Spotlight on Beverly Davis & Rodney Vandeveer, Department of Organizational
Leadership, School of Technology, Purdue University :
Leading the way for Engineering, Applied Science, and
Technology
When a person thinks about the
School of Technology at Purdue
University, one doesn’t immediately
think about finding the Department
of Organizational Leadership. That
is what makes this leadership program so unique. The Purdue University Department of Organizational
Leadership is the largest granting
program of its kind
in the country with
over one thousand
students in seven
locations across the
state of Indiana.
Purdue University
is a preeminent
university leading
the world in the basic and applied
sciences and engineering along with
other technically based areas that
improve quality of life. Recently the
Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET) recognized
the importance of leadership and
professional skills for engineering
and engineering technologists and
expanded by including this skill
set as part of a quality engineering
and engineering technology education. Purdue University’s School of
Technology was visionary when it
recognized this growing need and
created the department of Organizational Leadership many years ago.
Organizational Leadership graduates
are leaders in a variety of careers
including but not limited to business,
industry, government, and financial
services. Organizational Leadership
graduates typically enter positions
in production control, production
supervision, quality control, human
resources, and industrial engineering.
The curriculum that prepares our successful and versatile graduates in-
clude coursework in Applied Leadership, Leadership Philosophy, Human
Behavior, Conflict Management,
Ethics, Management of Change, Human Resource Issues, Training, and
Diversity and Cultural Studies.
Another visionary step that Purdue
University took was to expand the
School of Technology
to several statewide
locations throughout
the state of Indiana in
1983. This expansion
was designed to meet
Indiana’s educational
needs for the purpose
of updating presently
employed people in the skills they
need to function in an ever increasing
technical workplace.
The Department of Organizational
Leadership, practicing continuous improvement, took two major
steps of engagement internally and
externally. In 1997, designed specifically for non-traditional students
working full-time, the Department
developed a leadership certificate
program. This certificate, designed
with industry input, is offered only
at the statewide locations. All credits earned in the certificate program
accumulate and may be applied to
both the Associate and Bachelor’s
degree in Organizational Leadership.
The certificate program encouraged
industry and business to offer classes
at their locations and sponsor cohort
groups of students in the leadership
program. Statewide, one will find
Organizational Leadership faculty at
the statewide locations traveling to
business and industry training rooms
to offer their curriculum and make
it possible for the working person
to pursue their leadership degree.
Internally, the Organizational
Leadership Department restructured some courses to meet the
growing need in engineering
technology. The School of Technology programs in Electrical and
Computer Engineering Technology,
Mechanical Engineering Technology, Computer Technology, Building
and Construction Technology, and
Computer Graphics Technology
have all experienced requirement
changes with accrediting agencies
such as the aforementioned ABET
criterion. The Organizational Leadership department responded by making needed changes. This response
included offering courses in human
resources, basic structure-function,
operations, leadership process, managing change, and working in teams.
The response also included adding
a minor in Organizational Leadership for technology students and
developing the courses to meet the
specific needs of sister departments.
This leadership program is also in the
midst of a growing graduate program
with students seeking a Masters of
Science in Technology specializing in
Organizational Leadership.
The Department of Organizational
Leadership in the School of Technology at Purdue University,
serves a unique role in
developing leaders for a
variety of industries along
with preparing future engineers and future engineering
technologists with the leadership and professional skills they
need for career success.
15.
The Member Connector, International Leadership Association, ila-net.org, ilamembers.org (May 2004)