Competency Requirements

Grand Challenges Scholars Program Competency Requirements

Grand Challenges Scholars will complete coursework and/or experiential opportunities to achieve the five competencies of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP). The Grand Challenges Scholars’ faculty and staff work closely with the undergraduate students to help them build a path to achieve the 5 GCSP competencies – Research/Creative, Multidisciplinary, Business/Entrepreneurship, Multicultural, and Social Consciousness.

1. Research/Creative: Mentored research or project experience related to a Grand Challenge to enhance technical competence
2. Multidisciplinary: Understanding gained through experience of the multidisciplinary character of implementable and viable Grand Challenges solutions
3. Business/Entrepreneurship: Understanding gained through experience that viable business models are necessary for successful implementation of Grand Challenges solutions
4. Multicultural: Understanding gained through experience that serious consideration of cultural issues is mandatory for all viable Grand Challenges solutions
5. Social Consciousness: Deepen social consciousness and motivation to address societal problems, often gained through service learning, because serving people is the vision served by the Grand Challenges

Research/Creative Competency

UTC Grand Challenges Scholars will complete mentored research, design project, or creative project experience related to their chosen Grand Challenge theme to gain hands-on experience and more in-depth knowledge of work in their chosen theme area. Students must present the results of their experience at a public conference (at UTC or elsewhere). To achieve the competency students may participate in:

• UTC Research Center internships or research experiences
• UTC Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) Experiences
• Department Honors Thesis DHON 4995 in the student’s major (2 semesters, 4 credits)
• Interdisciplinary Honors College Thesis outside of the major (2 semesters, 4 credits)
• Independent study with a faculty member
• National Science Foundation (NSF) REU experiences
• NSF International Research Experience for Students (IRES)

Multidisciplinary Competency

UTC Grand Challenges Scholars will gain an understanding of the multidisciplinary character of system solutions for complex challenges facing society today. To gain this perspective, students will complete coursework and/or experiences in distinctly different disciplines outside of their major that complement their major degree work.

Scholars can complete this competency through existing courses such as 

• those that meet General Education requirements
• the Honors College year-long Innovation Lab series

The UTC Honors College year-long Innovation Lab provides a strong campus-wide interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary project-based learning experience. Faculty from across the university use design methodologies to isolate, explore, and ideate solutions for community-based problems.

Entrepreneurship Competency

UTC Grand Challenges Scholars will develop an understanding of the necessity of a viable business model for solution implementation through course and project experience. Paths for completing this competency include

• Develop or revise business models as part of an Honors College Innovation Lab
• Pursue a student consulting position with the Rollins College of Business’s Solution Scholars or Urban Vision Initiative (UVI)
• Pitch a business idea in one of UTC’s pitch competitions such as Hatch It!
• Enroll in an UTC Rollins College of Business (Rollins COB) Entrepreneurship course
• Complete the Rollins COB Entrepreneurship Minor

Multicultural Competency

UTC Grand Challenges Scholars will complete experiences and/or courses to develop an understanding of diverse cultures necessary to ensure cultural acceptance and viability of project and problem solutions. This competency may be met in a variety of ways including participating in

• Study abroad experiences
• International and culturally focused organizations
• Existing UTC courses in the General Education category “Individual and Global Citizenship”.

Students may study abroad in one of the increasingly diverse Study Abroad programs facilitated by the university (short-term faculty-led programs; semester or year-long study abroad programs offered in various majors and specialties through a variety of vendor-based trips). The CECS, the Rollins College of Business, and the Honors College offer faculty-led trips that often address a specific academic or service-learning experience (for example, collaborating with entrepreneurs in Kenya; working with NGOs in Cambodia; visiting the headquarters of Volkswagen in Germany with attendant side trips).

Students may participate in a variety of UTC international and culturally focused clubs, organizations, and experiences on campus during the academic year. UTC also supports community-based volunteer efforts that put students directly in contact with international populations and individuals culturally different from themselves.

UTC General Education requirements require students to take a single 3 credit hour course under the “Individual and Global Citizenship” category. The learning outcomes of this category meet the needs of this competency. There are a multitude of UTC courses that presently support this general education category.

Social Consciousness Competency

UTC Grand Challenges Scholars can achieve mastery of this competency through participation in

• UTC design project courses such as ENME 1850 “Introduction to Engineering Design” and the Honors College Innovation Labs
• UTC courses regarding societal issues
• Local nonprofit organizations

UTC offers a variety of courses that address societal issues and tensions including courses in Women and Gender Studies, Africana Studies, and others. The selected course or courses must be approved as supporting this competency by the UTC GCSP Director.

The following list provides examples of local nonprofit organizations. To use a nonprofit experience to meet this competency Grand Challenges Scholars must include reflection of their volunteer work in their portfolios and must complete at least 50 hours of service over the course of one academic year.