Honors Engineering Leadership Minor (HELM)

Welcome to the HELM site. There has never been a more exciting, yet challenging time to be in the field of engineering.  Nothing exemplifies this more than the National Academy of Engineering’s fourteen Grand Challenges. These challenges are formidable and solutions will require that engineers work in a multidisciplinary way with other professions, as these challenges will require the engineering profession to work and interface with public policy, business, law, ethics, and social and human behavior.

HELM provides a unique opportunity for honors students to add courses and experiences to their plan of engineering study that will provide the context and depth necessary to be a well-rounded engineering leader approaching the challenges of the new century. HELM is open to students in the Chancellors, Haslam, or engineering departmental honors programs.

HELM is an innovative partnership between the College of Engineering, UT Chancellors Honors Program (CHP), the College of Business, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the College of Education, Health and Human Services, and Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy. The objective of HELM is to help engineering students learn leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills necessary to apply their technical skills in real life situations. Through a combination of coursework and projects, students learn to develop their own leadership style and skills to become effective and influential engineers. The elements of the minor program are entrepreneurial basics, leadership and communication skill development, organizational and social psychology, service learning, and a capstone leadership experience.

Course of Study:

Honors Engineering Leadership Minor (HELM)
(For students in the Chancellor’s Honors Program, Haslam Scholars, or a departmental honors program in the College of Engineering)

a) Required courses

• EF 337 Developing Leadership Skills (Management 331 with honors activities)
• EF 357 Introduction to Entrepreneurship (Management 350 with honors activities)
• UH 267/347 Honors concentration in Social Sciences, Service Learning

b) Elective courses – Students would take three of the following five courses:

• Philosophy 241 - Engineering Ethics
• Management 451 – New Venture Planning
• Management 460 – Leading Innovation and Change
• Psychology 440 – Organizational Psychology
• Communication Studies 440 - Organizational Communications

c) College leadership capstone – Students in this minor are expected to demonstrate leadership by assuming leadership positions in the College and University. This requirement has two parts:

• Contribute service to the College or University through holding a selected or elected leadership position. Examples of acceptable positions are College Ambassador, Co-op Ambassador, Officer of student technical society, Orientation Leader, Resident Assistant for Engage residential community, or other positions approved by minor director.
• Demonstrate technical project leadership, normally by a) serving as team leader for senior design or other departmental project course, or b) competing in the College of Business’ Business Plan competition to commercialize a new product. The minor director could approve other experiences for this requirement.

This minor requires:

• Application and registration to participate with the HELM minor director. Confirmation of honors status and current academic record reviewed.
• A plan of study for curricular elements developed in conjunction with the HELM director and the College advising staff.
• Yearly update and review of plan of study with minor director.
• Maintaining participation and standards of the participating honors programs.
• 18 hours of coursework, plus non-credit capstone service and leadership activities. Some coursework could double-count as general education electives (UH 267 Service Learning, Phil 241 Engineering Ethics) or technical electives at the discretion of the students home department.

Click here for registration. Registration indicates interest in HELM and willingness to be contacted about informational/advising meeting.

Many students interested in HELM will also be interested in its companion program, the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP). Click here to visit GCSP page.

 

Contact information:

J. Roger Parsons
HELM/GCSP Co-Director
100 Estabrook Hall
jparsons@utk.edu

Christopher D. Pionke
HELM/GCSP Co-Director
COE Honors Director
102 Estabrook Hall cpionke@utk.edu

HELM/GCSP Campus Partners:

Steve Dandaneau
Associate Provost and Director
Chancellors and Haslam Honors Program
honors@utk.edu

Tom Graves
Director of Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
College of Business
tgrave10@utk.edu

Elaine Seat
Leadership Studies
Department of Management
College of Business
seat@utk.edu

Bob Kronick
Service Learning Studies
Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling
College of Education, Health, and Human Services
rkronick@utk.edu

Nissa Dahlin-Brown
Associate Director
Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy
nissa@utk.edu