Summarized by J. T. P. Yao, 5/23/00

"… There are reasons to believe that today the changes affecting engineering are accelerating at a rapid pace. … Initially more of an art than a science, engineering emerged from the work of inventors and entrepreneurs who paid little attention to the scientific underpinnings of their technological activities. In the early 20^th century, engineering's scientific basis grew in importance. … After World War II, several factors, including the beginning of the Cold War and a postwar economic boom, heightened U.S. demand for engineers and led to large increases in the number of practicing engineers, engineering students, and engineering fields and subfields. Graduate education also became more prominent at this time, and the number of foreign students attending U.S. engineering schools substantially increased."

"… Last October [1997], about 50 engineering leaders from academe, industry, and government attended an NAE gathering on this subject called the 'Workshop on the Changing Nature of Engineering Practice.' The workshop discussions constitute much for this article's basis."

"The ability to change rapidly is important to success in industry. … As a result, engineers must 'relearn' their profession on a more frequent basis than ever before, fueling the demand for continuing education."

"Engineers need these expanded capabilities to cope with more complex design demands. In place of limited design parameters set primarily by material constraints, engineers now grapple with increasingly complex, numerous, and 'fuzzy' design constraints - material, environmental, and socio-political. … Consequently, engineers find it harder to achieve optimal solutions, and must make more complex tradeoffs. … The possible downsides of information technology developments also demand careful consideration. For example, there may be a tendency to rely too much on computer-aided design and not enough on physical testing."

"… Companies use more engineering and technical resources today than ever before, thanks in part to the ubiquitous computer and its electronic connections and networks. Hence, in the future engineers in many disciplines will need to be increasingly knowledgeable about information technology and computers."

"In the past 20 years or so, the U.S. economy has shifted its focus from manufacturing to service industries, spurring a corresponding shift in engineering employment. … These workforce changes have created a demand for engineers who can fuse technical, managerial, financial, and industrial skills."

"… In their bid to compete in this increasingly global marketplace, companies must continuously improve their engineering activities. … All these changes could have profound implications for the engineering profession and engineering education. … The shift to a global marketplace does, however, raise several questions: How can the United States increase it productivity so that it remains competitive in such a marketplace? How important are engineering wage differentials per location in selecting work sites? How can we create a win-win situation for both developed and less developed countries?"

"… R&D support is increasingly dependent on finding a strategic vision or mission that is compatible with industrial goals and objectives. This is a substantial change from the defense-based environment in which engineers previously worked. … Increases in industry R&D spending and federal R&D funding for health and environmental concerns are not likely to offset the shortfall."

"The end of the Cold War and the shift away from defense work have encouraged engineering faculty to pursue research of industrial significance, some of it funded by industry. This research tends to be more short-term and product- or process-oriented than work funded primarily by the federal government. …"

"Once almost exclusively a white male profession, engineering has begun to attract a diverse population. … According to 1993 data compiled by the National Science Foundation, Asians comprise 10 percent of all U.S. engineers; women, 10 percent; and underrepresented minorities, 6 percent. …"

"Increasingly, new industries and enterprises are focusing on the biological sciences. … Yet, until recently, engineers played little role in the life sciences, and few engineering schools required students to take biology courses. … Engineers and physicians are collaborating successfully on medical breakthroughs; schools are developing new biomedical engineering curricula. …"

"… To prepare students for these challenges, workshop participants suggested that engineering schools broaden their curricula, make engineering leadership a principal focus, increase their emphasis on manufacturing engineering, stress comprehension over computation, and strengthen their ties with industry. … We believe that the following issues require further attention by the engineering education community.

1. University-Industry Communication/Interaction. … Although this increased industry involvement is desirable, universities must retain their independence. They must refrain from becoming too similar or too influenced by their industrial partners. Both groups have different objectives and serve different constituencies. …
2. Change Technology. Engineering educators generally agree that they should teach 'the fundamentals' as opposed to current practices that can become obsolete. … It is time for engineering schools to seriously rethink what students need. Topics such as discrete mathematics, digital design, and bio-materials may be becoming fundamental to an engineer's education. … Bioengineering is not just biomedical engineering. All engineering may eventually involve design with biological materials, processes, and techniques.
3. The Curriculum Courseload Conundrum. … Some of the topics that engineering schools are attempting to their curricula are:

• Information technology and computing
• Life sciences
• Communications and teamwork skills
• Business and management
• Societal and political concerns

1. Lifelong Learning. … A variety of lifelong learning options exist, from self-education to formal degree programs delivered remotely at company sites. No matter the form, lifelong learning is essential for all engineers, and should take into account early, mid-course, and later career needs. …
2. Information Technology. Engineering schools need to think about information technology in two ways: 1) as an instructional medium that can open new ways of learning; and 2) as a hot job market for which schools should be preparing their students. …
3. Engineering and Society. Engineering education should increase its attention to societal issues. … Additionally, engineering schools should help their students understand the societal role, implications, and limitations of technology, and the importance of engineering input to public sector, public service, and public policy deliberations. … Finally, engineering education needs to contribute to the public's technological literacy by expanding its role in educating nonengineering college students and K-12 students."

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