Work in progress - a freshman engineering course designed to convey the essence of the engineering program at James Madison University

James Madison University has established a School of Engineering commencing in fall 2008. Students will earn Bachelor of Science degrees in Engineering. The curriculum features a broad base of humanities coursework to accompany the traditional math, science, and engineering courses. The curriculum also features integrated business courses, a six semester sequence of engineering design courses, and a sustainability focus. The engineering program is designed to meet ABET criteria and prepare students for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. The introductory course is designed to be representative of the program content, teaching techniques, assessment techniques, and culture. As such the introductory course will contain material related to social context as well as engineering practice. This paper discusses the content and culture aspects of the introductory course.