2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Abstract

Professors are responsible for teaching and shaping the next generation of civil engineers. As the conduits for transferring knowledge, the positionality of an engineering professor will inherently shape how engineering students perceive their expected role as civil engineers in society, embedding both identity and priorities. Nonetheless, professors are not provided with the tools needed to create a human-centered learning environment that promotes a more equitable lens through which students can view the ethical responsibilities of a civil engineer.
The framing utilized in the curriculum to communicate ethical measures lacks the intricate and contextual complexities of real-world scenarios and historical views of all stakeholders (Bucciarelli, 2007). Professors’ perspectives must be taken into account when considering teaching and identifying any perceived barriers hindering this process. There is a hierarchy in engineering curricula where technical courses are prioritized, and non-technical courses are seen as an add-on. We must account for what is being left out of the problem-solving process and whose perspectives are not being considered (Leydens and Lucena, 2017).
Civil engineering curriculum should include a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) to produce students with a stronger sense of social agency when they enter into their profession (Garibay, 2015) by providing them with (1) a better understanding of the implications of the historical and present contextualization of the work of civil engineers, (2) a recognition for the role/power they play in society, and (3) an understanding for the intersection of social justice within the discipline.
However, research on civil engineering and incorporating DEIJ is nascent. Literature that is found speaks on infrastructure development and ethics with regards to environmental responsibility. While there is support for more ethics training in civil engineering (Said et al., 2015), missing from the literature are specific next steps and tools to help professors incorporate social justice in each component of civil engineering (construction management, geotechnical, structural, transport, water, and environmental).
We have conducted a systematic literature review outlining if and how the current curricula incorporate DEIJ in civil engineering programs along with the tools necessary for successful implementation and outcomes. For future research we suggest a deeper dive to understand the lifecycle of DEIJ from the professors’ point of view and what needs to be addressed in order to incorporate social justice into the civil engineering curriculum. In doing so, the knowledge gained supports professors by creating successful engineering programs that produce well-rounded students as future engineers.