Welcome to the 2024 Engineering Technology Leaders Institute (ETLI)! Engineering Technology (ET) education is ingrained in your DNA if you are attending this conference. Our Tuesday keynote speaker will be addressing the audience on the topic of “Supporting Engineering Technology”, which is the theme of this event. I encourage you to participate in discussions in and out of sessions to help build our network of ET leaders. Supporting and rallying to ensure a vibrant future for our students, programs, and industry is at the core of ET leadership.

In 2023 ETLI participants met in Washington to learn and discuss methods for "Partnering, Mentoring & Marketing" in ET education. The conference was very successful, and many were able to attend the ASEE 125th Anniversary Gala event afterwards. Without the aid of our longtime lobbyists, Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, some participated in meetings on Capitol Hill, but there were no pre-arranged meetings. At the Engineering Technology Council (ETC) meeting we agreed to return to the institution campus rotation system from past ETLI conferences, which has led to this conference here at our gratuitous host institution Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Future ETLI conferences may return to Washington, but we look forward to another institution hosting in 2025.

Workshops on Monday offer a variety of topics relevant to ET educators and for all attendees. There is a workshop to help prepare proposals for NSF projects, a panel discussion on NCEES ET pathway to licensure, one focusing on active learning, and one on best practices for successful ABET self-study reports. Monday evening will kick off the 2024 ETLI with an ETC Meeting followed by dinner and welcoming comments from ASEE President, Grant Crawford, and a guest speaker presentation.

Tuesday morning starts off with a keynote address from Dr. Dave Munson, President, Rochester Institute of Technology. The morning session will share best practices in succession planning and hiring strategies. During lunch, the presentation will provide ABET accreditation updates delivered by ETAC representatives. The afternoon sessions will analyze value propositions for ET and ET pathways from A.S. to graduate degrees. Tuesday ends with inspiring RIT lab tours and a dinner hosted by RIT. Finally, please take in the Leadership Forum on Wednesday morning to conclude the conference.

ETLI continues to be a vehicle for a national call to action, mobilizing our professional societies and accreditation agencies to work in a coordinated, strategic way in supporting our leaders. We encourage you and others, as leaders of ET, to be involved by participating in this meeting and volunteering to be part of the leadership team.

We hope you enjoy the Institute and have ample opportunity to network with your colleagues and leaders in the field.

John L. Irwin
ETC Chair
Michigan Technological University

Lara L. Sharp
ETLI Conference Chair
Springfield Technical Community College