Engineering with liberal and technical education (ELITE)

We discuss a new project that will enable students at the University of Arizona to plan a course of study that reflects their interests in the arts, humanities, business or social sciences, and applications of engineering methods to these disciplines. By providing a well rounded education that combines the quantitative analytical approach of engineering with the societal and cultural dimensions of the traditional liberal arts, the ELITE program will prepare graduates who have the breadth of vision to lead this nation into the twenty-first century. The project will include an innovative seminar series that provides an in-depth examination of the social context within which engineering is carried out. The new program will lead to a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering. Graduates of this program are expected to be involved in the service sector, with applications in banking, entertainment, finance, health care, public policy and many more. On an experimental level, we will attempt to demonstrate that it is possible to increase student demand for engineering, recruit and retain a greater percentage of women and minorities, and attain a higher graduation rate by increasing the degree of flexibility in engineering education.