2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) framework is promoted within primary and secondary education, and research has shown that SEL interventions can improve student learning. SEL has five competencies for students: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. A growing number of engineering educators are integrating wellness instruction into their courses, but rarely adopt the SEL framework. This paper documents a series of wellness modules integrated into a disciplinary, upper-division engineering course to promote students’ wellness. Five minutes of class time were dedicated to five wellness topics over the quarter, with topics including the PERMA model, box breathing, and effective communication. Where appropriate, the modules linked wellness topics to skills required for success in the engineering workforce, such as parallels between personal time management and goal planning. A survey found that many students were already familiar with the wellness strategies and felt they were relevant to engineering success. Additionally, no students reported that the modules detracted from their learning. The analysis will guide the future development of these modules.