Cross Cutting Initiatives Education
William E. Kelly
Professor of Civil Engineering
The Catholic University of America
Sustainability in Engineering
Education
• The framework for US undergraduate
engineering education for sustainability
– ABET Criteria - see http://www.abet.org
– ASEE Policy Statement - see
http://www.asee.org/welcome/statements/sustai
n.cfm
• National
• International
ABET Criterion 4
• Students must be prepared for engineering practice
through the curriculum culminating in a major design
experience based on the knowledge and skills
acquired in earlier course work and incorporating
engineering standards and realistic constraints that
include most of the following considerations:
economic; environmental; sustainability;
manufacturability; ethical; health and safety; social;
and political
• a general education component that complements
the technical content of the curriculum and is
consistent with the program and institution objectives.
ABET Criterion 3
Engineering programs must demonstrate that their
graduates have:
(f) an understanding of professional and ethical
responsibility
(g) an ability to communicate effectively
(h) the broad education necessary to understand the
impact of engineering solutions in a global and
societal context
(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage
in life-long learning
(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
ASEE Policy Statement
Sustainable Development Education
• Importance of complementary general
education
• Faculty should use systems approaches….
• Case studies are needed
• Graduating engineers must be prepared to
practice sustainability
U.S. Engineering Schools
• Case histories for teaching
• Support/encourage faculty efforts in this area
• Develop sustainability as an opportunity to
increase U.S. engineering enrollments
• Develop Visible Partnerships - industry,
academe, government, professional societies
to support and encourage sustainable
engineering
• Leverage technology for education and
practice
National Opportunities
• ABET Criterion - mandate
• Address developed and developing economies
• Develop case histories and teaching materials real case histories from industry/government
• Collaborate on materials under development by
AIChE, ASCE, USEPA and others
• Strategies to ensure sharing and working together
• Develop linkages Engineering <-> Applied
Science <-> Science <-> Social Sciences
National - International
• Graduates working for transnational
• Graduates working/volunteering for
Government
• Industry/government need for graduates
better prepared to deal with globalization?
• Building capacity in developing countries
• U.S. role/leadership/image
International
• Networks Linkages/Partnerships
– Academic
• faculty exchanges
• student exchanges
• research
– Field e.g. water resources
• Inter-American Water Resources Network
• Universities Water Information Network (UWIN)
Capacity Building
• Pipeline - building appropriate workforce in
developing countries
– near term
– long term
• Building educational infrastructure
– appropriate
– quality
– recognition
Fresh Water
Initiative/Opportunity?
• Multidisciplinary
– engineering, science, social sciences
• U.S. research and education program at all
levels - enormous capacity
• Engage the academic community
• Getting together to get it done - U.S. has the
capacity!
Some Questions
• Ways to promote sustainability in engineering education
• Ways to engage faculty/students
– nationally
– internationally
• Ways to develop facilitate partnerships
– national
– international
• Role of Internet
– Distance learning
– Student experiential learning