Re-envisioning the role of the engineering education chapter at a research-i institution: Lessons from a cross-disciplinary model

Engineering Education Chapters at academic institutions are largely student-led, confined to engineering disciplines, and broadly aimed at promoting engineering and engineering education. Research and dissemination, and participation from faculty, staff, and non-engineering students and academic units in chapter activities are generally limited. In this paper, we describe a cross-college model of an ASEE chapter that includes an interdisciplinary network of faculty, staff, and students across colleges of engineering and education in a large Research I institution. The chapter consists of five working groups: (1) K-12 engineering education, (2) undergraduate engineering education, (3) graduate engineering education, and (4) diversity and inclusion in engineering, and (5) research and dissemination. Using a bottom-up model, the working groups drive the mission of the overall chapter and an executive committee enables implementation and evaluation of initiatives proposed by working groups. To better understand and define the role of engineering education chapters at comprehensive research institutions, we report preliminary results on programs proposed by each working group as well as a scoping review of impact and role of existing active and dormant chapters. This work will identify gaps and opportunities that engineering education chapters can address, including but not limited to, supporting and enriching the academic experience of engineering students.