Fellow Responsibilities

Members of the Madison A. and Lila Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program (the “SELF Program”) participate in a wide range of activities and have established themselves as leaders across campus. The students invite leaders of industry such as Brian McClendon, co-creator of Google Earth, and Sam Gilliland, former CEO of Sabre Holding Company, to put on seminars and lectures. The Fellows have coordinated and helped with numerous events throughout campus. They run the Engineering High School Design Competition, the School of Engineering's largest on-campus outreach event each Fall; the Sophomore Philanthropy project, a fundraiser and service opportunity spearheaded by the second-year cohort for a selected charity or group in the community; and attend the annual SELF on the Road experience to connect with industry and business leaders across the country. The Fellows have participated in over 100 student groups and helped bring innovative ideas to KU and the School and Engineering.

The Pillars

The SELF Program is built on seven pillars which provide the foundational components of the curriculum. In addition to a variety of leadership theories and development experiences, Fellows will develop skills in:

  • Business Acumen
  • Communication Skills
  • Engineering Expertise
  • Entrepreneurial Spirit
  • Interpersonal Relationships
  • Leadership Development
  • Management Savvy

These pillars are built in to each of the curricular and project-based experiences in which Fellows take part.

Click here for a more information about the SELF Program Pillars.

 

What SELF Fellows Do

Participation and Progress

All Fellows are expected to meet the requirements of the SELF Program. SELF Fellows will be reviewed each semester for completing the program objectives and making satisfactory progress toward their engineering degree. At the end of each academic year, all fellowships will be considered for renewal. The requirements are:

  • Actively participate in all SELF program activities including workshops, seminars and meetings with mentors and advisers, fully complete and return all assigned written activities and actively participate in the development program. The program time commitment is approximately 80 hours a year.  This is in addition to preparation and time spent in outside activities.
  • Make satisfactory progress toward a degree (on-time graduation and minimum 3.0 GPA requirements).
  • Remain in good academic standing. Academic misconduct will result in immediate suspension from the SELF Program.

Other Program Elements

Each student, working in conjunction with SELF program staff, will develop a leadership study plan for their academic career that includes specific goals for attending workshops, courses and seminars. The plan should address areas such as:

  • Preparing communication and leadership skills necessary to be successful leaders in the workplace.
  • Understanding cultural and societal effects on the engineering and technology market.
  • Gaining the necessary basic business skills.
  • Selecting academic classes and extracurricular involvement that best fosters leadership development.