A model engineering curriculum is being developed to prepare engineering students for innovative, contextually-sensitive design, effective communication, and improved participation in society's decision-making processes. The curriculum develops coherence and integration of liberal arts and engineering through the use of an engineering "design sequence" and a liberal arts "area of coherence," both of which stretch from the Freshman to the Senior years. The courses in each sequence integrate topics and perspectives from the other area and develop critical thinking and communication skills through the use of open-ended group projects with significant writing assignments and interactions with industry professionals. Capstone courses, "Capstone Design" and "Technology in Society," integrate concepts from previous courses and the other area. The grantee institution is contributing significant funds to this award.
