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Dean Robert F. Savinell uses the term "Engineering Plus" to explain what makes a Case-educated engineer different. The basis of this philosophy is the school's commitment to a learning environment that extends well beyond the classroom to enrich the entire person. While Engineering Plus may be a relatively new description, the philosophy behind it dates back to the very founding of the institution.
When he endowed the Case School of Applied Science upon his death in 1877, Leonard Case Jr. planted the seeds for a unique educational community. Case, a Yale-educated lawyer and avid naturalist, believed that his fortune should remain in the area it was earned. As a member of a group of curious local amateur scientists, known as the Arkites (so named because the ever-growing collection of stuffed birds and other animals members brought back from their travels led to their meeting room looking like the biblical Ark), Case also had a keen appreciation for exploration and the pursuit of knowledge through science.
These two factors led to Case's sizable land gift to the school and his minimal instruction that this new institution forgo the classical academic pattern of higher education and apply pure science to unlock the secrets of nature and to develop the nation's abundant resources.
The institution's commitment to Case's philosophy can be found in the words and actions of some of our earliest faculty members, one of whom was Charles F. Mabery. Mabery, a professor of chemistry appointed in 1883, was a mentor of two of our more famous graduates, Herbert Henry Dow and Albert W. Smith. He was also a pioneer in experiential learning, a concept the school continues to promote to this day.
In an era where tradition and rote memorization were king, Mabery and his colleagues introduced their students to new methods of original study in the laboratory. While Case students continued to receive thorough training in the fundamentals, they also were introduced to problem solving and hands-on study in the lab. It was Mabery's contention that the concepts that are applied to research in pure chemistry could also be applied to the solution of problems in industry.
"Not every student can become an investigator," Mabery said. "But every graduate … will be better prepared for duties that await him if he has some appreciation of habits of thought independent of routine methods."
More proof of the Case commitment to Engineering Plus can be found throughout the school's enitire 125 years. From William Wickenden's research on engineering education of the 1930s to T. Keith Glennan's curriculum reforms of the 1960s, Case has always been on the cutting edge.
Today, the Case School of Engineering continues to be a leader in science and engineering education. Students have access to myriad opportunities – the groundbreaking SAGES seminar program, a comprehensive cooperative education program, countless research opportunities both on and off campus and much more – that enhance the standard curriculum.
"Our students respond to these offerings," says James McGuffin-Cawley, associate dean for undergraduate programs. "One-third of Case engineering students double major or minor in the arts and humanities, another third participate in the co-op program, a quarter perform independent undergraduate research and a significant number take advantage of opportunities for international study."
Future students are responding, as well. These unique curriculum enhancements helped Case attract a record class of freshman engineers for Fall 2005: more than 450 students.
In the 1870s Leonard Case Jr. and the Arkites pondered the future of science and engineering. Thanks to Case's foresight and the dedication of countless professors and students, it's a future that remains bright 125 years later.
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