Effective Industry Advisory Boards in Engineering Education

Voluntary boards composed primarily of industry practitioners who give aid and advice are almost universal in engineering education programs, though there has been little published research on this subject. A model of advisory board effectiveness is proposed based on the literature on organizational effectiveness. A case study is presented based on observations and interviews in an engineering school whose advisory board relationship was highly regarded. Results of an in-depth survey of 90 engineering school directors and advisory board members are shown and analyzed. Based on the model, case study and survey results, this research characterizes the operation, makeup, and effectiveness of advisory boards. The study identifies those factors in board makeup and operation which correlate with boards seen as effective, and makes recommendations for establishing and maintaining an effective industry advisory board. This research should be particularly useful to engineering school directors and others charged with the leadership or coordination of advisory board programs.