SERVICE LEARNING AND TEAM WORK – ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP

Abstract

In a senior undergraduate course, collaboration between the Environmental Systems Engineering (EVSE) program and Facilities Management (FM) was initiated to provide support to the campus and valuable learning and leadership opportunities for students. A list of potential projects related to the curriculum was developed in consultation with FM employees, the President’s Advisory Committee onSustainability (PACS), and EVSE. The intent of the team projects is to support the strategic plan goals set out bythe University of Regina and Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science by providing high quality, timely educational opportunities with practical, immediate, and sustainable recommendations. The projects and approach to project management include significant elements of leadership, organization and management, communications, and engineering application. Students were provided with project ideas encompassing weighty challenges aligning the interests and expectations of FM and EVSE to result in both short-term and long-term impacts and benefits. In an era of cost-cutting and budget constraints in higher education, the projects allow students the opportunity to provide meaningful recommendations that stretch their engineering and leadership skills while supporting vital evaluation, efficiency and design improvements, and environmental systems analysis incorporating best practices of economics, public attitudes, environmental and public health, team work and management, and communications. Student feedback indicates a high level of satisfaction with the concept of service learning on campus and improved team work and leadership skills development over the course of the semester.