To improve the quality of the engineering design experience by involvement in multi-semester design activities. To improve teamwork skills by involving students in team-oriented projects, similar to what they will encounter in the workplace. To improve leadership skills by assigning seniors management responsibilities for the project and team personnel. To prepare students for the 21st century workplace by exposing them to the dynamics of small, entrepreneurial companies. Engineering undergraduates at all levels can enroll and continue for several semesters.
Seniors adopt team leadership roles, delegating responsibility to team members and defining goals.
Team members who stay with the program for several semesters eventually serve as company leaders. The drive to bring a business venture to fruition is nurtured by the EEP course, which adopts a success-oriented approach. Grades are based on actual company performance, not traditional tests. The class does not follow the conventional lecture format but meets as a weekly seminar series of speakers such as company founders, manufacturing engineers, attorneys and venture capitalists. The seminars help ground the students in reality through discussions of entrepreneurial success stories, marketing strategies, legal issues and more.