education (ACE): ACE 9 (L), ACE (O)
Opportunities for further development in this core competency can include:
Inclusive Excellence
Diverse. Empowered. Connected.
Communication
COLLABORATIVE. POSITIVE. CONSISTENT.
Teamwork
ACCOUNTABLE. PRODUCTIVE. INVOLVED.
Self-Management & Leadership
MOTIVATED. OPEN. PURPOSE-DRIVEN.
Civic Responsibility
ACTIVE. ENGAGED. IMPACTFUL.
Professionalism & Ethics
RESPONSIBLE. FAIR. RESPECTABLE.