Partnering With Students to Enhance Curriculum and Community in Engineering Programs

Abstract

Students are at the heart of engineering programs and meaningful engagement with them is essential for both shaping their educational experience and meeting accreditation expectations related to stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement. Using the Students-as-Partners framework, this paper describes how student, faculty, and staff collaboration enhanced both curricular and co-curricular experiences in an engineering department. Our approach involved a structured summer research and volunteer program where student partners worked with instructors to develop course materials, modernize curriculum content, and refine courses, with student work integrated into the curriculum. At the program level, student clubs collaborated with departmental leadership on curriculum modernization and academic support initiatives, strengthening communication between students, the curriculum committee, and the Undergraduate Office. Co-organized events supported professional development opportunities and community‑building. This initiative demonstrates how sustained faculty–student partnerships can enhance courses, programs, and student life, with future work focused on evaluating the impact of these collaborations.