2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In accordance with Kanban philosophy, there is no failure if something is learned from the experience. In a world of 'fail forward', 'fail fast' or 'Move fast and break stuff', innovation from a trial-and-error approach involves implementing/operationalizing changes gleaned from these trials. The Entrepreneurial Minded Engineering Resource Group for Educators (EMERGE) is a community of individuals starting engineering programs facilitating one another through workshops and other formal and informal gatherings. From a commonality in the EMERGE cohort we often trumpet our successes, but for the betterment of future programming we can help ensure efficient programming development by sharing our failures.

Surveys were developed by program members of the EMERGE network to find commonality in failure modes experienced by the emergent programming and to discuss the prevalence of themes from this survey. In reflection of the discovered prevalence of obstacles or temporary failures, a discussion of ways in which developing programs have solved the most common challenges and strategies for dealing with currently unresolved issues are presented.

It is hoped that by having more open and transparent publication of the challenges faced and solutions found that more effective program development in emergent engineering programs can be realized.