About Us

Vision

Consistent with Clemson University's vision of becoming a top 20 national public university, we will be a leader in engineering education and student development, attracting and producing students who are prepared to succeed in their upper-level courses and in the engineering profession.

Mission

Consistent with the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences mission, we believe in the challenging yet supportive environment that underlies the Clemson tradition.

General Engineering offers introductory courses that teach basic skills necessary for success in upper-level engineering curricula and in the engineering professions. Our main goal is to guide students in developing the ability to be responsible for their own education.

We believe in the challenging yet supportive environment that underlies the Clemson tradition.

General Engineering faculty and college staff work closely inside and outside the classroom to help students understand the challenge and satisfaction of an engineering career. First-year undergraduates are exposed to all engineering disciplines at Clemson from an academic and professional perspective. Students discover their interests, skills, and abilities and are supported in matching these with a major that is the best fit for the individual student.

Teaching Philosophy

General Engineering at Clemson utilizes a model called “SCALE-UP”, first developed at NC State by Robert Beichner as a way to teach Physics. SCALE-UP stands for Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs.

The project focuses on bringing students together to work as teams on hands-on, interactive assignments. Sitting at round tables allows each team member equal ability to contribute as they engage in discussions. This collaborative study allows increases in problem-solving, conceptual understanding, and overall attitude. As collective dialogue increases, the rate of failure decreases.

Department Administration Information

• Dr. Joe Watkins

  Department Chair
  110B Holtzendorff Hall
  (864) 656-2542
  rjwatki@clemson.edu

• Jennifer Robertson

  Office Manager
  110 Holtzendorff Hall
  (864) 656-2250
  jrobe@clemson.edu

• General Engineering

  110 Holtzendorff Hall
  Clemson, SC 29634
  (864) 656-2542