Innovation leadership honors program: Addressing engineering education needs through curriculum enhancement

The emerging challenges of the "engineer of 2020" have been clearly identified and extensively discussed. It has become evident that there is a crucial need for change in the practice of engineering and the education of future engineers. Specifically, engineering disciplines need to be broadened and enriched to better prepare graduates for working in a constantly changing global economy. In response to these challenges, the Executive Advisory Council of the College of Engineering and Computer Science undertook the task of advising the College on the strategic changes needed in the engineering curricula. As a result a new program was conceptualized and designated by Florida Atlantic University as the Innovation Leadership Honors Program. This program, which we believe to be the first of its kind, was designed as an overlay for our existing curricula in engineering and computer science, and is intended to provide a select group of students an enhanced background and training in innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication. Program content, criteria and procedures for selection of student participants, advisory council participation in delivery of the program, and other administrative details are described in the paper.